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TODAY, BARACK Obama will be inaugurated as President of the United States for a second time. Devotees of American politics will know that presidential inaugurations occur on the 20 January. Because that falls on a Sunday this year, President Obama will have been privately sworn in yesterday – but the public ceremony will take place today, which also happens to be Martin Luther King Day in the US.
There is no question that this will be a very different inauguration than the first. Four years ago, nearly two million people flocked to Washington, DC to see the first African-American president take the oath of office. January 2009 was a month full of heady days. Tens of millions of Americans, especially the young people and African-Americans who expressed their support for Barack Obama in unprecedented numbers at the ballot box, believed that this new president would lead America out of recession, restore its moral authority on the global stage and unite a divided country. They were joined by millions more around the world, including a lot of people here in Ireland.
President Obama did not succeed fully on any of these three fronts in his first term. Observers who thought he could do so much in four short years were naive. Observers who regard his first term as a failure, however, are wrong. The president ‘fought the good fight’ on a variety of pressing issues with some triumphs – most notably in expanding access to affordable health care for millions – and a majority of Americans ultimately decided he deserved another term in office.
A second term presents myriad challenges for President Obama. The capacity of his administration to cope with them will determine his place in history. Meanwhile, Americans, together with the rest of the world, wait eagerly to see:
1) If President Obama can simultaneously invigorate a still sluggish economy and ensure fiscal sustainability at home.
2) What foreign policy initiatives his administration will pursue over the next four years. Here in Ireland, many wonder whether a leader they so manifestly adore can make a difference for this country and its people.
Domestically, the US Congress missed the long-established “fiscal cliff” deadline before covering what would have been a catastrophic hole in the country’s finances with a retroactive band aid. In several weeks, President Obama will ask Congress to raise the debt ceiling, allowing the government to borrow the money it needs to pay its astronomically high bills. Republicans are spoiling for a fight and will seek to extract concessions from the president and congressional Democrats on cuts to social programmes desired by the right as a precondition to their support for an increase in the debt ceiling.
A second protracted fight, right after the fiscal cliff showdown, would frighten markets, damage the economy and further sully the already poor reputation of America’s political leaders. What mustn’t be lost in the partisan squabbling is the reality that the US has to address government spending one way or another. The rate of spending and the level of borrowing necessary to maintain the spending are unsustainable.
Consequently, Democrats are going to have to accept some unpalatable spending cuts. It is incumbent on President Obama to play a leadership role in addressing a crisis that has reached epic proportions. While robustly defending his party’s values and priorities, the president will need to convince reticent congressional Democrats that undeniably painful reforms will be the price that must be paid to preserve programmes that benefit the poor, the sick and the elderly.
Internationally, it can only be hoped that President Obama will endeavour to ameliorate the complex problems confronting the world’s trouble spots in his second term. The most vexing trouble spot is the Middle East. Four years ago, some believed that President Obama might be the first American leader brave enough to question his country’s extremely close, virtually sacrosanct relationship with Israel and to pursue actively the creation of a Palestinian state. He did not do so in his first term. But now, freed to a certain extent from political pressure in that he’s finished his final campaign, there is greater scope for President Obama to push the relevant parties a bit harder.
More broadly in the region, the president should continuously and relentlessly engage constructively with political leaders, particularly those who came to power in the wake of the Arab Spring and have voiced anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiments. Many Americans, at this point virulently opposed to the use of military force as a means of resolving problems, were frightened by the hawkish talk from President Obama’s opponent in November’s election, Mitt Romney. That the president has nominated two war veterans who are resolutely anti-war, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, to be his Secretary of State and Secretary of Defence augurs well for all who believe in diplomacy.
Finally, as some Irish people ask rhetorically “what difference does it make to us who the American president is?” President Obama’s re-election could make a very big difference to the lives of tens of thousands of Irish people and their families. These are Irish men and women who live without legal status in the shadows of America. Their families here anguish over them and fear for their well-being.
In recent days, it’s been reported that President Obama will push for far-reaching immigration reform that would create a path to citizenship for the now undocumented Irish and enable young Irish people a chance to live and work in the US on at least a temporary basis.
A comprehensive immigration reform proposal would not be on the horizon if Mitt Romney had been elected president. This is just one concrete, tangible example of why US presidential elections do matter to Ireland and its people.
These are the sort of wide-ranging issues – big and (relatively) small – confronting President Barack Obama as his second term commences. And he has to get to grips with them quickly, for he’ll be a lame duck in about eighteen months. No pressure, Mr President.
