Redemption

It’s too soon to call him a “lame duck.” Barack Obama managed to disappoint a huge number of people who hoped that his rise to power meant America’s behavior as the world’s foremost power would change for the better. However, he’s recently pulled some good moves, thereby writing the history he’ll be remembered for — and right when everyone had begun to forget him, preoccupied by the question of his successor to the White House.

It’s believed that the president loses power when the public starts paying more attention to the candidates for the next election than the current administration, but Obama has just begun to earn his place in history during the latter half of his final term.

He reached agreements with America’s long-time enemies, Iran and Cuba, partially fulfilling a campaign promise to improve America’s relations with the rest of the world. He was under enormous pressure not to sign an agreement with Tehran, but he nevertheless decided to lift the Iranian embargo in exchange for Iran giving up its military nuclear program.

He stopped America’s punishment and isolation of Havana for its communist Castro government. This is a logical move, but also proof that Obama made a common-sense realization that his predecessors failed to see: A policy that has failed to bring results for decades must be changed. We know that Washington tried everything to overthrow the Cuban regime, from attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro, to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, to the embargo that has impoverished Cubans. None succeeded in toppling the regime Washington hates.

Finally, Obama didn’t listen to those who asked him to openly go to war for regime change in Syria. Last year he saved around 5 million illegal immigrants from deportation, allowing them to continue living and working in the U.S. His recent condemnation of forced “treatment” of homosexuals and request that this practice be immediately stopped is praiseworthy. Let’s recall that several generations of Democrats dreamed of affordable health care for all Americans, but universal health insurance wasn’t introduced until Obama.

That is his historic legacy.

True, he didn’t close Guantanamo; nor did he condemn those responsible for the torture of terror suspects at secret CIA prisons, pull the military out of Afghanistan, or repeal large-scale spying conducted by the NSA.

He didn’t do the bulk of what he promised, but it must now be conceded that he has at least partially made up for the failures and disappointments of those who seven years ago thought the new American era was coming.

Still not convinced of the 44th U.S. president’s positive role? Wait for the next one.