A Personal Opinion on Barack Obama Being the Best President in American History

A Personal Opinion on Barack Obama Being the Best President in American History When I was in first grade, Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States. The week leading up to his Inauguration, my parents were unusually excited. As my mom was brushing my hair, I remember asking â€Å"What’s the big deal?†. My mother’s response was â€Å"We are witnessing history†. Not only was he an inspiration, but to me, he was the greatest President in American History. To start with the obvious, President Obama was the first black president in American History. At the time my fellow classmates didn’t realize the scale of this movement, but looking back at our countrys history, this was a big move. Even though it seems like a long time ago, the Civil Rights Movement was less than 50 years ago. This country was built on slave labor. Flash Forward to his presidency, and out of 80 policy positions requiring Senate confirmation, President Obama appointed more than women and minorities in 53.5%, compared with 25.6 percent during George W. Bush’s presidency. (Eilperin 5) Frankly, I’m surprised most people forget that it was during President Obama’s Presidency that the mastermind behind 9/11, Osama Bin Laden, was captured and killed. That reason alone should move him to the top of our greatest presidents list. 9/11 was the single worst terrorist attack in American history, and changed the politics and policies of our nation for years to come. On June 27th, 2015, America woke up to the news that same-sex marriage was legalized. This stopped 14 states where it was illegal to marry the same sex from enforcing their discriminatory laws on the LGBT+ community. In a press conference, President Obama’s response to the ruling was something that stuck with me for the next two years. â€Å"When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free† (BBC 6). These words should apply everywhere in our country, because our diversity is what truly makes America great. Though it was controversial, President Obama attempted to create nationwide healthcare for America, under the Affordable Care Act. It was opposed because it created too many costs on business, with many describing it as a job killer. However, studies show jobs in the healthcare sector rose by 9%. (BBC 8) No matter the cost, people deserve healthcare. Even though it was a flawed system, the fact that he attempted to create nationwide healthcare was a big step in the right direction. No person is perfect, including our president. You can have the best intentions and still making the wrong decision, but the real test is what you do to correct yourself. Admitting you’ve made a mistake is something to respect in any person, especially a president. Future Presidents should admire President Obama not only for this, but for keeping a calm and level head when faced with discrimination. When President Obama was elected, he was threatened to be hung, people burned effigies of him, and tried to convince the country he wasn’t a true legal citizen. (Dionne 1) It may be the President’s job to act calm and serious, but as a human being, keeping patience during this is extremely difficult. President Barack Obama, the first black president, led the way for progressive ideas. He took down the mastermind behind 9/11, and created nationwide healthcare. Not only this, but President Obama led the way for other minorities to take places in office. Soon, maybe we’ll have our first Hispanic, or even Muslim President! But for now I, along with the rest of America, will look back fondly and with respect to his presidency.

Rebuilding the Balkans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Rebuilding the Balkans - Essay Example Taking a look at the brief history of international intervention in the Balkan region will elucidate some of the reasons for intervention, the aims of those who intervene and the consequences of their actions, which often differed from their aspirations. The main issue discussed in this article is the contemporary remarkable continuities in the approach of the western world towards the Balkan states, with multilateral intervention largely being driven by a desire to contain crisis and maintain the status quo in a region perceived as lying on the periphery of Europe. With the exception of Greece, it was only until the mid-1990s when the policy was prefigured earlier, have there been signs that such approach might be replaced by a qualitatively different one based on contractual engagement and a possibility of eventual integration into the European mainstream. Contrastingly, the meaning of integration for the Balkan space remains vague. Within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe and the Stabilization and Association Process there are suggestions that it could eventually lead to EU accession and, certainly, this is the dream of many within the region. However, with the EU already facing the challenge of an unprecedented enlargement into Central Europe and the Baltic, the likelihood of this occurring within the short or even the medium term remains doubtful. Alternatives to membership have been canvassed, and European Commission President, Romano Prodi, has even floated the idea of some form of 'virtual membership' for the states of the region, but, if this is the case, will integration itself be anything less than 'virtual' (Siani-Davies 2003). International Intervention in the Balkans The wars in the western Balkans could be considered a laboratory for post-Cold War intervention. There have been five conflicts over the last decade: Slovenia 1991; Croatia 1991-1992; Bosnia-Hercegovina 1992-1995; Kosovo 1999; and Macedonia 2001. As a consequence of global media attention and civil society pressure, outside powers have been learning to adapt the forms of intervention to an interconnected globalised world. Broadly speaking, it is possible to distinguish between two types of security philosophy that have guided interventions in the Balkans. One has been the traditional geo-political approach, in which security is understood as the defence of territory. The geo-political approach tends to be top-down, using diplomatic, economic and military pressure to influence political leaders and warring parties. The other approach is cosmopolitan in which security is understood as the defence of individual human beings. This approach is bottom-up; the emphasis is on respect for human rights, support for civil society, economic assistance and regional cooperation. Top-down approaches, of course, remain important, but they are shaped by bottom-up priorities. In the context of globalization, geo-political approaches to security have perverse effects - they lead to fragmentation and instability. Indeed, it is the attachment to territory and borders that explains the disintegrative process in former Yugoslavia. By and large, the United States has tended to pursue geo-political

Assignment (Microeconomics) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

(Microeconomics) - Assignment Example It also assists government to take advantages of expenses associated with clerical works. Moreover, government can effectively avert unhealthy market competitions. 3. Utilities such as water, gas, and electricity are some of the examples of natural monopolies. Government must set price ceilings in national monopoly markets since products and services under this category are necessities that people may buy at any higher prices. 4. In both the cases, profit must be zero in long run equilibrium. Firms are affected by changes in demand conditions under both cases. A major similarity between monopolistic competition and perfect competition is that competition in pursuit of profit encourages efficient resource movements. 5. In the case of a monopolistically competitive firm, demand will increase and average cost will increase in the long run. Under such circumstance, monopolistically competitive firms end up making zero economic profits. 6. A monopolistically competitive firm chooses the level of output where marginal cost equals marginal revenue. The firm maximizes its profits so as to achieve this situation; and it is called short run equilibrium of the firm. This condition adds to the price fixation flexibility of the firm. Moreover, it enables the firm to rapidly adjust with unexpected market fluctuations. b. Availability of different varieties of breakfast cereals gives an opportunity for consumers to distinguish them on the ground of their quality and price. It also gives consumers chance to buy their most preferred