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That dogs are NOT little people in furry coats. They don’t understand concepts such as “right” or “wrong”; these are human constructs. (Quite a few PEOPLE don’t understand them either, apparently.)Dogs understand one concept: Dichotomy. (Okay, they ALSO understand loyalty, trust, and devotion. But those were a bit much to shove into this narrative…)Dominance. or submission. ONE of the two of you is the boss. Or “allowed” and “not allowed” if you need words that are slightly less loaded.Of course, a lot of people think dominance is the same as yelling, screaming, hitting, etc. When your boss walks into a room to start a meeting, is screaming a prerequisite?Does he or she have to hit people with paper to be the leader? (ok, I have had a few that behaved EXACTLY like this…)On the whole, a successful leader is dominant simply by their presence.Even people can sense this; most of you have probably met or been around someone who naturally gave you the impression that they were the one who called the shots.Dogs sense this as well; one can NOT fake it.Bluster, puffery, braggadocio, yelling, hitting etc. None of these make you the boss.You either ARE, or you ARE NOT. (when I see someone walking a dog and they are being pulled all over the street I know EXACTLY who is calling the shots…)Now, by beating the mutt senseless you can sometimes get them to do something, but have you ever notices how people that yell and scream and hit will have to KEEP yelling and screaming and hitting until the end of time?If you come back three months later the behavior will be the same- nothing will have changed. (and this is true of child-rearing as well)And it’s because fear and respect are NOT synonymous words. A dog will want to please you out of respect; they will simply want to avoid your bad mood out of fear.(This picture makes me SERIOUSLY question whether I am more intelligent than him…meet Kronk, the four-footed leader of the pack.)And, since they are NOT little people, they may or may not know what sets you off.So they live a miserable existence, trying to figure out what to do to make you be their friend and to stay away from the yelling zone.2nd EDIT: Okay, for the people that insist that “dominance” as I describe means fear, or “alpha-rolling” or “breaking” (as in to break a horse) a dog’s personality: I don’t do any of that garbage. These guys are my friends, and the communication is up to me. Study the way that the German Lippizonor (sp?) Stallions are trained; the level of trust and friendship between them and their handlers is the sort that I am striving to create.It makes me want to scream when I see some video where the owner is trying to ascertain ‘guilt’ by a dog’s body language (“Now, Toby, Bryce, which one of you was the bad doggie that ate mommy’s battery-powered toy??”) and of course, both dogs will hunker down.You get the EXACT same reaction if you come in and ask “Toby, Bryce, which one of you just gave up the nuclear launch codes to Canada?”And this is ALWAYS the fault of the ‘master’.Trust me, I spend FAR more time in ‘Obedience’ Training with the owner than I ever do with the dogs.People are stunned when I can have a dog heeling in a few minutes, or holding still, or letting me cut their nails.But it’s because I ASK them, not yell orders. (admittedly, when I ASK I am fully EXPECTING the request to be honored).I am the boss. It’s not just posturing, or running my mouth.(Introducing Teddy (“I AM the Law!”) Bear…this was posture training.)I really really am.I will step between my dogs and a strange dog if aggression starts (protect the pack).I will pick up a dog that can’t walk.I will NOT yell if someone pees on the carpet accidentally (look for Urinary infections).And I WILL pull the plug (and spend our last few moments together holding paws) if the pain gets to be too much.In short, my dogs LIKE me and want to spend time with me. (Of course, when Princess Kimmie walks in I am abandoned and considered of no importance. Not the momma.)Some are a little tougher than others (and some are downright psychotic) but as a general rule, I can change a dog’s personality in a minute or two.The owners, well, they take substantially longer…And some of them could benefit from a little neutering…EDIT: I got asked exactly how does one establish “dominance”. Kinda tough to say; the word is really loaded with bad connotations. Perhaps “Pack Leader” is better? In any case, these are some of my ideas for becoming an effective leader for Fido, and probably is not a bad template for children in general.Doesn’t work for shit for cats…Bravo for getting him neutered! Lots of opinions on whether this is good (answers are: it depends) but I think a good place to start in dog training would be to watch Caesar Milan's Dog Whisperer and anything you can get your hands on from Victoria Stilwell. This will approach your training from two unique viewpoints, and let you craft your program to your own tastes.(“Hey dad! You up yet? ARE YOU UP?!? WAKEY WAKEY, EGGS AND BAKEY!!”)Now, you will need to be patient-you and doggo are NOT speaking the same language yet, so miscommunication is bound to occur.And remember: You will get FAR better result if you make this FUN for Fido! Make hem/her WANT to go out to yet another fun and treat training session; make it one of the high points of their day.But a good pattern to (patiently!) follow is this:1. WEAR THEIR ASSES OUT! This means EVERY Day! If that tongue is dragging the ground the amount of sass that you will receive will be minimized. This can be accomplished by structured walks (2 minutes on leash acting like a loon, 20 minutes heeling and walking at proper spacing, 2 minutes at end of walk to sniff)2. Give them a job to do. We put backpacks on and make them wear them for a walk. In fact, we add dried beans (up to 10% of body weight) to increase the workload. I am serious, you will not believe how PROUD they are to have a purpose.3. Train, Train, Train. Have one or two things that you work on at a time. We use popcorn for treats, as they can eat a bunch without overeating. Some dogs are corn allergic, so keep eyes open. Make sure to do things in tiny tiny steps, and reward along the way. Make this FUN!4. Punish-well, not really. I will cuff a dog (no more than Mommie dog will do) to catch their attention, but under no circumstances will I strike or cause pain. I want the dog to trust me, and hitting it is kinda the antithesis of this. Basically, I will correct bad behavior with a light tug on a choke collar (these can be REALLY useful, but you HAVE to learn how to use them-THEY ARE NOT STRANGLE COLLARS. We use a “pinch” style collar; its sole purpose is to catch attention. Lots of really smart people refuse to use them, so it’s up to you. Not a believer in prong collars, but opinions on this are mixed as well. No newspapers, water guns, or loud noises that hurt ears. These all suck. And don’t get me started on shock collars-I use them, but we gut the electronics so all they can do is beep. I use this for long-distance training, but it’s an alert device only.5. Affection. Everything follows rules, so I don’t let anyone jump up on me or guests, When a dog comes over to me with a toy to play, however, there is simply nothing more important in my day than to drop what I am doing! Seriously, they are coming over to you to ask you to play with them; this is quite an honor!6. Pay Attention! Watch for behavior changes-sudden peeing on the carpet, slow to get up, reluctance to eat, etc. We don’t ever “Wait and See”. Our vet had made Mercedes payments I am sure, but I don't care. It is MY responsibility as leader of the pack to make whatever necessary sacrifices that I have to make to keep my group healthy.7. Patience.Patience.Patience.Patience.Patience. Did I mention Patience? Each dog is different and will learn different things at different rates. Pay attention.8. Consistency. If something is a No-no, then it always needs to be a no-no. Don’t let them do something one time, and then change the rules on them the next. This will drive them into depression. We had a “No Dogs in the Living Room” rule. When Thumper broke it (and wouldn’t go back to the kitchen) it was my first clue that something was really really wrong. In this case, we rushed her to the vet. level four heart murmur; start digging. She was telling me that something was wrong; thank god I listened.9. Be the Leader. This means ALWAYS, and includes the extremely bad as well as the good. Especially when FIdo has come to the end of his life, and needs you to make the soul-crushing decision to end the pain. Stay in the room with them; don’t let the last thing that they see is you walking away. Make SURE that the trust and devotion that they have given you are rewarded by you staying with them to the (very) bitter end.(“NEW FLASH! SAVAGE Rock-waller terrifies residents while visiting at local nursing home-Here’s why YOU should be frightened…film at 11”)10. Be Aware. Your mood affects your dog; whether they sense it because of posture, body language, or change in body chemistry (that they can smell) is still being debated. Don’t go near Fido in a bad mood, unless it’s to get comfort from them. They will usually jump up to the task of making you feel better. I have lost track of how many times a mutt has jumped into the bed with me when I was sick and brought me their favorite toy to play with. They seemed to hope that it would make me feel better.In summary, being Dominant is more about doing the right things with consistent behaviors than about badgering and underling to submit to your whims.When Fido trusts you to be not just a friend but a competent leader you will be astounded at how life turns out.This is an attitude as much as a set of pre-programmed moves, but the reward for patiently striving for excellence is beyond description.And for those of you that have asked, my wife and I are starting the North Carolina Rotweiller Rescue. (But if something shows up on my doorstep looking like it needs a meal then I am going to take it in, whether it is a dog, cat, opossum, or a fruit bat).We are both getting our Wildlife Rehabilitation certifications, and want to be a branch of the Guardians of Rescue, with emphasis on helping find abandoned animals during hurricanes and what-not.We currently have a 15-acre farm that we just got; my plan is to put tiny homes on it to house people and their pets during natural disasters.More to come I am sure!EDIT: And sometimes, well, things don’t work out very well.I Never Imagined Anything Could Hurt This Badly.When I was growing up, I was told two HUGE whoppers by my dad... he had the best of intentions, mind you, but these were just plain wrong.I have found smaller ones, for example, it turns out that ‘honesty’ (like a few other virtues that come to mind) is sometimes vastly overrated. Or that ‘there’s good in everybody’.”That one has turned out to be a big disappointment (and dead wrong) as well.But these two are the biggest. The first: There was no such thing as monsters.I haven’t figured out whether he was lying to me, or just wrong.I have been dealing with a particularly savage monster for a while now. His name is “Osteosarcoma” a bone cancer-unbelievably aggressive and QUICK), and he has picked our friend Kronk out as his victim.Kim and I have been fighting it tooth and nail for over three months, but each day we get a little weaker and the bad guy gets a little stronger.We knew we were going to lose in the end, of course-but that in no way changes one’s obligation to crawl into the ring and deal out as serious a beating as you can manage-until you just simply can’t.The bell rings and the final round ends.We did manage to forcibly take some additional time-by breaking a few heads and going to some places we don’t normally go. We snaked some compounds that gave cancer a severe setback-fighting the various government agencies that didn’t want us to have it for some reason.But we could only hit the “snooze” button a certain number of times before we are faced with the inevitable; a birth certificate is a two-part form. And, sooner or later, the second page is going to come into play.There is always something uniquely horrible about looking into a friend’s eyes and knowing that they are in pain.That they don’t understand why you can’t do anything about their hurting, or even why it occurred in the first place.Why, as leader of the pack, you promised to protect them against all that would do them harm and are failing so miserably.And yet, even as you flail and rail and scream into the night, they forgive you; they are concerned about the howl of misery that you are fighting to keep from leaping from your lips and slashing at the very sky.And why your promise includes yourself as one of the ones that you will protect them against.No matter how hard you rail, no matter how loudly you scream, there comes a point where you are hurting them to hold off your pain as long as you possibly can.The second lie was this: that time heals all wounds.No, it doesn’t.The best you can hope for is that you’ll learn to live with the gash in your soul, and maybe avoid tearing it