Legacies are created by the pentagonal convergence of inspiration, perspiration, dedication, intuition and completion. Legacies, it seems, arise from the application of theories, the ingenuity of invention and the persistence of the originator. Mistakes are one of the critical ingredients in the success of projects and products because as most inventors will admit their completion was based strongly on the correcting of mistakes along the way.
Henry Ford, who introduced production line automobiles, was almost certainly thinking about making a profit through the production of horseless carriages. Thomas Edison was a dogged scientist who wanted to harness the latent but powerful energy called electricity. U.S. Marine General “Chesty” Puller wasn’t trying to gain prominence when he said, “We’re surrounded. That simplifies the problem.” His inspiration in deadly battles was the destruction of the enemy, not an ego trip.
Abraham Lincoln may be best known for the Emancipation Proclamation that mandated the freeing of slaves effective January1, 1863. Speaking to Congress in 1858, Honest Abe said this, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Excellent advice that is critically relevant in 2016 and the future. His stance on social issues probably contributed to his assassination.
William Booth, an itinerant minister along with his wife Catherine established The Salvation Army in London, England in the late 1870’s by bringing hope to the poor by preaching the Gospel. The first service of The Salvation Army in the U.S. was held in Philadelphia in 1879 by Lt. Eliza Shirley, an English transplant.
These heroes achieved important legacies, not based on personal ideology but on the concept of organized achievement for the benefit of others. The footprints of these champions reflect down through history based on those achievements. It is probably fair to say that none of these celebrated winners did what they did to create a legacy but to help shape the future of those who needed leadership and guidance.
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 was supposed to be an Obama legacy but is failing in its designed objectives daily. Costs are skyrocketing, benefits are shrinking, alternative care is disappearing. The Student Loan Act of 2010, designed to help finance college educations is an abject failure that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars for a variety of reasons. The failed “Russian Reset” was a naive effort to extend an olive branch to a tyrant while the restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba has done little more than pump up the Communist Castro regime. The Syrian “red line” was passed to Putin and the peace-maker title that Obama hoped for melted like a Popsicle on a hot day.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known at the Iran nuclear deal, had an excellent chance of creating an Obama legacy during its long incubation period. Our President and Secretary of State John Kerry folded in the struggle to give Iran whatever they wanted using negotiating skills of introverted high school students. All these efforts at building a legacy failed miserably.
There is one activity where the President and his administration have been strikingly consistent, and that may be where his legacy resides. It’s the national debt that now stands at $19.5 trillion and has grown from $10.6 trillion since January 20, 2009. Currently, interest on the national debt amounts to about $250 billion annually at very low rates. The Heritage Foundation predicts that annual interest expense will spiral to $1 trillion by 2025.
This Presidential legacy has saddled the next several administrations with the responsibility to get debt under control. Experts have suggested that the tipping point is probably around 77% to 80% of GDP. GDP for 2016 is predicted to be about $18.6 trillion or 104% of Gross Domestic Product. This legacy will affect our descendants for generations. Compare debt and revenue in your family; if your income amounts to $100,000 annually and you spend $114,000 the results will be negative, perhaps devastating.
This has been an administration of the most reckless spending in U.S. history. Let’s hope that the next administration reduces the size of swollen government, eliminates nonsensical regulations and does zero-based budgeting and prioritizes spending. The somber Obama legacy of unprecedented national debt hangs over our nation like the pall of last rites.
