The President of the United States is sure to tell Congress tonight that the “state of the union” is improving. He’s done this several times already. But here’s what he will really be saying:
Now here's what I really mean....
My fellow Americans, I believe that our nation must be one with other nations and that we have enjoyed far more success than we are rightfully entitled to. Our exceptionalism has come not as a result of hard work, sacrifice and entrepreneurial initiatives born of God-given freedom and liberty, but rather at the expense of the rest of the world, and it is high time we pay the price. My intention is to transform our nation using the European model of big government and featuring entitlement as the primary mind-set of the people. I will continue to push for “reforms” which create a larger and more vocal entitlement class who know only protest and class warfare as answers for their lot in life, and who have little or no interest in success based on diligence and effort. I will tell Americans that $48,000.00 in debt to each and every child born this day, and a “real numbers” national debt of $202 trillion is a small price to pay for our place in the world, and I will demonize Capitalism as the root of all evil and the free market enterprise as merely a tool of the rich. I will re-write history to convince the impressionable youth of our nation that we are the problem and must suffer for all of our transgressions. I will reach into the classrooms of the youngest of them and use manipulated, inconclusive and false data to make them cry about that which in many cases we are powerless to control. I will tell them there is no God and that if they believe there is, they must keep it to themselves for fear of offending. I will explain inaccurately that Columbus was a murderer and that he brought only disease to the continent, and I will teach them that Communism is just another form of government and not responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of innocent people.
And finally my fellow Americans, I will do all of this under the banner of “hope and change”. I will ostracize and vilify all who oppose me as bigots, racists, homophobes, and out of touch. I will deny the very intent of the Framers and finally wash away all remaining memories of a government “of the people, by the people, for the people…
NOTE: This is merely an attempt to invite the broader debate. But it is also a reminder that to continue down our current path with the proverbial/ideological blinders of either side of the argument firmly affixed, is tantamount to slamming the door in our children’s faces. We need to return to searching for the things which bind us…
It is useless to argue or debate you on this one. There is NOTHING that Obama could ever do to please the far right. Even when he puts forward ideas and proposes policies that THEY THEMSELVES came up with (and he acknowledges it), they are suddenly against those very ideas. If he were to compliment their pretty faces, they would disfigure their own faces just to spite him. There is no changing the minds of “the party of NO” and it makes no sense to try. Obama is bad. He is Muslim. He is a socialist. He is the food stamp president (doesn’t matter that more folks were on food stamps under Bush…..why let facts get in the way? And that the majority of folks on food stamps are WHITE, and most of all, the majority of folks on food stamps have jobs……they are the working poor and need the food stamps to make ends meet because their jobs pay crap). And of course, Obama isn’t a citizen. Right? So Obama sucks and there is no way that I can change your mind. So why bother? You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. I read your blog and although I disagree with most that you write, I am open to at least thinking about your views. Most from the conservative side would not do likewise with a liberal blogger……because we are wrong, Obama sucks, and that’s it.
You are missing the point my friend. I have been at this political game for many years and have spent countless hours in various political settings arguing until I’m blue in the face, ironically less about issues and more about ideology. I have endured as many hours of Bush bashing and “main stream” media bias against the right, so I understand your frustration. But we simply can’t ignore the facts any longer. They are party neutral and oh so daunting. Home values are down by a third nationwide, healthcare costs that were supposed to go down $2000.00 per family have gone up by that amount instead, unemployment is not even being reported accurately and is still at over 8%, and the national debt is over 100% of GDP without even calculating out 10 years.
I am game for the debate brother, but only if it is centered on “sound” solutions and not untested and risky visionary stuff, not now. Our economy is teetering on the brink of total collapse like at no time in our 235 year history, and despite some anemic at best growth the last quarter, remains stagnant and hindered by a lack of overall confidence that this Administration has the first clue about how to fix it.
Sadly we are now in a position, (regardless of who you wish to blame), where lofty and idealistic rhetoric will not get it done. Proven economic “stimulus” methods and models are necessary to at least get us back to the starting line so we may discuss that way forward.
Truth be told Scott, this Conservative looked on Barack Obama when he stepped out on that stage as President Elect, and hoped with everyone else. I hoped that he would see the significance of his Election for what it was. Not necessarily an endorsement of his political ideology, but rather of his promise of “hope and change”. Hope for a better future, and change from the stagnation of business as usual in Washington. Regrettably, he immediately set about doing exactly what he said he would do, and what the 10% folks (Independents) seemed to have missed during the campaign, and we know how that has worked out. The “Affordable” Care act alone Scott, is already off the rails with small business panicked about how they will be able to afford it. Economists are coming out of the woodwork to warn of financial collapse if it is ever fully implemented. How many failed bureaucracies and the trillions associated with them must our children shoulder before we accept that we must balance and qualify the size of our federal government and its role in our lives?