open too often.But, the hole that has been torn in your very being never truly goes away.Like a mirror that shatters in front of your eyes-you can still make out the image, but the picture will never ever be whole again.All you’ll ever be able to do is catch glimpses out of the corner of your eye of the crystalline multi-colored fragments of endless shattered dreams.Dreams of playing ball.Dreams of barking at leaves, at chasing motes of dust in a sunbeam.Dreams of long walks by the lake, sniffing and sniffing and sniffing.And grinning. God, how I am going to miss that grin.And you wonder how this can happen to someone that has never ever hurt anyone in his life.I have had a rougher life than plenty of people; was on the road for a great part of my college life (went weeks at a time without seeing the sun) and have seen some things that will truly make one question whether there can possibly be a God that watches over us.Of course, that pretty much proves the point, for without some sort of caretaker this race would have been doomed a long, long time ago-taken to ground by the first woodchuck that we happened across.But why does Kronk have to go, when so many undeserving manufacturers of misery seem to thrive?But if it hadn’t been for one of those trogs, I never would have met Kronk in the first place-perhaps there is a plan after all.If I were running things, we (dogs, cats, people) wouldn’t have different life spans—with reference to Ernie Stewart, we would live ripe old ages and pass side-by-side a few hours apart in warm safe beds surrounded by friends and loved ones.And how can one ever survive losing a parent-or worse-losing your child? Bill Steffens said it to me best:“Kids kind of expect to outlive their parents. Parents never expect to bury their child.”If your wife dies, you are a widower.If your husband dies, you are a widow.If your parents die, you are an orphan.But when your pet and best friend dies…there’s not even a word for it. That’s how truly awful it is.If I am going through this after only knowing a non-vocalizing furry pain-in-the-rump (sometimes) for a few years, how can anyone ever keep going?I would give anything to keep that question rhetorical….One of the things that we were proudest of in Kronk was how many other mutts he helped rehabilitate; our goal was to have him spend out his days going to the old-folks and retirement homes to cheer those guys up a little.With that loopy grin and his doofy head shake, everyone who ever met him instinctively trusted him. Except with salmon-don’t trust him with salmon. He weighed that cost-benefit and elected to go for the goal.I am trying to focus on the good that he has accomplished-at the joy that he brought into our and countless other lives.He didn’t just sit in a back yard somewhere; he served as an ambassador to help increase the awareness that, like people, your appearance doesn’t dictate who you are.And, he converted quite a few people that would have otherwise not known how much fun he could be, or how happy a big slobbery mutt can make you.The older folks didn’t seem to be terribly amazed that he was friendly—they just seemed to be happy that he was paying attention to them without any reason other than he liked them. Going to miss that as well!Just left the vet after looking at an x-ray that appears tobe a time-lapse of mushrooms growing; the lungs aren’t even recognizable anymore.Of course, this isn’t a judgment call-I guess I can thank God for that small mercy. Very small, in fact.I think about the nights getting up to take him out at 3 a.m., the picking of his 100-lb carcass out of bed every morning (he was sleeping with Kim—I got the sofa) and placing him back in bed every night. The specialty food, the running home at lunch to give him pain meds.Having to watch him on the sofa; he wanted to go harass and play with the other dogs, but we couldn’t take the risk of him shattering an already fragile leg.The constant travel to get high-pH water, the reading of so many bloody labels to avoid processed sugar that I was ready to scream (it’s in EVERYTHING!).Fighting to get him to go outside to pee (it hurt to walk) and then fighting again to get him to come back to dinner.We would do it again without hesitation!But as I drive home from the vets(I pulled off the highway to write this before it escaped my mind; typing on this shitty little cell-phone is a punishment in itself), I am struggling with the fact that we get only one more sunrise.No more ball playing.No more licks or mooching from the table.No more ringing the back door chimes to be let out.No more snoozing in a comfy sunbeam.No more snoring at the foot of the bed.No more enthusiastic greetings when I get home.No more nuzzling my arm when he wants to be petted.And I guess now I realize that Dad lied to me one more time:“Big boys don’t cry.”I can hardly see the road.YET ANOTHER EDIT:I have a buddy that has just been hit with something similar. Maybe this will help him not have to go through this.Hi Everyone!As most of you know, I am heavily involved with Rottweiller rescue, and I try really really hard to stay away from the PBS style money begging when a hard-luck case comes by.Heck, even I can't donate to every mutt that I help-I would have been bankrupt a LONG time ago; as such I try to keep my "we need cash" pleas to all of my friends to a bare minimum.(Truthfully, if something shows up on my doorstep looking like it is lonely and needs a meal then it is going t get fed, a bed, and maybe even a kiss as it gets tucked in, whether it is a dog, cat, horse, or a fruit bat)And this is one of those-for anyone that follows him, Ed Heldt is a first responder and has been posting an "Ask Uma" blog for the last year or so.He lost his first love, Frankie about two years ago-and I am unfortunately in the know of how devastating it is to lose one of your four-legged friends.Frankie was a Rottweiller, just like Uma is.When you lose a wife, you become a widower.When you lose a husband, you become a widow.When you lose a parent, you become an orphan.But when you lose your furry companion and soul-mate...there's not even a word for it.It is simply that awful.I need to be blunt; Bone and Lymph cancer in Rottweillers is serious and has a very low survival rate.We are very likely not buying a cure.But we ARE buying more time...and in truth, that is all that a cure (for any of us) really is.Any funds we raise for this are going to buy hopefully a LOT more time.Although he may not see eye to eye with each of you from a political standpoint, I promise that when he is pulling you from a burning car that will not be a topic that he brings up.This man has contributed a ton to his community as a first responder, and if you guys could help take some of this financial heat off of his head I would take it as a personal favor.In fact, he set up "Frankie's Fund, where donations go to help people-like him now- that are strapped and can't afford the vet bills.There are "Compassionate Care loans that can help him through this, but although he has applied this COVID crap has slowed everything done and prevented him from getting a timely consideration.Same deal as always; even $5 helps. If you can help by sharing that would be even better.Last, he could always use a few words on empathy; I am sorry to tell you that I know EXACTLY what he is going through.I am asking everyone to donate directly to the vet (hey, I have been scammed by a sob story; no reason for anyone else to go through it!)The contact info is 315-446-7933. Uma's Patient intake # is 123767. These folks will GLEEFULLY take your money.edman--Ed Heldt15 hrsUma update : I just spoke with Uma's surgeon regarding the results of her X Ray's and the report on the needle aspiration of her mandibular lymph node. The good news is her lung n chest xrays are cancer free. The lymph node biopsy came back showing sum mast cells in her lymph node. Blood work suprisingly normal, which is good news. Surgery to remove this tumor and remove the suspect lymph node. Surgery scheduled for this coming Monday @7am. The bad news is I'm still about $1800 short. I have approx $2100 credit thanks to all of you. I've paid over $1000 to get us to this point. I've applied for a personal loan, waiting for approval. I know I've asked alot but as you know Uma is all I have. If I gotta rob a fuking bank shes having surgery on monday!!! MUAH N PEES OUT😘❤ If u wish to donate u can call the vet with a direct donation their number is 315-446-7933. Tell them u wish to donate to Umas account. Umas patient ID is 123767...ty to everyone who donated. Ty to everyone who pray for us and for your support💯❤❣

I didn't have time to gather all the facts so forgive me for being so brief but here it goes:“Within his first week, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse. http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money. http://n.pr/hcgBn1On his first full day, he froze White House salaries for the duration of the Great Recession.http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIxHe appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending and efficiency. http://www.cio.govHe committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems and signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, in an attempt to limit waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting systems. http://bit.ly/hOw1t1http://bit.ly/fz8GAdHe created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. http://bit.ly/hwKhKaSigned an Executive Order instructing federal agencies to review all federal regulations and remove any unnecessary and/or burdensome regulations from the books.http://1.usa.gov/Lpo5bdDismantled the Minerals Management Service, thereby cutting ties between energy companies and the government. http://nyti.ms/bw1MLuBanned gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch. http://bit.ly/fsBACNBanned anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years and placed strict limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House. http://nyti.ms/gOrznVHeld the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public. http://bit.ly/gVNSgXBecame the first president to stream every White House event, live.http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5Established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities.http://www.serve.govRestored the 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records and eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews, giving the public greater access to historic White House documents, and curtails the use of executive privilege to shield them. http://1.usa.gov/gUetLbImproved the Freedom of Information Act and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent when processing FOIA requests. http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2Streamline the Department of Education’s procurement policies and made them more transparent. http://bit.ly/1r9oQvhProvided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history. http://1.usa.gov/hQ7Signed a law to completely reform NSA Data Collection program and keep phone records in the hands of the phone company. http://bit.ly/1dG34vDStaved Off a Bush Depression, Improved the EconomyPushed through and signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as “the stimulus package.” He also launched http://recovery.gov, a website that allows taxpayers to track spending from the Act. http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSshttp://1.usa.gov/e3BJMkBy the end of his first year, the economy created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy by 3.5%. http://reut.rs/i46CEEHe created the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan and forced banks and other entities to pay back virtually all of the bailout money.http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVShttp://bit.ly/eCNrD6He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan. http://1.usa.gov/goy6zlIn 2010, more jobs were created than had been created during Bush’s eight years.http://bit.ly/hrrnjYHe pushed through and implemented an auto industry rescue plan that saved as many as 1 million jobs and possibly the entire auto industry.http://bit.ly/ibhpxrhttp://bit.ly/gj7mt5Through his investment in GM, returned to the company to its place as the premiere car company in the world. http://lat.ms/zIJuQxIn February 2016, GM was in such good financial shape, they gave a share of the profit to each worker, with checks up to $11,000. http://detne.ws/1mk7JryDoubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, to improve manufacturing efficiency. http://bit.ly/eYD4nfIncreased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOwSigned the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which helped millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures and provided $2.2 billion to combat homelessness and stabilize the housing market. http://bit.ly/eEpLFnSigned an Executive Order creating jobs immediately by instructing them to reduce the time needed for review and permitting of infrastructure projects. http://1.usa.gov/GHxaYtThrough the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery. http://bit.ly/dZgXXw http://bit.ly/gORYfLPlayed a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis. http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost. http://1.usa.gov/ez30DWith Congressional Democrats, provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession. http://bit.ly/g0IKWRChina’s largest manufacturer, Foxconn, is building a large plant in Pennsylvaniahttp://cnnmon.ie/1k7LT4SWorked with Apple Computer to get them to build more product here, and thecompany is building two large plants to manufacture products here; one in Texashttp://zd.net/1nkpt2O and one in Arizona http://bit.ly/1mXY5VgCreated an institute to invest in more manufacturing jobs in the technology fields of the future. http://nyti.ms/1egyXrVOrdered all federal contractors to pay a minimum wage of $10.10 per hour, leading the way to a national increase. http://wapo.st/1iaU5kdOrdered the completion of the International Trade Data System, a digital trade record book, by 2016. This move will streamline and simplify the process through which small- and medium-sized businesses set up the export of US goods. http://bit.ly/1nwSRF4Specific Examples of Economic ImprovementAs of January 2016, a record 64 consecutive months of overall job growth.http://on.msnbc.com/1TKFCPQAs of January 2016, Unemployment drops below 5% for the first time in eight years and without a significant bubble. 