by Aneesa Vaez-Iravani
Webmaster
As I made my approach to the glass door entrance of Boarders Book Store during the early hours of Jan. 21, a large display of political magazines with covers featuring Barack Obama was all that I could see on the other side. It appeared as though the morning following the inaugural celebration of our first African American president brought not only sentiments of change to millions of our compatriots, but it had also managed to engulf almost every form of print media.
It is irrefutable that the Bush administration has left the country in shambles. With 4, 236 US troop fatalities in Iraq, a near $800 billion of US taxpayers’ funds approved for or spent toward the six years of war on terror, and a continuing economic crisis that has left 10% of US citizens unemployed, the President has arguably inherited the worst socio-political situation since the Great Depression. Obama obviously had no part in the creation of the present mess, however it is his responsibility to deal with, and resolve, our economic crisis. This past month, several different newspapers, magazines, and online forums have paid particular attention to, and leveled criticism at, Obama’s Stimulus Plan to improve the state of the economy, which is projected to cost the US taxpayer nearly one trillion dollars. In his plan, the President aims to improve infrastructure, provide relief to schools across the US by modernizing classrooms and updating their technology, and plans to double the production of alternative energy within the next 3 years. Another part of the plan seeks to improve efficiency in the heath care system, by modernizing the handling of medical records through a national database containing information about the diseases and even sexual practices of all American citizens.
This practice will be open to potential abuse, since the information could be used by employers to deny jobs to those with less-than-perfect heath records, in order to avoid costs of medical coverage. It is even possible that such sensitive records may be hacked into, or even used as the basis of slander and blackmail. However, the placement of medical records online is not going to provide any additional information that the government could not otherwise acquire. Our personal information is already being placed online in cases such as banking, and we are even required to report to government our personal incomes simply to be able to pay taxes. An improved health care system will nevertheless allow the medical system to be updated, patients to be treated at any hospital, and proper medical attention to be given at a greater speed.
Given the depth and scope of the package, many disapprove, particularly members of the Republican Party. Much of this criticism, however, seems to stem from ideological differences, rather than an honest assessment of the reality of our situation, and seems unjustified. Some have even gone as far as to criticize this package as a “spending bill.” However, in such a dire economic situation as the one we are facing now, it is only the government’s muscle that can bring about real change.
The stimulus package will undoubtedly give the much-needed hope to millions of Americans affected by the economic recession. The package, if used effectively, will ultimately allow responsible homeowners to stay in the homes, and help most hard working Americans in providing tax cuts for families earning $250.000 or less annually. However, it is important that state and local governments address the major spending in infrastructure immediately, if the plan is to prove effective.
President Obama deserves a great deal of credit for his swift action in putting the stimulus package together and signing it into law. It is a courageous move that begins to address the enormous challenges that our country faces. It is almost by definition an imperfect solution, for nothing this large is ever perfect. However, people who choose to focus on these imperfections are completely missing the point that the package as a whole is what the country so badly needs in these perilous times.