Larry Donnelly, a Boston lawyer, is a Law Lecturer at NUI Galway and a political columnist with IrishCentral.com. For more articles by Larry Donnelly for TheJournal.ie click here.
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Only recently this clown Varadkar said the government wouldn’t take less than €1 per share for their stake! Now they’re being offered €1.30, and he’s saying it’s not enough! I’m not in any way advocating selling Aer Lingus to Ryanair, but this clown needs to be sacked very quickly! He’s becoming a huge liability!!
I agree with what varadkar is saying, but I also believe we shouldn’t be selling in the first place!
It’s blatantly obvious Ryanair are dieing to have Aer Lingus’ transatlantic capability, codeshares and heathrow slots. I say bleed them for a cool billion.
I look forward to cheap RyanAtlantic flights..
No way! Ever been on a Ryanair flight when smoke pours out of the cabin or the captain says sorry we have to turn back I forgot the paperwork or travel with a child and they tutt when you ask for a safety belt for them! Ryanair can keep its cheap, crap and unsafe planes and staff for short haul flights. I’d rather pay the extra for comfort, safety and pleasant staff who know what their doing. Keep it I say, let o’leary whistle
Amazingly, I’ve never had a bad experience with Ryanair. Also, they have one of the most modern and safest fleets in the World and fantastic turnaround times. It is cheap and crap but you get what you pay for.. I personally don’t need sweeties, compliments and massages while I travel.
@ Ryan,nnThats funny you should say that. I once sat on the tarmac in Dublin Airport onboard a Ryanair craft for an hour and a half while they fixed a faulty BACKUP air conditioning unit. Doesn’t sound like the Ryanair I know that you are talking about. People who complain about Ryanair should remember the phrase you pay for what you get.nnAs I said before, Ryanair buying over AL to run budget flights makes no sense. They fly to major routes with aircraft manufactured by Airbus, which are parts incompatible with the current Ryanair flight. The image, service and quality of AL will remain unchanged in a takeover. They will just make it a more streamlined and efficient airline.
Also…where in the world did you get unsafe aircraft from? They use the latest generation Boeing aircraft and have one of the best safety records out there. Even Aer Lingus has had more and more severe incidents than Ryanair.
Seriously Ryan, When was the last time you flew with RyanAir? Your comment is childish and pathetic, smoke pouring out of the cabin? Maybe you saw some condensation from the air conditioning system?, something I’ve witnessed on hundreds of aircraft. RyanAir have one of the largest and youngest fleets in Europe, but don’t let facts get in the way when you want to echo the media’s anti-Ryanair mantra!
Aer Lingus and Ryanair in competition has given us competitive prices and choice. Everyone has their view on who they prefer to fly with, majority view Aer Lingus as a better standard of service, but its not the point. The point is you can chose as you see fit as it stands. Ryanair needed state intervention to dislodge an Aer Lingus monopoly, if they get a monopoly they will bleed any new entrant off the routes with their significant non irish revenue, look at what they did with Aer Arann, only a fool or someone that will get an instant financial windfall from the proposed deal would want 1 airline servicing the vast majority off flights on and off the island in a time (emigration, exports..) in which the people of this country need competitive prices and consumer choice more than ever.
Any argument in favour of ryan atlantic or some other new services fails to acknowledge that Ryanair don’t need to eliminate competition to offer any new service to Irish consumers, Aer Lingus is not stopping Ryanair from a transatlantic service, they could have done that at any stage over the last decades as many US carriers have done. Aer Lingus offer some of the cheapest fares across the atlantic, significantly cheaper to fly NY – Dub as NY-Paris, many people on Aer Lingus on the atlantic are using it as a cheap way to Europe and then connect to their intended destination once they arrive in Dublin. Ryanair don’t need to eliminate competition to offer any new service, they can do it today if they wish, this is about making sure that you will have no choice and either do it Ryanair’s way and pay Ryanair’s price or take the ferry, surely most people feel the current situation is better than that.
O’ Leary will sell most of the slots, worth around £400 million. American Airlines and Emirates and more want to buy more Heathrow slots but none available. He will re-locate most services to Stansted.
I agree that with Ryanair you get what you pay for, and I have no problems with that on a short haul flight. But just imagine the Ryanair model being applied to transatlantic flights – no reclining seats means sitting bolt upright for 7+ hours; very little legroom if your over 5ft tall; and can you just imagine the in-flight entertainment!?