4.9% http://on.msnbc.com/1TKFCPQAs of January 2016, there have been 71 consecutive months of private sector job growth. http://on.msnbc.com/1TKFCPQSince February 2010, when job numbers hit their lowest point, 13.7 non-farm jobs have been created. http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/C... (Republican budget cuts reduced public employment by about 700,000)Oversaw a reduction in the federal budget deficit by two-thirds since taking office.http://bit.ly/1xKMmjYReduced the federal budget deficit from 9.8% of GDP in Fiscal Year 2009 under Bush, to 2.9% of GDP in FY 2014. http://www.cbo.gov/publication/4...Scolds Congress and gets passed a $305 billion highways bill, which will have the added benefit of created hundreds of thousands of new jobs and creating incentives for green cars. http://bit.ly/1NsL2ZqAddressed Wrongdoing in the Financial SectorSigned the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system, and create a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown. http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money. http://huff.to/eAi9QqAlong with Congressional Democrats, pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression.http://bit.ly/hWCPg0http://bit.ly/geHpcDCreated and implemented rules to reduce the influence of speculators in the oil market.http://bit.ly/MDnA1tCreated and implemented rules so banks can no longer use depositors’ money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that work against depositors’ interests. http://bit.ly/fnTayjSupported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation.http://bit.ly/fnTayjEndorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes. http://bit.ly/esOdfB http://bit.ly/eG4DPMNegotiated a deal with Swiss banks permitting the US government to gain access to bank records of criminals and tax evaders. http://bit.ly/htfDgwSigned the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, closing many of the loopholes that allowed companies to send jobs overseas, and avoid paying US taxes by moving money offshore. http://1.usa.gov/bd1RTqThanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, inflation in the healthcare sector dropped to its lowest point in 50 years. http://on.wsj.com/1E6cYjFImproved Conditions for Consumers and Small BusinessesSigned the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcSGuided the housing market all the way back from total collapse, which led to a rally for housing starts. http://reut.rs/1NTAOVU http://reut.rs/1NTAOVUBrought airline industry back to their highest profitability since before the recession. http://lat.ms/1O8H1iEBlocked a monopolistic merger of Staples and Office Depot, to preserve at least some competition. http://bit.ly/1kcY2KvStock market has reached record highs, restoring most of the economic losses felt during the Bush Recession. http://bit.ly/1z4FAtLCreated and Implemented the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau http://1.usa.gov/j5onG http://bit.ly/fnTayjConsumer confidence continues to inch up to its highest level more than a decade.http://bit.ly/1PZLRcKInitiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses. http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0bCreated BusinessUSA, to allow online collaboration between small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has since merged with U.S. Small Business Administration.) http://www.business.govTook steps to improve minority access to capital. http://bit.ly/f9xVE7Used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eVCrafted and signed an executive order establishing the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans. http://bit.ly/eyqsNEOversaw the most sweeping food safety legislation since the Great Depression.http://thedc.com/gxkCtPThrough the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, extended the False Claims Act to combat fraud by companies and individuals using money from TARP and Stimulus programs. http://bit.ly/SLTcSaSet up rules for banks in handling legal marijuana money. http://nyti.ms/1b80o2KAdded greater protections to consumer financial transactions to reduce identity theft.http://1.usa.gov/1pjfUFqTook steps to prevent pirate fishing and protect fish populations, and ordered stricter labeling requirements on labeling of seafood products in stores. http://1.usa.gov/1BYhTUnSigned the RAISE Act, which should encourage more people to open small businesses and help improve the economy. http://bit.ly/1QhTqkFSigned a bill that allows low-volume vehicle manufacturers that will increase entrepreneurship among small car manufacturers, who often build replicas of classics but who often build green vehicles. http://bit.ly/1QhTqkFStrengthened the Middle Class and Fought PovertyWorked to provide affordable, high-quality child care to working families.http://bit.ly/fNfidSThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, cut taxes for 95% of America’s working families. http://bit.ly/eSEI4FTax rates for average working families are the lowest since 1950. http://bit.ly/f74pD8Extended and fully funded the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years.http://bit.ly/eFeSdPExtended discounted health coverage under the COBRA health insurance law for the unemployed from 9 months to 15 months, and he’s also extended unemployment benefits more than a few times. http://aol.it/evtVxDhttp://nyti.ms/emrqKJhttp://bit.ly/hOtIpg http://bit.ly/fTT7kzProvided a $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). http://nyti.ms/gfLqyMSigned an Executive Order that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs.http://wapo.st/eWECA8Included the Buffet Rule in his 2014 budget proposal, in order to fulfill a campaign promise to make sure tax rates are fair between the rich and the middle class. http://1.usa.gov/19PkdQoUsed the fiscal cliff negotiations to extend for five additional years the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides tax credits to families for college-related expenses, thus saving those families up to $10,000. http://onforb.es/17zYg3uIncreased protections for the unemployed who are seeking a government job.http://1.usa.gov/1jgXATuUpdated and modernized overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) http://1.usa.gov/1iGDO8eSigned and implemented the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, to improve nutrition in schools and make children healthier. http://1.usa.gov/GAXkSkTo make college more affordable and accountable, will begin rating colleges with regard to affordability and value. http://bit.ly/14Dn7ULInitiated a reform of federal job training programs, to make them more relevant to the current economy and the job market. http://1.usa.gov/1kZLQHGUnder Obama, the bottom 95% of taxpayers pay lower federal income taxes than at any time in the last 50 years, including under Reagan, or either Bush. http://bit.ly/1w1W8NsSigned a presidential memorandum authorizing six weeks paid leave for all federal employees with a new baby and encouraged Congress to do the same for all workers. http://bit.ly/18613XA2014 marked the first time since 1984 that unemployment dropped in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 1.usa.gov/1E25u0CTook steps to improve workplace safety by creating an Advisory Board to study workers’ exposure to toxic substances. http://1.usa.gov/1M4s8IGChanged overtime rules to make it far more difficult for employers to avoid paying overtime to workers. http://politi.co/1KHfiBeChanged rules for federal contractors, guaranteeing that all workers earn paid leave; this should affect about 300,000 workers. http://1.usa.gov/1LcHZWlNegotiated a law to finally replace “No Child Left Behind” and remove much of the onerous government “oversight” that caused children to stagnate, not improve, academically. http://bit.ly/1Up9pMlAddressed Civil Rights and EqualityFormed a commission to examine and make recommendations for fixing the broken voting system. http://wapo.st/16K0DAt a press conference August 9, 2013, gave up a small measure of executive power, promising to create adversarial process in FISA regarding NSA surveillance.http://1.usa.gov/1dQmnyQProposed rules to enhance Fair Housing Laws, to give HUD and other enforcement agencies more enforcement power. http://bit.ly/1qkz4uQOrdered a review of capital punishment policies after several botched executions.http://nyti.ms/RDJp58Appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0Concentrated immigration enforcement on those who commit crimes, and vowed to stop breaking up families. http://1.usa.gov/1uTZ8gVStreamlined the visa process, to make it more responsive and humane for those who want to be here legally. http://1.usa.gov/1tgDRtiTook steps to tighten the reins when it comes to providing local law enforcement agencies with military-style equipment and exercising more control over the equipment they receive. http://1.usa.gov/1ATWV3KChanged fair housing rules to make more affordable housing available to more people. http://cnn.it/1JcR3qBHelped Democrats in Congress pass and signed the Civil Rights History Act.http://bit.ly/th0JC8Established the White House Council of Native American Affairs, to improve government-to-government relations with Native American nations. http://1.usa.gov/1cIEeEvLimited local police acquisitions of military-style equipment, to reduce the likelihood of overkill. http://n.pr/1NGkBjTSigned Blue Alert Law, which provides police officers with more information when they are threatened. http://bit.ly/1NGksgaImproved Workers’ RightsHe issued final rules that require all employers to prominently post employees’ rights where all employees or prospective employees can see it, including all websites and intranets.http://1.usa.gov/qu2EhQObama’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission clarified and strengthened rules prohibiting discrimination against pregnant workers. http://alj.am/1mo0kjVRequired companies who bid on federal contracts larger than $500,000 to publicly disclose all previous violations of labor law, including unpaid claims for back wages. http://1.usa.gov/V54qY3Made it illegal for federal contractors with more than $1 million in contracts to force employees into arbitration in workplace discrimination accusations. http://1.usa.gov/V54qY3Vetoed Republican bill that would have blocked new NLRB rules that were designed to speed up the time it takes workers to unionize. http://reut.rs/1agujMO He also added a Memorandum of Disagreement to make his reasons for the veto clear and made a major statement in support of unions. http://1.usa.gov/1NG7RuACracked down on companies that were previously denying sick pay, vacation and health insurance, and Social Security and Medicare tax payments through abuse of the employee classification of independent contractor. http://nyti.ms/fOGLcjProtected the Rights of Gay PeopleSigned and implemented the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7Oversaw and implemented the repeal of the reprehensible “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.http://bit.ly/fdahuHhttp://bit.ly/mZV4PzExtended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCjAppointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history. http://bit.ly/g1lA7DAppointed first openly transgender Cabinet Official in History. http://bit.ly/58zUp7Advocated that United Nations adopt a policy supporting gay rights worldwide.http://lat.ms/pQe1RSAs soon as the Supreme Court invalidated the Defense of Marriage Act, he moved to extend federal benefits to same-sex couples. http://wapo.st/1avDjueIssued an order requiring hospitals to allow visitation by same-sex couples.http://reut.rs/llNJekChanged HUD rules to prohibit gender and sexual orientation-based discrimination in housing bit.ly/9RxEnPChanged his mind and publicly expressed support for same-sex marriage.http://bit.ly/JsiFKpIssued