Mahir Ali’s article, “Autumn of Obama’s tenure,” (July 29) was an interesting read, though it fell short of expectations.

Why Barack Obama, the president of arguably the most important country on earth, for instance, be seen in light of his mere achievements and failures? Will we ever quest for a statesman in a politician?

Barack Obama, or for that matter, any head of state, should be seen in his role as a leader, giving some meaning to the life of a common man, working for peace, bringing about any marked change in the polluted environment — climate or otherwise — of the world.

Obama on this count has miserably failed. He got swayed by the populist urge for gay’s laws, but failed to ban the gun culture in his country; he didn’t restrain Israel, but created another monster, much to the surprise and consternation of US allies in the region; he was attentive on health care, but apathetic to the rising racial discriminations; he killed few militants in drone attack but more civilians in “collateral damage”; he takes credit for killing Osama Bin Laden, but shies away from taking Boko Haram and Daesh head on.

Will the earth be in any better shape once he leaves his oval-shaped office 18 months later? If no, then it is time we begin assessing how much the US, and the world in general, has lost in his eight years of presidential terms.