"Not since the Civil War has the United States been so politically divided."

By Lawrence Sellin

From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe and Asia...could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide. --Abraham Lincoln

In a manner reminiscent of a pubescent potentate, President Barack Obama appears to be both disengaged and autocratic as he recklessly attempts to implement his catastrophic domestic programs and a feckless foreign policy.

The maniacal pursuit of goals so at odds with the country's values and traditions, or even its survival, can only be attributed to a flawed character and an uncompromising devotion to a demonstrably unworkable leftist ideology.

Obama, who often mistakes himself for a messiah, displays many of the characteristics of a narcissist: expecting constant praise and admiration; has a grandiose sense of self-importance; expecting others to go along with his ideas and plans; lacking empathy and taking advantage of others to achieve his own ends; regularly shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes; exaggerating his achievements or talents; thin-skinned, being easily hurt and rejected.

Narcissists are frequently detached from reality, emotionally distant from others and have a deficit of self-awareness.

It is not surprising then, that Obama, who oversees the most incompetent, unaccountable and secretive administration in US history, would have the audacity to lecture African leaders (U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit, August 6, 2014) on good governance, accountability and transparency:

"And so the good news -- and we heard this in the summit -- is that more and more countries are recognizing that in the absence of good governance, in the absence of accountability and transparency, that's not only going to have an effect domestically on the legitimacy of a government, it's going to have an effect on economic development and growth. "

In contrast to previous presidents, virtually everyone, who has played an important role in the life of Barack Obama, loathes all that the United States represents, e.g. Frank Marshall Davis, Khalid Abdullah Tariq al-Mansour, Bill Ayers, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, George Soros and Michelle Obama.

Obama's politics are ideologically-driven and, like all members of the far left, are not motivated by compassion for the suffering, but by hatred of the successful. He is the poster child of the "you didn't build that" mentality, reaching high office, not through his own achievements, but through Affirmative Action and the assistance of fellow travelers.

Modern liberals like Obama have "weaponized" altruism, that is, the belief that people should sacrifice themselves for others has been transformed into the belief that people should be forced to sacrifice themselves for others. Or, to state it more simply, liberals believe in doing good with other people's money.

Because liberalism cannot appeal to human virtues like responsibility, ambition and hard work, it must instead to appeal to human weaknesses like guilt and envy and must eventually resort to deceit and coercion in order to accomplish their objectives.

The damage to America being wrought by Obama is not a question of either incompetence or intent, but a combination of both.

Obama's worst instincts are amplified by a fawning, uncritical media and a collection of equally inexperienced, immature far-left subordinates, whose "the ends justify the means" mindset permits them to tell any lie, violate any law and even indifferently risk lives as long as it serves their political objectives.

For example, the Obama Administration not only facilitated the present underage illegal immigrant crisis on our southern border through the June 2012 deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) executive order, but the children are now being irresponsibly used by the administration as political human shields to force Republican capitulation on amnesty.

Not since the Civil War has the United States been so politically divided.

Unlike then, when the political divisions were a natural consequence of differing opinions over slavery and states' rights; the Obama Administration appears to have a deliberate policy to divide the country along race, ethnic, class and gender lines and undermine the nation's economy and national security.

The challenges facing the country cannot be addressed effectively as long as Obama remains in the White House because he is intellectually and emotionally incapable of making the right decisions for America.

Abraham Lincoln prevented national suicide. Barack Obama seems to desire it.

Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. is a retired colonel with 29 years of service in the US Army Reserve and a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq. Colonel Sellin is the author of "Restoring the Republic: Arguments for a Second American Revolution ". He receives email at lawrence.sellin@gmail.com.