a Presidential Memorandum reaffirming the rights of gay couples to make medical decisions for each other. http://1.usa.gov/aUueGTAppointed several prominent gay athletes and others, and plans to show US government’s commitment to gay rights to anti-gay Russia. http://on.cpsj.com/1fckN9hDepartment of Agriculture propagated new rules to better enforce non-discrimination when it comes to USDA investigations and to extend non-discrimination to gender identity. http://bit.ly/1yChJhiBanned all federal contractors from discriminating against gay workers. http://1.usa.gov/1ok1gfHPersevered with his campaign to turn “gay marriage” into “marriage” and won in the Supreme Court. http://cbsloc.al/1M4qLKbImproved Conditions for WomenEstablishing the White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider the effect of their policies and programs on women and families. http://bit.ly/e1puTk http://1.usa.gov/rFfqMMImplemented the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. http://bit.ly/fT3CxgEliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education, and rescinded the global gag rule. http://bit.ly/eCFAI1 http://bit.ly/f92drFImproved the Paycheck Fairness Act, making it possible for employees to talk about their salaries without retaliation, and ordering salary data collection, so as to make it harder for employers to pay women less. http://huff.to/1nwVOWfSigned an Executive Order pledging support for efforts to end the global problem of violence against women and girls. http://1.usa.gov/MHTRVUShattered another glass ceiling by naming Janet Yellen chair of the Federal Reserve beginning Feb. 1, 2014. http://usat.ly/1gqMBfkExpanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act. http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0xOrdered companies with 100 employees or more to disclose pay data based on race and gender, to address the pay gap. http://theatln.tc/1Q04XPLAddressed Criminal Justice Failings and the Gun CultureMade significant reductions in drug sentencing guidelines for current prisoners. http://n.pr/1mWBLkMOversaw the first drop in the federal prison population in 32 years. http://bit.ly/1B5h8rWIncreased his use of clemency to release thousands of non-violent drug offenders from prison. http://nyti.ms/1KE8DJGOrdered a ban on solitary confinement for juvenile offenders in federal prisons.http://bit.ly/20ObRzATook executive action to promote smart gun technology, to make them safer.http://1.usa.gov/1RhK1tUAfter a failure by Congress to act, proposed executive orders to create more background checks and to fully staff the background check system. http://cnn.it/1JXmUg6Relaxed HIPAA rules enough to allow for more information to be available to the background check system. http://on.wsj.com/SX9xaZOrdered the tracing of guns as part of criminal investigations to provide data to researchers. http://on.wsj.com/SX9xaZOrder the Justice Department to look at the categories of mental health problems prohibited from owning guns to make sure people aren’t falling through the cracks, getting guns. http://onforb.es/1nUAGw3Expanded the definitions of gun dealers and expanded the information available and required in background checks for firearm purchases. http://bit.ly/1K5aXeeSet up a task force to figure out what other measures can be taken to limit gun violence in the wake of Congressional inaction. http://1.usa.gov/1QjYMGJImproved Treatment of Soldiers and VeteransProvided active combat troops with better body armor. http://bit.ly/hzSv2hCreated a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order http://abcn.ws/1ghLrEshttp://abcn.ws/1ghLrEs to improve the quality of their medical care. http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxWPut an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7QSigned and implemented Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, making more money available to enable better medical care for veterans.http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1With Congressional Democrats, oversaw largest spending increase in 30 years for Department of Veterans Affairs, for improved medical and extended care facilities for veterans. http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3xImplemented the Green Vet Initiative, which provides special funding to provide veterans with training in green jobs. http://bit.ly/epwUQYInitiated and signed a recruitment and employment plan to get more veterans into government jobs. http://bit.ly/b48coiOversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals. http://bit.ly/gjzTxXSigned the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, which ensures that spouses of military personnel who are forced to move because their spouse is posted for military duty can avoid state taxes in their temporary residence. http://bit.ly/1Gh0NXOrdered improvements to access to mental health care for veterans, military personnel and their families. http://1.usa.gov/TP7PVZGot Syria to dismantle its chemical weapons without military firing a single shot or dropping a single bomb. http://nyti.ms/1lVEkU7Along with Congressional Democrats, not only reauthorized families of fallen soldiers to be able to visit when the body arrives at Dover AFB, but also provided funding for it. Ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers. Pentagon Will Help Families Travel to Dover http://bbc.in/gWSSkAFunded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services. http://1.usa.gov/huhqfoSigned into law a bill that provides support, counseling, and breastfeeding supplies to military moms who are covered under TRICARE, the health insurance provided to veterans. http://bit.ly/1yNxL8OSigned into law a bill that makes it easier for military dogs to retire at home with their handlers. http://bit.ly/1J78Y2UImproved America’s Reputation Around the WorldVisited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office. http://bit.ly/hZycdaAs he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. http://nyti.ms/dKvY4gMade a speech at a US mosque to demonstrate his commitment to religious rights and send a message to Muslims around the world. http://cnn.it/1PGU1uIRestored America’s reputation around the world as a global leader.http://bit.ly/h743y7http://bit.ly/ho4TCrRe-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues. http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDjClosed a number of secret detention facilities. http://nyti.ms/rpUc9lImproved relations with Middle East countries by appointing special envoys.http://1.usa.gov/tiGAGePushed forward the first realistic Middle East peace strategy in more than a decade, without abandoning the two-state solution. http://wapo.st/1avystePushed for military to emphasize greater development of foreign language skills. http://bit.ly/AxUCLVOffered $400 million to the people living in Gaza, while calling on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop inciting violence. http://bit.ly/9axfWhRefused to give Israel the green light to attack Iran over their possible nuclear program.http://bit.ly/xVmSZKOrdered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, although blocked by Congress.http://bit.ly/eW6CVFOrdered a review of our detention and interrogation policy and prohibited the use of “enhanced interrogation.” http://bit.ly/g6MTuCOrdered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed.http://bbc.in/h6N9axReleased the Bush torture memos. http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0On his second day in office, banned torture, reversed all Bush torture policies and put the US in full compliance with the Geneva Convention.http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zvehttp://nyti.ms/hzWWysIn response to the emerging “Arab Spring,” he created a Rapid Response fund, to assist emerging democracies with foreign aid, debt relief, technical assistance and investment packages in order to show that the United States stands with them. http://bit.ly/zfmGv9Ended the F-22 program, saving $4 billion. Though the 187 aircraft cost $358 million each to build, it had never flown a combat mission. http://slate.me/PYzmzTPassed the Iran Sanctions Act, to prevent war and encourage the Iranian government to give up their nuclear program. http://1.usa.gov/wLtNjbEnded the Iraq War. http://tgr.ph/ru0tySWorked to keep our withdrawal from Afghanistan on track, despite GOP opposition.http://reut.rs/1cIOsF1 Reiterated that commitment in 2014.http://nyti.ms/1exnmRFConducted a secret mission by SEAL Team Six to rescue two hostages held by Somali pirates. http://bit.ly/y8c9FzThrough United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, helped negotiate a peaceful split of Sudan into two countries, creating an independent South Sudan. http://reut.rs/qzE0TjHelped make donations to Haiti tax deductible in 2009. http://huff.to/6YkAVYEstablished a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. http://1.usa.gov/eX28DPIssued Executive Order blocking interference and helping to stabilize Somalia.http://1.usa.gov/hxdf8UEstablished new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them.http://n.pr/hY3Kwa http://nyti.ms/emQBdeThe new policies in Cuba led to thawed relations and the first US Embassy in Cuba in more than 55 years. http://abcn.ws/1ghLrEsNegotiated a deal with Iran that will prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon anytime soon, without firing a shot or invading the country. http://cnn.it/1M3HpvvAs a result of the Iran agreement, Iran shipped pretty much all of it nuclear material to Russia. http://nyti.ms/1PrzLtyBecame the first US President to visit Jamaica in more than 30 years, worked to restore relations with the country and signed a natural gas distribution agreement with the country. http://bit.ly/1JtpFqiChanged US Approach to “Defense” and National SecurityCreated a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat.http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nEAuthorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2Restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush. http://lat.ms/gkcl3iSigned and got ratification of a new SALT Treaty. http://bit.ly/f3JVtwNegotiated and signed a new START Treaty that will stay in force until at least 2021.http://1.usa.gov/cI1bC4Committed the US to no permanent military bases in Iraq. http://bit.ly/hk73OJDeveloped a comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda, the withdrawal of most troops and the rebuilding of Afghanistan. http://wapo.st/ee4XcsRe-focused on Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing troops from the country. http://bit.ly/lNXUnaNegotiated a deal with Afghan government, to withdraw troops and military support, while assisting in rebuilding and modernizing of the country. http://bit.ly/K362anTook steps to severely weaken al Qaeda and limited their ability to terrorize the world.http://yhoo.it/n5lXs6Negotiated and signed a nuclear nonproliferation treaty with India.http://1.usa.gov/aHp0CnWorked with NATO to limit the slaughter of innocents in Libya, so that Libyans could topple the despotic Khadaffy government and determine their own fate.http://aje.me/qAh4SjGot Egyptian President/dictator Mubarak to leave the Egyptian government to the people, to determine their own fate. http://f24.my/efvgNZIn 2011, reoriented American focus from the Middle East to the Asian-Pacific region by simultaneously engaging China and crafting new alliances with Asian countries uncomfortable with Chinese behavior. http://bit.ly/RGlMDiRestored federal agencies such as FEMA to the point that they have been able to manage a huge number of natural disasters successfully. http://bit.ly/h8Xj7zIncreased border security http://bit.ly/1JQDGz9Ordered and oversaw the Navy SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden.http://bit.ly/jChpgwEstablished the Homeland Security Partnership Council, to enhance the nation’s ability to “address homeland security priorities, from responding to natural disasters to preventing terrorism, by utilizing diverse perspectives, skills, tools, and resources.”http://1.usa.gov/VJjLXOSigned agreement with Afghanistan to end war, turn security over to Afghans.http://nyti.ms/1xSjgBdBreaking with recent presidential tradition, instead of just attacking Syria in the wake of chemical weapons attacks on Syrians, Obama ordered a full report on the decision-making process. http://cbsn.ws/184RFguInstead of holding hearings and creating a political football, he quietly captured a suspect who actually committed the Benghazi terrorist attack. http://wapo.st/1jFlmzv He is also getting a lot of useful information from the suspect. http://nyti.ms/UfE2KaInstituted rules to order sanctions against individuals and groups that threaten national cybersecurity. http://1.usa.gov/1HWcGMGImproved Education and Educational OpportunitiesThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, invested heavily in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. http://1.usa.gov/gGRIArCreated the Race to the Top program, which encouraged states to come up with effective school reforms and rewards the best of them. http://bit.ly/NHtZ7LOversaw major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide.http://bit.ly/fNDcj3Oversaw