Leadership: A Comparison

Before Reagan, the biggest threat to the Soviet Union occurred on June 22, 1941 when Hitler's 3-million man blitzkrieg crossed into Soviet territory. Stalin had his #2, Molotov, announce the invasion to the public while he disappeared to his dacha.

Having ignored his advisors, his spies and his generals, Stalin failed in his most important responsibility to protect the Soviet people motherland Politburo. Since the non-aggression pact with Hitler in August 1939, Stalin had adopted a policy of appeasement with Germany. Even letting Luftwaffe to conduct reconnaissance flights over Soviet territory. The non-aggression pact was the first - and last - international treaty that the Soviets, and Russians thereafter, ever complied with.

When his advisors found him, Stalin thought they had come to arrest him. Luckily, Stalin's selection of spineless yes-men created a situation where his vacuous leadership was better than any other available option.

Stalin preferred the 'leadership' of setting quotas for citizen executions or relocations to the Gulag. He also applied his quota-setting interests to agriculture and industry, but the only quotas ever met had to do with human liquidation and labor. In the end, Stalin made the wise choice of putting his full faith into Zhukov and his other generals while his opponent micro-managed the German effort. In other words, Stalin was most effective when he removed himself from the most important decisions in dealing with the crisis.

On April 22, 2010 - 40 days ago - the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon off-shore rig caught fire. 11 workers were killed and several thousand barrels of oil have flowed into the Gulf every day since. The state beaches, fishing operations and other economic and environment interests are now threatened in Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

Since the explosion, BP has executed several significant operations in an effort to cap the well. President Obama went on vacation.

Actually, he's gone on vacation twice. 4 golf games. Two fund-raisers. PolitiPage has a full list of his activities during the oil leak.

President Obama prefers the 'leadership' of agitation and redistribution. Solving the oil leak doesn't translate into the defeat of Republicans nor the nationalization of another corporation. Directing military and other government resources to the Gulf on day one would not have advanced the Obama agenda of division and intimidation, but would have instead made Obama a partner in the effort where he would share responsibility. The spin says he's been involved all along. For some, spin is leadership.

A video by those opportunistic Republicans:



Hey - We're not saying ideology translates into leadership ability. We've worked with and for liberals who led with purpose and integrity.

We are saying there are those who retreat from responsibility. Who are leaders of convenience rather than leaders of conscience.

Obama ran on the unquestioned premise that he would be more responsible that Bush. He would be Bush, but 'better'. He ran without a record and 52% of Americans bought it. He has failed at every major initiative and crisis since.

And here we are - making comparisons.

U/T: IOwnTheWorld & Nice Deb.