In one year, here’s what I caught (you might have your own list):
The last U.S. Marines are leaving Iraq.
Credit card companies can no longer charge interest on fees, and can’t retroactively raise your interest rate on existing balances.
We know who visits the White House, and who they’re affiliated with.
There’s a quarter billion dollars more funding for National Parks, and $50 million more for the National Endowment for the Arts.
We responded, imperfectly but with heart and sincere effort, to the disaster in Haiti. Just as we wish we had after Katrina. Leadership matters most in emergencies.
Our current President readily admits when he’s made mistakes, respects the validity of arguments that he disagrees with, and has members of the opposing party in his cabinet.
The Department of Homeland Security now allocates its security spending according to threats, not by spending the same amount of money on Montana as it does on New York.
My 401k is up 30% since the current President took office.
Our President asked both corporations and individuals to reduce their electricity consumption. He asked politely.
Trains. There’s a plan to build more rails and more trains for transporting actual humans around the country.
The Matthew Shepard hate crime bill was passed.
Now, that’s just my list. These matter to me. Maybe you have your own list. Or maybe there’s only have a wishlist of features for an Apple tablet. The difference is this: Our current President is listening to what your requests are, and wants to hear them. Steve Jobs doesn’t give a fuck about you. I promise. I’m typing this on an Apple keyboard hooked up to a MacBook, and I don’t use Windows anymore, but I guarantee you that Steve Jobs is not going to get those last Marines out of Iraq.
Free Publicity: Who do we help? - Anil Dash
I really, really enjoy Anil Dash.
(via gross)
Rafer sez:
Easy to forget the glass-half-full points with the healthcare and wall street messes. McCain certainly would not have even gotten these done. He probably can’t understand why they’re important or good for the country.
(via rafer)
Good points, all. I won’t say I’m 100% happy with the President, but I will say that I’ve moved past 50% happy - so more happy than not. It’s worth remembering amongst all the persistent and constant negativity that it’s all a political tactic: “everything Obama does is the wrong thing to do, no matter whether it’s the right thing to do” is the mantra of the opposition. Even when those policies are ones that party previously supported, they’re fighting a battle against the man and not against the meaning. Whether or not this is petty and bad for the country depends on your viewpoint, but what I will say is that it’s a perfect example of poor governance - and it’s what I’m remembering going into the coming mid-term elections. If your entire policy is “whatever he says is the wrong thing, no matter the substance of the message” it’s a pretty good bet that your policies aren’t very well thought through.
Source: jamesgross