major expansion in school construction. http://bit.ly/fYwNrVThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, put $5 billion into early education, including Head Start. http://1.usa.gov/tzT2RrSigned the Democratic-sponsored Post-9/11 GI Bill, also known as GI Bill 2.0, to improve veterans’ access to education. http://bit.ly/hPhG7JOversaw expansion of the Pell Grants program, to expand opportunity for low and middle income students to go to college. http://bit.ly/hI6tXzSigned and implemented the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds. http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUeTook major new steps to protect students from ineffective for-profit colleges through “gainful employment” measures, whereby schools have to demonstrate that its students actually find work to get federal aid. http://1.usa.gov/jkzQe2Repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of the process, thus us creating greater accountability.http://bit.ly/gYWd30 http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr http://bit.ly/eEzTNqReformed student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate. http://nyti.ms/dMvHOtCreated a rating system for colleges, so that those applying for student financial aid know better what they’re paying for. http://bit.ly/14Dn7ULRestored the Adult View on Science and TechnologyCreated a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making. http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuwOpened up the process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects.http://bit.ly/j0KV2UThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, committed more federal funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research labs. http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7Obama EPA reversed research ethics standards which allowed humans to be used as “guinea pigs” in tests of the effects of chemicals, to comply with numerous codes of medical ethics. http://bit.ly/bKgqdSConducted a cyberspace policy review. http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvCProvided financial support for private sector space programs. http://bit.ly/fn8ucrOversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use. http://bit.ly/dNTRyPThrough American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs. http://bit.ly/ecQSgAIncreased funding for community-based prevention programs. http://bit.ly/frMPG3Expanded space exploration and discovery options to include more players.http://1.usa.gov/13qmZpmThrough the Connect America Fund, pushed through and received FCC approval for a move of $8 billion in subsidies away from telephone landlines to assist lower-income rural families in accessing broadband. http://lat.ms/vhRUEs http://bit.ly/129V3SYIn the wake of the West Fertilizer tragedy, formed the Chemical Safety and Security Working Group, to work on measures to prevent another such events.http://1.usa.gov/18kHSlAEstablished a Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, a recommendation made by the 9/11 Commission, to coordinate efforts to fight cyber-crime and terrorism. http://1.usa.gov/1A0aEoSThe Obama FCC, with his leadership, adopted strong net neutrality rules, to keep the Internet open and equal for everyone. http://fcc.us/1MhTlIAOrdered rules to speed up deployment of a more comprehensive broadband infrastructure.http://1.usa.gov/M7rVpeSet up a National Strategic Computing Initiative, to “maximize benefits of high-performance computing (HPC) research, development, and deployment.” http://1.usa.gov/1IN3FZaOrdered a federal level change in national earthquake standards.http://1.usa.gov/1T5wGoRImproved Our HealthEliminated Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, and provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell research. http://bit.ly/h36SSOhttp://ti.me/edezgeSigned Democratic-sponsored Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis.http://bit.ly/fOi2rbExpanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time mothers. http://bit.ly/jRRRJc\Along with Democrats in Congress, ushered through and signed a bill authorizing FDA to regulate tobacco and order tobacco companies to disclose their ingredients and to ban cigarettes falsely labeled as “light.” http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViBHas overseen a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors.http://bit.ly/e5b1iq http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9Eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price. http://bit.ly/fOkG5bTwo weeks after taking office, signed Democratic-sponsored Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4 million. http://bit.ly/fDEzGvUrged Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation. http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9CPushed through and signed Affordable Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage greatly and ended many detrimental insurance company practices. He also established Get 2016 health coverage. Health Insurance Marketplace . http://www.healthcare.gov/Through ACA, allowed children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26. http://nyti.ms/fNB26VThrough the ACA, provided tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small businesses to provide health insurance to their employees. http://nyti.ms/fNB26VThrough the ACA, millions of people receive help in paying their health insurance company premiums. http://nyti.ms/fNB26VThrough the ACA, expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level. http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo (Note: except for those states whose Republicans refused to take the extra money.)By 2014, the Affordable Care Act dropped the number of uninsured Americans by 22.3%, which amounts to more than 10.3 million people with insurance who didn’t have it before. Only 13.9% of Americans are uninsured, a drop from 18.9% in 2013. http://on.msnbc.com/1r4kjGnThe Affordable Care Act has increased the life expectancy of Medicare greatly.http://on.wsj.com/1yuNco6Through the ACA, health insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care. http://nyti.ms/fNB26VMedicare costs actually declined slightly, for the first time in decades in 2011, according to the Congressional Budget Office. http://1.usa.gov/oMxpThSince passage of the ACA, health care inflation is at its lowest level since 1960.http://1.usa.gov/1vXR0LdCreated the HIV Care Continuum Initiative, to strengthen the government’s ability to respond to the continuing domestic HIV epidemic, after years of Republicans weakening the government’s ability to deal with the crisis. http://1.usa.gov/1iLED0tSigned bill that will provide health insurance premium support to workers who lose their health insurance due to foreign competition. http://bit.ly/1evvVDFIn response to the confusion triggered by the asinine Hobby Lobby decision, which essentially declared that corporations could have “religious rights” and lord them over employees, created new rules to give all women with insurance the right to free birth control. http://on.wsj.com/1O44a1tImplemented the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for 2015-2020, which is a follow-up to the first such strategy in US history, which he implemented in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/1IXknHmSigned and will implement new child safety standards for e-cigarettes.http://bit.ly/1XaFCISSet up a White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force, in order to implement ways to develop a cure for cancer. http://1.usa.gov/20AeKY4Addressed the Environment While Dealing with Energy NeedsDoubled federal spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCEPushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars. http://bit.ly/j8UP5YCreated a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents.http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWqReengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush era stance that climate change was a “hoax.” http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3 http://bit.ly/fE2PxK http://nyti.ms/hfeqvvFully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide. http://bit.ly/eJ6QOORequired states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption. http://bit.ly/lBhk7PUnder Obama, our dependence on foreign oil has dropped to its lowest rate since 1985, and continues to drop. http://1.usa.gov/1p6kTUyMeanwhile, oil consumption is way down because of reduced driving and higher mileage standards. http://ti.me/1z4HFG8Improved siting, review and permitting stations for power plants, in an attempt to seriously improve the nation’s electric grid. http://1.usa.gov/1l8zNqnReengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic.http://bit.ly/fzQUFOCreated tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid and electric vehicles. http://bit.ly/glCukVEstablished a quadrennial review of our energy infrastructure, to encourage a modernization of the grid, and to encourage the transition away from fossil fuel use. http://1.usa.gov/1nx2oMoMandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles.http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5chttp://bit.ly/h5KZqyEncouraged BP to pay $20 billion to establish Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, to reduce the need for taxpayer funds to be used for compensation and clean up.http://wapo.st/ds2BxT (Note: it took 20 years to get $1.3 billion for the Exxon Valdez spill. )Oversaw and pushed through an amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizing advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.http://1.usa.gov/yTRYVoActively tried to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to eliminate the liability limits for those companies responsible for large oil spills. http://nyti.ms/bxjDi3Became the first President to simply say “Climate Change is a fact,” and set up the first federal government protocols for dealing with the impacts of climate change. http://1.usa.gov/1b7V67BInitiated Criminal and Civil inquiries into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.http://nyti.ms/bVuB7aAsserted federal legal supremacy to bar Texas from authorizing new refinery permits on its own.http://bit.ly/ww8eMdSet up new, stricter standards limiting power plant emissions. http://1.usa.gov/1mML2M3Strengthened the Endangered Species Act. http://bit.ly/hscjsHStrengthened protection for wildlife, and expanded enforcement of laws against wildlife trafficking. http://1.usa.gov/1fce1AiObama EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year. http://bit.ly/jYH7ntThrough the EPA, attemped to take steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2Through new EPA regulations, he created a pretext for closing the dirtiest power plants in the country, by limiting emissions of mercury and other toxic gasses. http://bit.ly/rQCIgAIncreased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10% http://bit.ly/fbJPjYAnnounced greatly improved commercial fuel efficiency standards.http://1.usa.gov/oQiC1KAnnounced a huge increase in average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg in 2010 to 35.5mpg starting in 2016 and 54.5 starting in 2025 http://1.usa.gov/qtghsWFacilitated investment in industrial energy efficiency to create jobs and strengthen US manufacturing while saving businesses $100 billion over a decade.http://1.usa.gov/WsIgbxSet up the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to oversee Gulf Coast restoration efforts after the 2010 BP oil spill. The money to fund the restoration efforts comes from fines against BP. http://1.usa.gov/Rxjb29Engaged in the most comprehensive plan to combat climate change in a generation.http://bit.ly/13lXhETOrdered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155pOversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2RGuided a 418% increase in solar power capacity between 2010 and 2014. http://bit.ly/1rHkWJCAs of May 2015, 74% of new electrical capacity was provided by solar and wind power. http://bit.ly/1T5r0LCBypassed Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions.http://bit.ly/froaP5Oversaw a tripling in the use of wind power to generate electricity. The US now leads the world in increased wind power capacity. