Comparison: George Washington Vs. Barack Obama

1401 Words6 Pages
US History 101/R/1240 Washington V. Obama The office of President of the United States of America is a highly influential and studied profession. The actions of the men who have held this position are a direct reflection of the attitudes and beliefs of a nation of millions of men and women. Some of these men are more highly regarded than others and despite time, many face the same challenges. Presidents George Washington and Barack Obama have left a major impression on the fabric of our society for years to come. For all the progress in humanities, technology, economics, etc; there are many similarities of issues that exist in both of their respective time periods. So much in fact that one could assume that almost nothing has changed.…show more content…
However, many of the problems are the same. Directly after the American Revolution came the problem of how to ease tensions between our new nation and Great Britain. Not only had we fought a war against them, but had also allied ourselves with France. Because of this treaty, we had to fight anyone that France did and they also had tensions with the English. Fearing the possibility of war while the nation was repairing itself, Washington dissolved the treaty between us which naturally angered France. From that time forward Washington did his best to ensure that we did not involve ourselves in needless alliances. Almost in keeping with tradition, the state of foreign affairs is as fragile as it ever was. The main difference of the same problem is now we are intertwined fully in international affairs due to our leadership in the United Nations Security Counsel. Everyday, literally hundreds of nations are constantly struggling for power. Often, they will reach out to the United States for assistance. The issue with that is if we help one nation, it may conflict with our promises to another and put us in a tight spot. We are already at war, and the threat of war with several other nations is a daily threat to our way of life. President Obama, like Washington sends delegates to represent our interest to these nations and work on ways to avoid…show more content…
For George Washington it was necessary to set up a system that could sustain the nation and pay off it's debts. He was forced to make tough and unpopular decisions that at one point had erupted into the Whiskey Rebellion. The power to tax he knew must be applied with care because people are also paying state taxes. Everyone was coming off years of harsh and unfair taxation from the British crown which was one of the main causes of the revolution in the first place. Today, President Obama has to find a way to balance the wants and needs of the people with that of the government. At every turn people on both ends of the financial spectrum are crying foul, especially as changes are being made. The lower classes believe they should not carry most of the burden meanwhile the rich do not want to pay anymore proportionately than they already do. Meanwhile the costs of operating the government and it's programs rises steadily everyday. This causes even more people to question the need for higher taxes when so much is being wasted in their eyes. Meanwhile, the people who need these programs will be left shorthanded and the spirit of our nation could suffer in the long-term. Needless to say this is a highly charged and volatile issue, just as it always has
Open Document