President Barack Obama, This Time, I Want to See a Liberal Revolution

Published in Mainichi
(Japan) on 7 March 2009
by Yoshinori Nakai (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Patrick Co. Edited by Annie Moulton.
I am seeing two Americas. The gap between Democratic and Republican seems to have widened since Election Day. Their conflict over the role to be played by the government is rooted in the differences between conservative and liberal ideologies.

Last week, after President Obama’s speech to Congress, Louisiana governor Jindal, representing the Republican Party, refuted him.

“In the end, it comes down to an honest and fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government. We oppose the National Democrats' view that says -- the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government.”

Here, intense distrust in the Federal Government is evident. Republicans want a government that protects individual economic freedoms without regulation or protection of the weak. Self-responsibility, free competition, and small government--these are their principles. Confronted even now with the economic crisis, conservatism is the philosophy that the Republican Party stands on.

After being elected, Obama shifted to the middle road and extended his hand to the Republican Party. During his inaugural speech, he said, “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works,” turning away from the “big government” debate. These beautiful words were meant as overtures towards a bipartisan union, but it has not born fruit.

The Republicans of the House of Representatives were all opposed to the stimulus budget, while in the Senate; there were only three in support of it. A concordance of Republicans of Congress to obstruct the President has developed.

There are many people who consider Obama a realist and pragmatist. Apparently against conventional belief, I see him as a liberal. For example, at his first press conference (February 9), he touted government intervention. “I'm absolutely confident that we can solve this problem…” ”… government is an important element of introducing some additional demand into the economy.” “But [the government] doing nothing, that's not an option from my perspective.”

Reagan, who changed America through the conservative revolution of the 1980s, said, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Obama, who inherited the crisis, believes the exact opposite - that government can solve problems.

Concessions to the Republican Party are as important as the price of democracy. However, to solve this crisis, is this not the time for the Obama version of a Liberal Revolution? In the exit poll during the presidential election, Obama gained the support of 90% of self-described liberal voters (22% of all eligible voters), 60% of moderates (44%), and 20% of conservatives (34%). If the American economy does not recover while he still has the support of the liberals and moderates, the world will not find a way out of this crisis.

Revolutions turn over one’s values. It would be good to use this chance to change the American lifestyle of constant debt and consumption. I want an end to this era, where success in life is measured only by one’s earnings .


社説:視点 オバマ米大統領 今度はリベラル革命を見たい=論説委員・中井良則

 私たちは二つの米国を見ている。民主党と共和党の溝は大統領選の投票日より深まっているようだ。その対立は政府の役割をめぐる保守とリベラルの思想の違いに根差している。

 先週、オバマ大統領の議会演説後、共和党代表のジンダル・ルイジアナ州知事が反論した。

 「結局のところ、政府の正しい役割とは何かについて基本的に意見が合わない。政府への依存を高めれば米国は強くなるという民主党には反対だ」

 ここには、連邦政府への強烈な不信がある。個人の自由な経済活動を擁護し、弱者保護や規制といった政府の役割には期待しない。自己責任、自由競争、小さな政府。経済危機に直面する今も、保守主義こそ共和党がよって立つ哲学なのだ。

 オバマ氏は当選後、中道にシフトし共和党に手を差し伸べた。就任演説では「政府が大きいか小さいかではなく、ちゃんと働いているかを問うべきだ」と「大きい政府」論をしりぞけた。いずれも、超党派の団結という美しいことばのためだが、果実はなかった。

 景気刺激予算に下院の共和党全員が反対し、上院で賛成したのは3人だけだ。大統領の進路に、議会共和党が立ちふさがる構図が早くもできてしまった。

 現実主義者だ、プラグマティストだとオバマ氏を規定する人は多い。定説に反するようだが、この人はリベラルだと私は見る。たとえば、最初の記者会見(2月9日)で、政府の介入を掲げた。「われわれがこの(経済危機)問題を解決できると確信している」「経済に需要をもたらすのは政府の大事な要素だ」「政府が何もしなくていい、という選択肢は私にはない」

 80年代の保守革命で米国を変えたレーガンはいった。「政府は問題の解決策ではない。政府こそ問題だ」。危機を引き継いだオバマ氏の発想は正反対だ。「政府が問題を解決する」

 共和党への譲歩は反対派を包み込む民主主義のコストとして大事だろう。だが危機解決には「オバマ版リベラル革命」に踏み込む時ではないか。大統領選の出口調査ではリベラルと自任する有権者(全体の22%)の9割、穏健(44%)の6割、保守(34%)の2割の支持を集めオバマ氏は当選した。リベラル・穏健派連合の支えがある間に、米経済が復活しなければ、世界中が出口を見いだせない。

 革命は価値観をひっくり返す。ひたすら借金し、消費しなければ満足しない米国人の生活を転換する機会にすればいい。金もうけだけが人生の成功を意味する時代は終わりにしたい。
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