The wrong shades of FDR

We continue to hear about how the nation (or, more accurately, the Democrats) is approaching the finish line of major health care reform in the country (or, more accurately, more government intervention in the delivery of health care service). Although there are merits within the sets of proposals from both sides of the house (e.g., it is hard to argue against eliminating provisions that allow for Americans to be denied access to health insurance), there is still an underwhelming theme to our times geo-politically as we progress through the Great Recession.

Much like the early 1930s, a Democrat president has ridden into office on the promise of restoring prosperity and opportunity for Americans after the erosion of banking institutions and Wall Street. Much like the decade of the 1930s, there is a strong and growing-still sentiment that America’s domestic needs trump the geo-political matters brewing outside of our immediate borders. Much like the 1930s, there are threats flexing their muscles rhetorically and militarily that remains off the immediate radar of a majority of Americans.

Unlike the 1930s, hopefully it will not take another surprise attack (especially post-9/11) in order to make the United States re-prioritize its focus and balance.

Rest assured, there are differences between the eras. Just the same, we should not automatically imply or believe that either Presidents Roosevelt or Obama misplayed their responses to threats overseas. However, with the current focus on health care reform (a second priority domestically to getting people back to work in the nation) instead of on other much-needed items on the American to-do list, the U.S. runs the risk of misplaying the trends that we are seeing geo-politically.

Seeing that the United States is preoccupied with bitter internal wangling on how to optimize one-sixth of its economy, Iran and North Korea continue to provide the equivalent of “bulletin-board material” for the Obama administration as both rogue nations continue to issue statements and threats that indicate a level of military confidence that primarily comes from an increase in military capabilities and a perceived sense of opportunity or weakness.