History is written by the winners. That is something one learns when reading about the eons. But even the winners can disagree. The pundits like to talk about the twentieth century as the American century. There is a sense of finality about that moniker; some think of the recently lapsed era with a nostalgic tinge of regret for the passing of a golden age, while others say “good riddance” to the imperial haughtiness that accompanied all things American in that last century. Our current President falls squarely in that latter camp.

This author does not believe that our best days are behind us. The world continues to teeter on the brink, as it bounces from one political and economic disaster to another. The United States, on the other hand, has managed to withstand six consecutive years of inept financial and political management. We are a resilient people. We are a resilient country. While we have nothing to apologize for when looking back, we should also feel no sense of loss as we look forward. We have greatness left in us. We only need to liberate the American spirt; one that has been pushed into a corner by repressive and misguided regulation and governmental malfeasance.

Some may argue use of the word “malfeasance” is harsh. To that I would only say that one man’s dishonesty is another’s truth. And there, in a nutshell, lies the conundrum that is the Obama presidency. It is important that you commit yourself to understanding the belief system(s) driving the behavior of our President and his kitchen cabinet.

President Obama has sought a legacy that revolves around his having been the catalyst for a permanent social, economic, and political upheaval in the United States. Cloaked by the lofty hope and change rhetoric (let’s face it, the man can read a teleprompter as can few others) the President set out to erase from existence the essence of a United States he had grown to resent and disdain. What some naively chalk up to incompetence is actually calculated and deliberate action. What may appear to be a White House lurching from one crisis to another is actually a White House whose progressive policies simply cannot keep pace with the real politic of today’s world.

There is a view that the President lacks a vision. I disagree. His vision from the day he took up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was to turn our domestic and foreign policies upside down.

At home we know more than we care to about the incessant class warfare and repeated calls for more and more taxes on our producers. The President has made it very clear that he thinks everyone is owed a “fair share” regardless of his or her contribution. He has made it abundantly clear that successful entrepreneurs are successful because of the infrastructure the government has provided, and that success should rightly be more heavily taxed so those less fortunate can also be rewarded. As the smartest guys in the room (I am always awed by the academic pedigrees flaunted by the purveyors of progressive policies) it boggles one’s mind to wonder how each and every one of them can possibly have missed out on the study of economic history! Surely this must be an amazing coincidence, as it is the only possible explanation as to how or why those on the left can stand up and espouse policies that have never (ever!) stood the test of time. (Click here to listen to Milton Friedman explain reality to Phil Donahue–succinctly and with humor)

Overseas, he made the famous Cairo speech, (thus signaling a dawn of a new relationship between the US and muslim nations) and pushed the reset button with Russia. Many of his most loyal supporters did not recognize what he was doing. He was bound and determined to befriend Iran, even it it meant abusing our two closest allies in the Middle East (Israel and Saudi Arabia.) The Middle East is complicated and there is no greater example of that than knowledge of the delicate relationship between Israel and Saudi leadership. All one really has to know is that the rhetoric may be all about those horrible zionists, but the real threat to Saudi leadership is Iran. The mullahs in Iran worry the Saudis far more than Israel. President Obama has tripped over himself every step of the way in the Middle East. He abandoned Mubarak in Egypt, and virtually invited the disastrous Muslim Brotherhood takeover. That was strike one with the Saudis. He simultaneously and repeatedly (and does to this day) reached out to the Iranians in a desperate attempt to change the paradigm. He drew and erased red lines. He refused to accept any responsibility for the disintegration of the gains made during the Arab Spring, even though his hasty withdrawal of all US ground forces created such a huge vacuum that anarchy was the only possible outcome.

In Russia, he was famously caught telling Medvedev that he was sure he could deliver a missile agreement, but he just needed to wait until after the 2012 election. He seriously did not see a threat from Russia. Remember the Romney moment in the first debate? (Click here to refresh your memory!) The President was condescending, and the President was dead wrong.

The President has stood unalterably and immovably by his position that he would withdraw our troops from the Middle East, close down Guantanamo Bay, and engage Russia and Iran. He refuses to accept the fact that the bad guys do not share his Kumbaya (See a top level White House strategy session regarding Russia here ) approach to foreign policy. Is he inept? Maybe. But his approach to domestic and foreign policy has been consistent and unwavering. He refuses to be accountable for any misfortune. If problems occur, they are the result of the incompetence of his predecessor. What is important to understand is that it’s not just politics with him. He actually believes he is not at fault for anything that goes wrong.

So as you look ahead to 2016, it is incumbent upon you to appreciate the fervor with which this administration has been pursuing a deliberate tactic to push the United States into full retreat. The consequences of our diminished standing in the world are manifested around the globe every day. The good news is that the illusion has a sell by date, and we will have an opportunity to put someone in the White House who is not apologetic and who understands that the world is full of bad guys; if we do not stop them, they eventually will kill us. We need an end to illusions. It is time for straight talk.