In 2009, the now infamous private security firm, Blackwater, incongruously renamed itself after the noble gas Xenon. The new name, Xe (pronounced Zee), purportedly signaled a change in scope of the organization away from US-funded massacre of Iraqis to training and logistics. Blackwater’s spokesperson made no mention of the Fallujah incident in it’s press release, stating instead “We’ve taken the company to a place where it is no longer accurately described as Blackwater.” But is it really so simple to rebrand such a tarnished company? Is a name and logo change enough?

Name changes are probably sufficient for companies which do not massacre citizens (with immunity from the Iraqi government to boot). In 2001, Accenture successfully changed its name from Andersen Consulting, thereby avoiding the public’s glare during the Enron accounting scandal. But for organizations guilty of high-crimes against humanity, it takes far more than a new logo to appease the public. It takes a completely new image; it requires a visible deviation from a scandalous past; it takes renewed hope for change; it takes a new spokesperson and a new face.

America’s puppet masters had just such an opportunity in the 2008 Presidential election to rebrand the Executive Branch of government. After 8 years of a Bush/Cheney doctrine, generously described as a domestic policy of crony capitalism combined with a foreign policy of American exceptionalism (antagonism and nation occupation), people had had enough. Even many Americans who had voted for Bush-Cheney recognized that reduced tax payments alone could not justify a destruction of all of America’s founding principles. The puppet masters were losing control. They had to choose the next face of America wisely to avoid demonstrations and other signs of civil unrest.

Fortunately, they had begun to groom just such a leader in 2004. In 2004, a relatively unknown Illinois state senator won a seat in the US Senate and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Despite never initiating  any significant piece of legislation, he was already touted as a future Presidential candidate. After 4 quiet years in the US Senate, pundits were proven right as he galvanized the masses on his way to the US Presidency. Everything this man said rung true. Foreigners revered him. He inspired marches, participation in politics, and motivated a new generation towards volunteerism. He drew comparisons to America’s great orators. He was simultaneously the next Kennedy, FDR, and Lincoln. He conjured up hope to mend race relations, end needless wars, improve foreign relations, and uplift a growing number of Americans struggling to make ends meet.

And then the Presidency began. One by one, Americans began to realize that sound words did not lead to sound action. Here are some of the most disappointing actions of the Executive Branch in 2009:

• After criticizing President Bush for issuing signing statements to bypass the legislative branch of government, the new President issues dozens of signing statements
• Despite guaranteeing health care debates on C-SPAN, the new President makes sweetheart backroom deals with industry leaders and makes final provisions behind closed doors.
• The executive branch refuses to use the justice department to conduct inquiries into US war crimes during the Bush administration.
• The President appoints Wall Street insiders as front-men in the department of Treasury.
• An ex-Goldman Sachs partner, Gary Gensler, is appointed to head The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, virtually guaranteeing no meaningful regulation of derivatives.
• Despite tough talk, the executive branch allows huge bonuses on Wall Street. Banks are allowed to pay back TARP funds early in order to distribute larger bonuses.
• After promising to restrict lobbyists in the White House, the Executive Branch continues to appoint lobbyists to high-level posts, including William Lynn as deputy defense secretary. Lynn was a lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon.
• The executive branch continues to lack accountability for government contractors. The immensely unpopular Bush-Cheney policy of no-bid contracts to friends at organizations such as Halliburton continues.

In truth, the President may have little control over these issues. Puppet masters on Wall Street control the US Treasury while puppet masters at private defense contractors control the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and Pentagon. Large energy producers run the Department of Energy. But, while the secretaries at these major departments are not elected, they must remain accountable to the President. Unfortunately, naive Americans want to believe in their President. His words are smooth and his message is persuasive. Consider this another victory for the puppet masters in America: sometimes a new face is enough to continue the same old policies. Lesson to Blackwater/Xe: the shame’s not in the name, but in the image. Some good advertising should help shake that massacre albatross. If that doesn’t work, just hire the President. The public laps up everything he says.