Letter to Barack H. Obama

 

The President of the United States of America

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC, 20500

 

January 20, 2009

 

Dear Mr. President,

Congratulations. I’m happy to have you as the head of our Union.

At certain cross roads of history individuals with increased capacities and talents can inspire a nation and lead it to the top of the hill. You may be just that individual. Time will tell. I can not imagine any American wishing you ill for that your failure will be our demise.

I voted for you and donated to your campaign despite my reservations. Your record is thin. Your slogan filled speeches although very inspirational were not enough to convince me of your presidential aptitude, but the way you run your campaign was impressive. If you administer in a similar fashion you will do well.

You are a star. There is nothing wrong with it. Personalities who shape our world often have star quality. Use it. When you have to take unpopular measures talk to us and explain why. Most of us will understand.

General Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States spoke about the danger of a powerful military industry: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” He was ignored. Please guard us against the unwarranted influence of any industrial or corporate complex. I know it is not a simple issue. Campaign financing is the Achilles heel of our democracy but the millions of individual small donors should give you enough strength to face this challenge. And if you do, the small donors will multiply.

The power of capital to augment, creating wealth not only for the capitalists but the community at large has been tried successfully for years. Greed associated with risk taking is like a pain killer. Beneficial in the right doses, fatal in excess. Please check the greed and make sure no company grows “too big to fail”. Make sure though you don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Our policies have at times victimized millions of people. The Cuban embargo did not punish Fidel Castro but his people. The criminal actions of Hamas and the Israeli government have victimized millions of Palestinians. Find a way to break the vicious cycle of death and destruction.

We are the only industrial nation of the western world without some basic health insurance for all its citizens. I hope you correct this disgrace.

I will not hold you to your promises. They were many and made over a campaign that lasted almost two years. I will hold you to three basic elements of your inaugural speech.

 - A nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

 - We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals

 - Our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please

If you hold true to these statements with actions, policies and laws I will support you and possibly vote for you again.

Good luck Mr. President, and for your sake and ours, please make us proud.

 

Yours truly,

 

Citizen Solon