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5448Ordered the federal government to incorporate climate resilience and climate science into all international development in which the United States engages. http://1.usa.gov/YV1EpWFast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact fuel efficiency standards that exceeded federal standards. http://nyti.ms/e8e94xFast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in more than a decade.http://politi.co/hiaPKMOversaw establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, to create more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73yObama EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history. http://bit.ly/lP3yELOrdered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances. http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbuObama EPA ruled that excess CO2 is a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNNClosed a deal with China to limit carbon emissions to slow down climate change. http://nyti.ms/1xzyS8KBlocked all oil and gas drilling in Bristol Bay, Alaska, one of the most pristine environments in North America http://lat.ms/13xUVFDSigned an Executive Order to improve environmental efforts in the Arctic region and to combat climate change by better coordinating the efforts of the 23 federal agencies operating in the area. http://usat.ly/ZEzLzEVetoed a bill to fast track construction of the parallel Keystone XL pipeline.http://nbcnews.to/1DVDFo7Expanded clean water regulations to more stringently protect all of the nation’s waterways, even when states fail in their duty. http://bit.ly/1RdQpTcSigned an Executive Order committing the federal government to lead the way in building a sustainable economy. It’s his fifth doing just that. http://1.usa.gov/1EzO2neBanned the use of antibiotics in food served in US Government-run cafeterias and ordered agencies to only use antibiotic-free meat. http://bit.ly/1G1vUxi http://bit.ly/1KHkl4NDeveloped new rules to address climate change and to create a significant boost to clean energy. http://bit.ly/1UnQcuRNegotiated and signed a virtually Republican-Proof global agreement on climate change, with 190 countries signing on. http://bit.ly/1RkjVG8Became one of 196 countries that signed onto a UN Framework on Climate Change.http://unfccc.int/2860.phpOrdered a moratorium on new coal leasing on federal land, and they will examine the whole leasing process. http://wapo.st/23Q6en8There’s a Lot More!Nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices.http://huff.to/eOChg6http://bit.ly/i02wgPAppointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president. http://bit.ly/dX6vNBLoosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference. http://huff.to/eQfa7jSigned national service legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps program. http://bit.ly/idgQH5Signed a bill that provided $4.3 billion in additional assistance to 9/11 first responders.http://bit.ly/o7cWYSSigned the Claims Resolution Act, which provided $4.6 billion in funding for a legal settlement with black and Native American farmers who had been cheated out of government loans and natural resource royalties in the past. http://1.usa.gov/dGppUaTo help those communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy, issued an executive order setting up the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, and asked Congress to approve $60 billion in supplemental assistance to aid in storm recovery. http://1.usa.gov/134L7hlProduced 23 Executive actions designed to make it easier for law enforcement to identify those who shouldn’t have guns, thus helping them enforce the law.http://on.wsj.com/SX9xaZExpanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements in trade pacts like NAFTA. http://bit.ly/etznpYOversaw funding of the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. He protected the funding during budget negotiations.http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO http://bit.ly/ff5LuvOversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.http://bit.ly/dFb8qF”And Did You Know?Despite the characterizations of some, Obama’s success rate in winning congressional votes on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first year in office. Though he is often cited as superior to Obama, President Lyndon Johnson’s success rate in 1965 was only 93%.http://n.pr/i3d7cYAnd of course…Despite the odds, became the first black president, and then was reelected by a wide margin of the population.

This question keeps getting renamed and bumped around so many times So I've sort of merged it with another, longer answer on the subject that I wrote over X Mas.There are no cons really none that matter anyway. So if you hate the EU with a passion and you don't have time to even consider a different view then don't read on, this is a long answer even by my standards. The EU is an attempt at nation building and most of the people who oppose it are unaware of where it came from, why it formed or where its going. It is a work in progress and as such, pointing to its deficiencies is a little like complaining that a car's performance is not meeting your expectations before anyone has put petrol in the engine. Is it perfect? No, not even close. Is it Europe's future? Hell yes.In order for the EU to Federalize it would have to pass many significant hurdles but chief among them would undoubtedly be nationalism. But before we address that point let's take a look at what the EU is and how it came to be. You'll have to bear with me though because there's really no quick way to go through this. I'm of the opinion that these things are not easy to understand and yet we have many, many people insisting that they understand what 's going on without having ever looked at the history and philosophy behind the project. If you are the kind of person that likes to know how things tick before you formulate an opinion, then please read on.Once upon a time, Europe was gripped with a sickness and the beginnings of the EU can be traced back to an attempt to find a cure.The painting above is of the Battle of Fortenoy which took place in 1745. The blue-clad French in the foreground are Gardes Francaises and they are looking upon the British forces commanded by the Duke of Cumberland. This battle took place as part of the War of Austrian Succession and it was something of a victory for France though it came at a high price."See how much blood a triumph costs!" lamented the french King Louis XV. " The blood of our enemies is still the blood of men!"The man had a point. This single battle produced almost 20,000 causalities of which 5000 were fatalities.That's a lot of death for just one days work.Immanuel Kant.This, thought one of the greatest thinkers of all time, was something of a problem. Kant was born in the 18th century, a particularly violent time to live in. From his perspective the sickness that gripped Europe was one of almost constant warfare and he took some to time off thinking big thoughts to see if there was a pattern he could identify.First he looked to the past.17th Century Warfare :Cost 10,0000 European lives.In just one year, 1638 there were five separate wars occurring in Europe.There were only 4 years free of warfare in the whole century. The other 96 years all saw conflict of some kind.The total number of separate wars was 42.18th Century Warfare:Cost 20,000,000 European lives. It also dragged many other parts of the world into its conflicts.The total number of separate wars was 43.Kant could not see an end to this violence. In his mind, it was set to increase as time went on; the 19th century he believed would be more violent than the 18th the 20th more violent than the 19th and so on. He of course had no way of knowing if this was the case since he died in 1804. We however, looking back from the 21st century, can check to see if he was right.19th Century Warfare:Cost between 45 and 90 million European lives. It also dragged many other parts of the world into its conflicts.The total number of separate wars was 52.20th Century WarfareCost, depending on who you ask,175,000,000 lives ( Zbigniev Brezinski.)225,000,000 lives ( Milton Litenberg)258,000,000 lives! ( Rudolph J Rummel)Needless to say, due the the nature of 20th century wars, this loss of life was not restricted to Europe.There were 79 separate European wars in the 20th century,So we can perhaps agree on one thing. Kant was right, things just kept getting worse and something had to be done. You don't have to agree with me that the EU is a solution to any of this of course, just that the European wars were bad and getting worse.Potentially much worse! for we know something that Kant did not, the next major war might look like this.The next 'Big one' might even end our species which would be something of a pity because we're a pretty good species.(Shit)Kant of course, being unimaginably clever decided that since there was a solution to most problems then there must be a solution to this one too and, being an amenable chap, he wrote his conclusions down for us to ignore in favor of listening to Republican quick fixes (which always seem to blame Mexico for most of what is wrong with the world.)In this, one of the most important political texts ever written Kant produced the cure for the sickness that ailed Europe. He prescribed the following remedies some of which were more evidently sensible than others.No Secret Treaties! Such things make states nervous. By being open with one another you can avoid states jumping to conclusions.Inheritance "No independent states, large or small, shall come under the dominion of another state by inheritance, exchange, purchase, or donation. So if the King of France dies you can't send a message to the King of England saying ' You now own France as well.' This might sound silly but as we saw at Fortenoy, inheriting a whole country was quite commonplace and caused major upheavals. ( we'll get back to why this was so later.)Limited Military: No standing armies. Controversial I know. But there is a work around for this one.Debt. You could borrow money all right but not as Kant put it ' with a view to the external friction of statesSovereignty. "No state shall by force interfere with the constitution or government of another state"War needs Rules! "No state shall, during war, permit such acts of hostility which would make mutual confidence in the subsequent peace impossible: such are the employment of assassins (percussores), poisoners (venefici), breach of capitulation, and incitement to treason (perduellio) in the opposing state"Kant also offered three other points or 'definite articles' that are a little more difficult to fathom.The civil constitution of every state should be republican" ( Kings are capricious, Prime Ministers and Presidents less so. The latter are also much easier to replace."The law of nations shall be founded on a federation of free states" Or rather, all states should posses sovereignty but should be bound together in some way."The law of world citizenship shall be limited to conditions of universal hospitality" Free travel from one are to another.So here we have a fairly definitive plan and we can summarize it as follows.The world should consist of free states that are ruled by elected officials and not kings since kings are assholes; their tendency to believe that they own entire countries by right of birth is also problematic.We should have no or at least very small standing armies. and we should never lend a country so much money that they are bound to default; if we did this we'd be tempted to invade to get our money back,.We should never interfere with a nation's sovereignty either by coercing or invading it. People don't like this and they will fight back with whatever weapons they can get their hands on ( Iraq, Vichy France, Vietnam etc.)If war does occur then behave yourself. It benefits nobody if people are still seething with hatred for your nation several generations after the war. Civilian massacres and other atrocities will beget more violence and perpetuate war.People should be able to move from place to place. This encourages understanding. Polish immigrants to the UK, once met with hostility are now friends, girlfriends, daughters in law, neighbors and colleagues. And British people have also discovered the delights of chocolate Babka.Federalism is good. ( more on that later. ) We can make deals with other countries but lets be honest about it.All good stuff!And nobody listened.Because war was fun! It had its winners and losers. It provided a nice place for the second sons of nobles to work, it allowed us to conquer, plunder and so on and so on. It was in our nature after all. Oh, as time went on some of the things Kant had suggested came to pass, but not in a structured way. We traded kings for prime Minister's here and there and several, many states in fact, did indeed Federalize.But we still had war. And lots of it at that.Until...WWI had been bad. Let's be absolutely clear about this one point. There were no winners, only losers. Our attempt to denude Germany of any kind of power base bit everyone involved in their frankly quite fat arses. The USA got the great depression and the other countries of Europe got politics so radical that it made Donald Trump look like a cast member from an early episode of Sesame Street; they either went left as in Russia, right as in Germany or else stayed in the middle and had to fight the extremists.But whilst the UK barely recovered from the economic and social trauma of WWI it neverrecovered from WWII. All of its vast wealth had been squandered. It won the war but at great cost. It went in to defend Poland but Poland was behind the Iron Curtain which wasn't much better than being in Nazi hands. War just wasn't fun anymore, it was bombed cities, death camps, economic ruin and people dead in the tens of millions instead of tens of thousands. Russia won WWII and got a devastated country as a victory present. Britain won WWII and got... nothing... aside from the moral high ground I suppose. Only the USA came out on top and even that