OPINION:
After almost six years, everyone with a clear mind has to admit that the election of President Obama was a catastrophic mistake from which the United States may never recover.
Six years after the recession, we have the national debt spiraling out of control at more than $17 trillion, anemic gross domestic product growth and a labor market in disarray. Today only 63 percent of eligible workers have jobs. That’s the lowest labor-participation rate in more than 40 years. Real wages are down nearly $4,000 per worker since Mr. Obama took office, and the average number of hours worked per employee is down to 34.2 hours per week. All of these factors are forecast to worsen as the nation struggles to implement the ever-changing and onerous Obamacare with the law’s 27,000 pages of regulations.
While domestic conditions are terrible, the situation internationally is even worse. Each international crisis brings a more tepid response and signs of weakness from the United States. In the next three years of Mr. Obama’s presidency, we can expect Russian President Vladimir Putin to annex larger portions of Eastern Europe under the Russian umbrella, Syria to kill another 100,000 citizens, Iran to become a nuclear power, North Korea and China to continue their irrational behavior and terrorist activities to spread worldwide. A weak American leader, unwilling to battle world evil, does not promote world harmony.
As of now, potential candidates for 2016 are a disappointing lot. Where the country will end up is as big a mystery as the lost Malaysian airliner.
MIKE FERREER
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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