I assume that it isn't Obama so much as the whole system is super fault-tolerant such that one person can't change it; even when that one person is the Presiden

I assume that it isn't Obama so much as the whole system is super fault-tolerant such that one person can't change it; even when that one person is the President. There might be a political price to pay for changing it, but President Obama has absolute authority to end programs like this. He chooses not to. Unlike most of hn, I don't really mind, but you shouldn't let him off the hook so easily. The executive powers of the President are substantial, and they're one of the things you should think about when choosing someone to fill the office.