A friend of mine wrote to Barrack Obama to congratulate him on his tenure as President of the USA. The letter is a superb, succinct summary of Barrack Obama’s achievements. I have redacted the name and address.
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC. USA
January 6 2017
Dear President Obama
I suspect you are getting quite a lot of these sorts of letters. I am hoping you will receive this one before you leave office. Anyway, here goes.
I’m not a US citizen, but I’ve had the privilege of many visits to your country over the past half-century. I simply want to thank you, profoundly, for your achievements. My favourites are:
- Saving the world’s most important economy when it was plunged by the folly and insouciance of your predecessor into the worst recession since the 1930s.
- Creating the conditions for 11 million new jobs.
- Cutting the unemployment rate from one of its highest levels since the Second World War to one of its lowest.
- Saving the world’s greatest auto industry and preventing the Rust Belt from becoming an industrial desert.
- Saving the US financial system, which – for all its grievous faults – is a vital component of properly functioning international economy.
- Extending healthcare to millions of uninsured Americans in the face of bitter opposition from vested interests and their Congressional mouthpieces. I will never forget the calm dignity with which you responded to the boorish oaf who interrupted your 2009 address to Congress.
- Taking care not to put the lives of your fellow citizens – and particularly their sons and daughters – in harm’s way. Not instigating, launching or fomenting new foreign conflicts – in contrast to Truman (China), Eisenhower (Korea), Kennedy and Johnson (Vietnam), Nixon (Vietnam, Laos, South America), Reagan (Nicaragua, Salvador, Lebanon), GHW Bush (Salvador, Guatemala, Iraq/Iran), GW Bush (Middle East). Many of us will never forget your courageous and lonely opposition to the insane invasion of Iraq unleashed by your predecessor.
- Neutralising Al-Qaeda and bringing belated retribution to its leader.
- The huge achievement of a settlement with Iran.
- Ending half a century of US bullying of its small neighbour, Cuba.
- A humane and constructive policy toward the children of unauthorised immigrants.
- Securing the first major international climate change agreement and unprecedented terrestrial and marine conservation measures at home.
- Bringing a measure of humanity and justice to a deeply flawed policing and judicial system, and to the causes of minority rights.
- Confronting a monstrous gun lobby and its murderous intransigence.
- A demeanour, style and personal probity over eight years in the White House that can only be described as exemplary.
- Always being cool, calm and collected, wise, witty and well-informed and easy, eloquent and even-handed. And dignified, resolute and courteous in the face of some of the most disgusting personal attacks ever experienced by a holder of the highest office. Exactly what I would have expected after reading your moving and memorable story in Dreams from my Father.
Again, sir, thank you.
And please thank Michelle Obama for her outstanding contribution!
Yours sincerely,