was no good because...Remember?That's Big Ivan, better known as Tsar Bomba some 57 Megatons of Soviet might. That's 1,400 times Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined and ten times the entire combined fire power expended in WWII. In one bomb! One explosion! And, incredibly, that's only half of what it could have done. yes, had the variable yield been turned to max, it would have exploded with the force of nearly 3000 Hiroshima bombs.We had to put an end to war. More importantly, from a US perspective we had to put an end to European wars since they were doing all the damage.. The USA was and is, locked into a symbiotic relationship with Europe and had been dragged into just about every European war that anyone could think of. It had to stop.But how?Oh yes... Kant.Perhaps thought our Yankee friends, he'd been on to something after all. And it wasn't like Kant's ideas hadn't been tested before, they had, just not on such a large scale. Which is why we have to go off on another tangent and take a look at...A Short History of GermanyHere's a picture of Germany as it was in 1789, around about the time that Kant was writing Perpetual Peace. You might notice that it looks a bit like a Sydney Pollock painting what with all the splodges of reds, greens and... what is that, mauve? In the 18th century, the Holy Roman Empire consisted of approximately 1,800 territories, the majority being tiny estates owned by the families of knights though some being quite large Duchies or to use their fancy title Palatines.And yet, in lees than a century, most, if not all, would be united and Germany as we know it today would be born. This then, was the formation of the EU in miniature.How did this come to pass?Well it began with a confederation. Obviously...This here is the Confederation of the Rhine and it was set up in 1806 by the French Empire under the rule of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. It lasted exactly 7 years.Now, you might notice that there are far fewer states, than in its direct predecessor, initially, only 9 although it eventually comprised of 28 different states. None of this was to last. At the treaty of Vienna, the Allies, victorious over France at last, put everything back more or less the way it had been.There were now only 39 states and they were joined in a loose confederation. But then, they always had been, so nothing really changed. All that much.That big green country on the right is Prussia and they knew exactly what the German Confederation was for and what it was worth. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia. Britain approved of it because London felt that there was need for a stable, peaceful power in central Europe that could discourage aggressive moves by France or Russia. It was weak and ineffective and an obstacle to German nationalist aspirations. And it was up for grabs. Only two states had a chance of securing it. One was Austria and the other was Prussia.If you're wondering who won then let me point out two things. The capital of Austria was and is Vienna and the capital of Prussia was Berlin.It was Prussia then, that figured things out first. If one wanted to unify Germany then one must first attempt to develop economic ties. Such an idea was consistent with Kantian ideas of peace something that was beginning to develop into a theory of International Relations called Liberalism or Neo Liberalism in its more modern sense. ( This is not related to the Liberalism that Fox news gets so upset about, I apologize on behalf of political scientists everywhere for not having come up with a different name for it. )This union set up on 1834 was called the Zollverein and it was little more than a customs unions, a way to manage tariffs. But it brought German states together. With fewer tariffs came greater opportunities. It makes far less sense to start a war with a neighbor who is happily buying all your Hessian underthings, or your coal or building ships of commerce for you, or whatever. It was all one big happy family or rather one big happy commonwealth, a system wherein the aggregate wealth of member states is greater than the sum of its parts thanks to high levels of co-operation. Austria, poor Austria was precluded and suffered accordingly, in fact, it went in almost terminal decline. By 1870 the writing was on the cards. It took a war, the Franco-Prussian War to be precise, to really cement the deal but in 1871 a new country was born. Germany.Ah-ha! said the Americans! From economic co-operation to political union. What better way to stop Europeans fighting? I mean, Bravarians weren't fighting Prussians and we saw similar results with other unification. England joined with Scotland in 1801 putting an end to 100's of years of war. Italy had done something similar.The United States, then, unlike now, run by brilliant people, came up with several salient points.1) We must rebuild Europe. We are a country that makes stuff and we need to be able to sell this stuff to Europeans. As an added bonus, a rebuilt Europe will be less likely to turn to the radical politics of communism. Even better, money we give them will give democracies a head start, making capitalism look like a much better system.2) We need to make sure that we do this only once because it's expensive so now is a good time to make a few demands.The Marshall plan comprised of $13 billion (approximately $130 billion in current dollar value as of August 2015) in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of WWII The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1947. The goals of the United States were to rebuild war-devastated regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, make Europe prosperous again, and prevent the spread of communism.So they could sell us stuff.Communist states were welcome to the money but Stalin refused to let them take it.It was a good plan and it came with a little caveat.You had to join the OECD which was OK because both the Americans and many of the European leaders felt that European integration was necessary to secure the peace and prosperity of Europe. Although in some ways this effort failed, in a very real sense the EU we see today was the brainchild of American thought guided by Kant's genius.Because although the OECD was flawed, the idea was not. The separate European Coal and Steel board that excluded Britain was a run away success and offered a tantalizing possibility. A European commonwealth!A United States of Europe? Wow. How would that work? Well, let's take a look at the USA.Its economy is worth about 18 trillion dollars.The best median income you can find in an American state is to be found in Maryland which in 2014 reached $70,004. Well done Marlyanders!The worst Median income you can find is in an American State Mississippi at $36,919.That's not so great really but we can add in some caveats to this analysis.1) The first 25 states all make it over the $50,000 mark aside from number 24 Iowa that manages a median income of $49,427 and number 25 Texas at $49,392.2) Only the three poorest states dip below $40,000 as a median. Arkansas, West Virginia and the aforementioned Mississippi.And let's be honest. The USA economy has been heavily screwed in favor of the super rich. and is in desperate need of an overhaul. See Ian Jackson's answer to U.S presidential primary candidate Bernie Sanders says "It is profoundly wrong that the top 1% own more wealth than the bottom 95%" Why is that wrong? Is everyone entitled to the same amount of wealth?But for now, let's compare that to Europe.The richest country in Europe per capita is Luxembourg at around $ 111,716 per annum. Norway is surrounded by bountiful oil and gas reserves and happily for the Norwegians, there aren't that many of them. So they cap out at $97,013. The poorest country that we have statistics for is Moldova.They manage $2,222.I know.Holy-Fuck!What is with this massive income disparity and why should we care?Well I should start by saying that you should care just based on the principle that being poor sucks and we should do what we can to help those who have nothing. But since I'm something of a realist I realize that a lot of people might take an attitude not dissimilar to the following."I don't know where Moldova is, I don't care about Moldova. We have have plenty of needy people here to take care of before we start worrying about some people in a far off land of whom we know little."That last bit incidentally is from British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who used this argument to explain why he had no intention of stopping Hitler from invading Czechoslovakia. Dick-move Neville.I digress.The 'Clean up out own neighborhood first ' argument is very often promulgated and stems from natural human selfishness on the one hand and common-garden ignorance on the other.But OK, that's easy to say,but harder to answer so, why should we care?Well, let's imagine that you want to sell your house.Let's say you inherited the house from a relative and that she bought the House for $200,000. The house is situated in a town miles from anywhere that has no major industry to speak of. We'll call this town Slumsville.Nobody in Slumsville has a job and most of them have taken to living in flimsy cardboard boxes. There are loads of townspeople who want to buy your house, there's definitely a market for it, but no-one can afford it and you can't easily move into the house yourself because you work elsewhere. So you quit your job and start your own business selling, of all things, bespoke kitchens. Nobody in the town has a job so they are willing to work for peanuts and as property prices are low you manage to set up your businesses on the cheap. Nice!Of course, nobody in Slumsville can afford to buy your kitchens but you happen to know that just over the hill there's another town called Snootsville. The people who live there wouldn't be caught dead in an Ikea; they don't know what bespoke means but they absolutely love to buy really expensive stuff.The orders come flying in and you load up your trucks.Oh.That's right, you forgot. Slumsville has no roads. Because they have no money and why in the hell would Snootsville pay for their roads? T make things worse the dirt tracks are prone to banditry. You lose half your cargo. When it gets to the city limits corrupt officials constantly come up with creative new tariffs, bribes and add on expenditures. Not that we can blame them, they are living in flimsy cardboard boxes after all. By the time you have figured all this into the eventual price of the kitchen its too much even for the residents of Snootsville, You go bankrupt and move into a cardboard box of your own.Herein lies the basic problem to which a commonwealth is a natural solution. This is one of the main reasons why the USA was so successful for so long.The idea is simple, which is why it is so frustrating when people get it so wrong.Let's imagine you are the CEO of Mercedes Benz taking a look at the figures for the year.Looking over the USA you feel satisfied. You sell more cars in Maryland than Mississippi for sure but you at least sell some cars in the poorest state. You transport cars across roads that stretch from the very poorest states to the very richest. There is internet all over, freight trains and other infrastructure are available in all 50 states too. Some places are better developed than others that's for sure but there's not point where you just simply run out of road. Every part of the USA is connected to every other part. The workforce is reasonably well educated wherever you go too so if you need to be close to a natural resource then you can build a plant and fill it with workers. There are absolutely no trade barriers between states whatsoever and no hard borders either, so fewer delays are to be expected. If a natural disaster washes away a road or train line then the pooled sovereignty of the Federal State will step in and fix it. As a result, you create more wealth. You sell more cars, which means you hire more workers. Mechanics specializing in the Mercedes brand spring up all around the country and are able to make a n honest buck. They spend their money in cafe's and buy groceries. It's a little thing perhaps, but it all builds up. An extra vacation sold here, a few more presents bought at Xmas there. Bums on seats in cinemas, restaurants and furniture stores!And there is a further advantage. Trading as a block, US merchants get better deals. We all know that buying and selling in bulk confers advantages. This was the whole point of the European Coal and Steel Board. The rich states in America subsidize the poor. They build roads from A-B because they want to buy stuff at A and sell stuff at B. They redistribute wealth in sensible ways and when Apple releases a new iPhone it's national ubiquity is guaranteed.This is a Moldovan phoneThey are made to order by a man called Sergei who insists that they only explode with the force of a grenade when allowed to 'Overheat.'You then look at Europe.You have sold plenty of cars in Germany Italy, Norway and France but that's about it. You sold one in Moldova, possibly to the President himself. If