Why Not Number One?

Boy, Did Thomas L Friedman give it to Obama in the N.Y. Times this morning. And he's right on. This terrible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a rare opportunity for our President to show real leadership and lead this country away from foreign oil Independence. But it's not happening, as Mr Friedman points out. This is a 911 moment. A JFK moment, when JFK challenged the country to put a man on the moon. The country was ready for that challenge and Kennedy led us to success. He also put us back on top as the undisputed leader of the world in science and industry. It's been mostly downhill since then. We now find ourselves way behind in science and industry and in danger of losing our lead in technology, if we haven't done so already, and we don't even seem to be trying to catch up. One thing we're doing very well at, though, is whining about everything from taxes to immigration to Obama care. If we'd stop talking about the value of tea, and who's getting the advantage over whom, we could start talking about how to beat our competitors at science and technology and take back our rightful spot at the top of the heap. But to do that, we need leadership. Leadership that isn't afraid of their shadow. Leadership that would rather do the right thing for the country then worry about whether or not they'll get reelected. Do we know any leaders like that? I haven't seen any in Congress or the White House yet. And the campaigns don't tell us if any challengers for office are that kind of leader. How come? Because our campaigns are all about running down the other guy instead of talking about any real ideas. Shame on our leaders and their opponents. And shame on us for allowing them to get away with it. How come we don't demand fresh ideas from would-be leaders? How come we don't demand to be number one?