There are plenty who would put up with it if the price made the trip to Florida or wherever affordable for them.
But Neil, Aer Lingus have already made it pretty damn affordable especially compared to many other options out there and I can’t understand why the Irish are so blinkered to that!nnWith air taxes, costs and fuel so high Aer Lingus has maintained lower fares then most of the competition and Ryanair will never better that, but they would increase baggage charges, check in charges, online fees, food charges, etc etc etc
Micheal has us all talking about Ryanair again. Man is a marketing genius.
Say whatever you want about Ryanair, but I remember how much it used to cost to fly to the UK! Around a hundred pounds return, and that was over 20 years ago!
I am always baffled when the pro/anti Ryanair Aer Lingus debate comes up by comments? It’s irrelevant whether you’re a fan of either, anyone who thinks that it would be good for any company to have such a massive dominant position on our transport options out of the country is crazy. Do people honestly think that O’Leary who has to be admired as a business man is going to reduce fares even more when he has even less competition? No, he’s there to make money and that’s what he’ll do by pushing prices up because he’s your only option to get somewhere. People are getting their €2 Ryanair fares to London because Aer Lingus is there so if you want to keep getting the (sometimes) cheaper flights with Ryanair you’d better hope that they don’t get Aer Lingus.n
Ryanair have confirmed their growth by slashing prices model has reached its limits and the only way to continue delivering revenue growth is to charge higher fares. Last year Ryanairs fares rose 12%
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/sep/12/ryanair-move-away-from-low-fares
Who honestly believes they won’t do this with a monopoly on an island? Again can anyone not connected with Ryanair or likely to get a short term windfall on the sale of AL shares give just one logical reason supported by fact as to why a Ryanair monopoly is good for Irish citizens.
@Economicopoly
Of course its not good for us but its Capitalism, right? we’re supposed to think that this is the only and best way and your a commie If you think different or a Socialist (Nazi) If your in America. Neo Liberal policies all the way right? No?
Monopolies are more akin to socialism than capitalism. Many “Capitalists” are really just people who believe in naked self interest regardless of the cost to others, so if adherence to the “rules” they rely on to justify excessive wealth suddenly require them to take a loss they have excuses for why those rules don’t apply to them at that time. Sad;y these ‘capitalists” are now above governance in that they are more powerful and can undermine government in ways governments can never undermine them, thus the global economic crisis and its harshest consequences been borne by those least responsible. However a competitive market is a hallmark of the capitalist ideology and it encourages an equality of opportunity to enter and compete which is alligned to democratic values. The results of allowing people compete are better prices for the consumer and a more effecient use of scare resourses as competition does not allow for waste or inefficiency.
I thought in a capitalist society you can go around buying what you like? I dont agree with it but its another load of shite invented by politicans because capitalism is flawed.(what we did with the banks is far from Capitalist ideals)
Think its incredibly difficult to get the right price given the economic climate we are in. It’s right we should have choice but, surely that’s about letting other carriers fly into Ireland’s slots under tight licenses rather than ‘owning’ a bit of an airline we have no real control over anyway. Posing the question – If we were absolutely adamant not to be stranded, or be at the behest of other carriers, maybe we should buy it back – or not have sold it off in the first place. Looks like we want the best of all worlds at present.
Enough about the comparison to other countries. We are an exception in the EU. Apart from Cyprus and Malta, which are very small, we are the only true island nation. The UK has the Channel Tunnel and expectionally good ferry connections to France, Belgium and the Netherlands. In half an hour, you and your car can be on mainland Europe. Mentioning the BA buy up of BMI is not comparable. They still have easyJet and Ryanair to maintain competition. British people will always have choice of how to get off their island. If this goes through, we won’t.
If Ryanair buy Aer Lingus, the only competition left is the ferries, and as we all know, they’re not anyone’s first choice. Three hours to Wales, seventeen to France and that’s about it. After that, you’ll have to fly with the one airline left, at an artificially high price. We need security and confidence that we can get away and that others can get here at an affordable price. Whatever about anything else, the Heathrow slots are a lifeline to this country. Heathrow, though in another country, is the gateway to Ireland. Through Heathrow, we are connected to virtually every corner of the world. If we lose that, we’re taking many steps backwards.
Not sure why that replied to your comment, Martin!
Donncha Ó Coileáin, well said, totally agree with you.
Aer lingus flys to Nackhijoodfoo!!
If Micka get control!! Neigh
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