This is in response to Leonard Hoy, “The failure of America” (March 14).

Apparently, President Obama is (solely) responsible for diminishing America’s “greatness and common purpose.” Two fallacies there: That a President has that kind of power and that there was a “common purpose” when Obama came to office.

Let’s take a look.

Before 2008, the U.S. was ranked 37th in health care provision, had the highest health care costs in the world, and, other than South Africa, was the only developed country in the world that did not provide health care for all of its citizens, despite its wealth. Is that our common purpose? Our greatness?

Despite imperfections, the Affordable Care Act is a step toward doing something.

Perhaps the failure to move with a common purpose has more to do with current obstructionists in the government. Their main goal seems to be to criticize everything the president and others try to get accomplished, while never coming up with any real solutions; i.e., they do nothing.

They hide behind “limited government is what we need” (was it social welfare that drained the economy or lack of banking regulations?)

The real fallacy is that politicians with conservative agendas claim to represent the “common person.” Do billionaires support conservative candidates because their interests are with the “common person?”

Current “conservative” politicians largely are trying to do two things — blame all ills on “liberalism,” and co-opt the “common person” — as if they represent the common interest (and not the wealthy).

Jeff Christiansen, Gorham

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