you want to sell to Russia then be prepared for a wait. Taxes need to be paid and you have to unload your cars at the border since they use different sized rails in Russia. You are beset with difficulties and cannot expand your market. Granted, yours is a luxury product but even basic necessities are difficult to export. Growth is stunted everywhere you look.This was what the Europeans saw and what they wanted was something more akin to the USA's success story than to the fractious bickering states of the past. They wanted a single market, one that was close by and one that could afford to buy and sell on a more or less equal basis. Germany the UK and France could be Maryland and Moldova could be Mississippi.What if they asked each other, we were able to pool sovereignty like the USA? Would it not be better if all the countries of Europe were hovering round the $70,000 median income mark? The idea that we could make it as easy to sell a car in Moldova as it was in France. That was.. well irresistible.The EEC was created at the treaty of Rome in 1957 and it looked like thisIt was SUCH a good idea that others soon joined in and at the treaty of Maastricht in 1992 became the EU. The rich countries would get richer, the poor would get richer, everyone would be happy. And good news, the EU is now the largest economy in the world trumping both China and the United States.So it worked.Of course the EU has become much more than a simple economic institution. Since 1992 there have been moves, moves that have disturbed many, to turn into something very similar to the USA a Federal Europe in all but name.And I'm afraid the reason why so many have become seduced by this idea requires another lengthy explanation which I do apologize for but like I said these are complex issues.Why Federalize?The world has changed a lot since 1992. Some of it we could predict but much of it we could not. The USA was busily congratulating itself upon it's Cold War 'Victory' and nations like the UK were trying to come to terms with the idea that they no longer faced annihilation in the next World War. We began to prepare for the new world, we set up the IMF, the World Bank, redefined the role of NATO created institutions such as the G8 and so on. But no matter what we did, there was always something looming on the horizon.The Yellow Peril!No. I've not gone all racist, this was the name of the picture above and it was a warning of the threat Asia posed to European hegemony, possibly even its fundamental prosperity. The term Yellow Peril was coined by German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1895, but the theory that Asian peoples represented a menace to the West originated in the late nineteenth century. Of course, back then a little bit of luck and derring-do could forge the destiny of nations. Those days have gone, the threat of China has not.Let's take a quick look at the world.There we go. Now, forget everything you know about the world, in fact imagine you're an alien trying to to figure out where power might be concentrated.1) Africa is the obvious choice. It's central, and it's large."But," say's the human (who has been captured for interrogation purposes and at the threat of a sideways butt-probe has decided to spill the beans,) "Africa is weak. It lacks navigable rivers, it's prone to drought, it has lower population density than most places and suffers from tribalism."2) OK thinks the Alien. Then what about these two patches of paradise, Canada and Russia. They are both huge."Well," says the human " They are that, but in truth much of their land is a bit too cold for us humans. It's mostly tundra. These places are rich and powerful but they don't top the lists."3) The Alien is now getting frustrated because he looks like a bit of an idiot. He dismisses Australia as being too far away from everywhere else and Antarctica is obviously even more frozen than Canada. He decides power must be distributed across many countries so he lists them.a) The USA, large and protected by two oceans.b) Russia because he figures that it must have great natural resources.c) Brazil for it's size.d) India, large and in an excellent position to trade with the world.e) China even larger and also in an excellent position to trade with the rest of the world."Now you're cooking," says the human before pleading for the removal of the probe.We should note two things from this observation.1) The Alien has successfully identified the BRIC countries. Kudos. BRIC Countries - Background, Facts, News and Original Articles2) He didn't give Europe a second thought. It's small and it is fractious and its just so damnnorthern.In fact, if you told the alien that the largest empire that the world has ever known was ruled over by the British. He'd be at a loss as to how this happened. As he should be.( If you want to know why Europe was able to dominate the world for 500 years or so then check out this Macat Analysis , not one that I personally wrote but it's very good stuff. There's also a video below.)European dominance was an accident of history. It was never supposed to be in charge. The obvious choice is and always has been China and India. And as the 21st century loomed the accident of history ground to a halt. The 20th century had belonged to the the USA, but the 21st was China's.And here we are today,The modern world is made up of competing blocks of powers. You have a choice. You can be in one of those blocks or you can be marginalized by one.I'll give you an example.The Chinese economy is currently around three times the size of the UK's using nominal GDP figures. At that rate things are OK. We can get trade concessions, the Chinese pick up the phone when the PM calls and so on and so forth. Dealing with an economy three or four times larger than are own is not so bad, we've been doing it with the US for a while.You can study international relations all you like but when it comes down to it. Money is power.However.1. The USA are cultural and ideological allies and to be honest, that has helped us a along. Our relationship with China is less clear cut, we don't share the same values and our interests coincide less often.2. The Chinese economy in 2050 will be more like 10 times that of the UK. This is a massive shift in ratios and ratios are important. Imagine trying to fight off three guys. You'll probably lose but you might give a good account. Now imagine fighting ten guys at once.... Unless you are Batman.. and the UK is not Batman ( the USA is Batman, the UK is a bit like Ace, the Bat-Hound,) you're going to go down hard.3. The ten to one ration would give us the same negotiating powers as Moldova currently enjoys with the rest of the world.4. We are blessed in this country with being one of the richest countries in the world. Our life style, our standard of living... it's not really based on how much we have so much as how much we have relative to the rest of the world. We're 5th by nominal GDP today, 7th or 8th by PPP. By 2050 We'll be around 12th or 13th and France and Germany will not be doing much better. You might think that these league tables matter little. You'd be wrong to think so. Expect a lowering of living standards if the UK goes it alone.OR...5. What if instead of being kicked out of the top ten we could somehow POOL resources? How does the EU economy look in 2050? Well, it's the largest economy in the world for a start, in fact it already is. The UK would be senior partner in the largest economy in the world. Bigger than the USA, bigger than China. Yes, the German economy would be slightly bigger. And yes, France would be just a little bit behind. But still, The UK's voice would be loud, progressive and strong. It's GOOD to be on top. The USA at its peak had the highest standards of living the world had EVER seen. That's what we can build, even exceed in Europe of we can get over our ethnocentric ways.6. Germany and France can stay on top simply by pooling sovereignty themselves. And I'm telling you, they'd do so, even if the EU collapsed. In 2050 a Franco German state would have an economy that was around 3 or 4 times smaller than China's. Again, they could cope. The UK would have to survive by becoming either a tax haven ( bad idea, look what happened to Ireland,) or a sweatshop modeled on Indian standards.7. The reason for the last point is why so many rich white businessmen want out of Europe. Minimum wage? Maternity Leave? Working directives that put caps on hours worked? All EU legislation, and all scrapped, bit by bit by UKIP/ Tory governments if we leave the EU.In short. You could live in a small European country that is sour, poor and generally unpleasant, unless you yourself are exceedingly rich. Or you could live in the greatest, wealthiest political union the world had ever seen.So the EU project shifted to reflect the new geopolitical reality. Germany, France and the UK liked being rich and they intended to stay rich, By pooling sovereignty they would remain relevant for... well forever really.It was a good plan, a wholemeal plane with lots of roughage in it. One snag and one snag alone. People; because people are the worst.What are the things stopping the EU from forming a nation like the US?Like I said, Ignorance, fear and all that Jazz.Look at how long my answer was and I'm being brief here! I can't really see any way that people can truly understand the issues at hand without first understanding its historical, geopolitical and economic underpinnings. It would be like trying to fix a car engine without knowing what oil is. At the same time, I don't expect people to be as interested in these things as I am. This is why we have representative and not direct democracy. Alas, whilst my ignorance of the inner workings of the internal combustion engine leads me to call a mechanic when my car breaks down, far too many people think politics is the one field in the world that it is impossible to have any expertise in. Consequently they fall back on easily countered arguments that support their world view.1) We speak different languages so a Federal Europe will never be like the USA.Bit like this place then. Once four countries with four languages and now one country united in the most successful political and fiscal union of all time.2) It will destroy the individuality of states,There's room for diversity between cities let alone states. The French will still be French, the Greeks will still smash plates at weddings. We'll still have national football teams and TV shows. British weather will still be shit and Spanish weather will still... not be shit. French cheese will be better than German cheese and German sausage will still sell more than Russian sausage. We'll go skiing in Switzerland, sunbathing in Cannes and exploring in Italy. There will be death metal in Finland, Folk music in France and whatever the fuck they listen to in Belgium. Europe will look like Europe only richer and with a couple of extra elections to consider every year. The capital, when chosen will be the greatest city the world has ever known.3) I don't want to be ruled by bureaucrats in a far away city!Live in Whitehall do you?Why accept rule from London then? Why have a country at all? Why not form a government based on a simple premise. Pick a spot walk for three miles and then draw a ring based on that radius. Anyone inside gets a vote, and anyone outside can go fuck themselves. Just don't expect outside help if crops fail, if roads need mending, if there are floods, a horde of invading Visigoths or wolves. You want to be on your own then be on your own but don't pretend that your objection to pooled sovereignty is based on geography. You didn't mind us pooling sovereignty with NATO or with the World Bank or the IMF or even the UN for that matter.4) I don't want the UK to become more foreignYou're a racist. No really, you are. There are over a million Brits living in continental Europe. It's Quid Pr Quo and by the way, foreign people are people too.5) I like Britain the way it is.Tough, history doesn't care. It didn't care when the Romans took over or the Anglo Saxons butchered the Celts of even when the Vikings annexed Yorkshire. It didn't care when the Angevin Empire was split and France and England became two separate countries and it didn't care when Sardinia, the Papal states and Piedmont coalesced with some other states to form Italy. You don't get to live in the country of your youth because culture is a vicissitude. There were no curries when my mother was a child , no internet, no twitter, no rock and roll no three ply toilet paper and no TV. Even the concept of an avocado would have been lost on her and had you asked her to dress a salad she would have dutifully stuffed some lettuce in the sleeves of a coat.Britain has been transformed by all of these things with the possible exception of the avocado and in 50 years time it will have been transformed again.Change isn't always bad. and it's only really, truly scary when changed comes neatly wrapped in ignorance.You can follow me daily at Liberalamerica.org For general musings or indeed if you want to contact me / yell at me or ask for my phone number, you can contact me via Twitter.