Barack Obama: The World's Most Powerful Person

By Lauri B. Regan

At the end of last year, Forbes Magazine anointed Barack Obama as the most powerful person in the world. In summarizing their reason for choosing Obama, the editors stated, Despite faddish American declinism, the U.S. remains, indisputably, the most powerful nation in the world, with the largest, most innovative economy and the deadliest military. The editors failed to mention that the world's "largest, most innovative economy" has, since Obama entered office, been on a constant downward trajectory, with massive debt incurrences and ever-growing governmental regulation leading to stagnant growth, high unemployment, and further decline. And the article was published prior to Obama initiating his drive to materially weaken the world's "deadliest military" through unparalleled cuts in defense spending, reductions in the armed forces, and a decrease in our nuclear arsenal (not to mention the premature withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and Afghanistan[i]). Accordingly, a cursory look back at Obama's first three years is helpful not only in understanding how Obama chose to wield his authority, but also in looking.... (Read Full Article)