The message of this blog Scott is simply this: Somehow some way, we must find commonality once again. Ideologically driven agendas on both sides simply will not do. I am merely making my case against an equally vitriolic Left to be sure. Clear headed discussions however, about a balanced but aggressive approach to recovery should be the goal if we hope to endure as great nation, and I’m ready whenever you are…
P.S. You would fit right in at one my political free for all’s, and I’m quite sure you would enjoy it…
How does someone compromise with someone who won’t be compromised with. No matter what Obama offers the right, the answer is NO…..no compromising….because they seem to be less against his ideas than they are against him as a person. Like I said, even when he likes and tries to put forth ideas that originated with them, they reject the ideas. So they have absolutely no credibility. I am all about…..and would hope that we as a country….are all about FAIRNESS. Trickle down economics has been proven not to work….so why should Romney pay a lower tax rate than you and me? I agree with Bernie Sanders and with much of what Ron Paul says. Ridiculous wars that we couldn’t afford, lack of regulations on Wall Street, and the wealthy not paying their fair share got us into this economic mess. Our government need only take a look at the Clinton years (with a Republican majority in the House……a group of GOPers who actually COMPROMISED) to see how we get out of this mess……and have a SURPLUS! It really isn’t rocket science. But as long as the GOP caters to the extremist, obstructionist, non-compromising Tea Partiers, nothing will change. There is PLENTY that we can agree on, but unless there is true give and take and not giving POTUS any credit for things that have improved, then there isn’t much to say. I tire of the hypocrisy. When there is a Republican in office, my GOP friends and I agree that no matter what, there has to be respect for the office of POTUS…..even when GWB was lying about WMDs and sending our kids into harm’s way and getting them killed based on bogus info, I STILL had respect for the office. But I don’t see that sentiment reciprocated by my conservative friends. I could give you dozens of examples here, but won’t. Bottom line is this, for me….I want to see fairness, the end of folks being just plain mean-spirited, the end of outright lies (Obama is a Muslim, socialist, non-citizen, etc.) and hypocrisy. Gingrich, a multiple adulterer, could end up being the family values candidate. What a joke. And conservatives are okay with that because “any of the candidates up here are better than Obama.” If that is how they really feel, then there really is no talking to them. There is no common sense. Gingrich has been forgiven by God. Terrific for him. Has he been forgiven by his cancer-stricken first wife who he dumped to be with the second one who had MS…..and then he had an affair for SIX YEARS with the woman who is now his wife…..and when caught, suggested an open marriage. And this is the family values candidate? What a scumbag. You and I could get on much of the same page IF the above items could be rectified…….and let’s NOT fix the economy on the backs of the poor…..not very Christian. If these professed Christians would just ask themselves what Jesus would do and act accordingly, we’d be on the same page.
Now this is more like it Scott. The debate is in full swing and we are both equals. Moving right along…. To suggest that Democrats have the monopoly on compromise is to say the least “funny”, and there will be books written about this President’s head strong and uncompromising style. Manipulation or the ransoming out of the oppositions cause with stipulations that defy the intent of the initiative itself is not compromise but rather political trickery. Admittedly this is a tool of both Parties.
Trickledown economics is always complicated by spending all of that excess cash on unsustainable entitlements. Certainly there is also something to be said for military spending as well. Isn’t this fun?
The real numbers tell us however, that Reagan and Trickledown are the reasons Clinton even had a playing field in the 90’s. And remember that President Clinton suffered a huge defeat in the midterms and was himself forced to the center for fear of becoming a one termer.
I do not disagree that Wall Street must be regulated, but only to a point and never when those regulations become strangulation. I will not comment on Sanders as I have read much on him and must tell you I would not be in the same room with him. I support a flat tax with opt outs for the lowest income earners. This is the simplest and fairest of solutions and gives most everyone a stake in the game. However, I also understand history and what it means to freedom when we foster class warfare. When fully 48% of American wage earners pay no tax at all and therefore have no legitimate argument, I am hard pressed to get on Mitt for his $3,000,000.00 contribution to the cause.
GW saw the same evidence as all of the Democrats who supported the cause initially, Turns out there was in fact the means, plans and material to make WMD’s in Iraq, much of which made its way to Syria, Libya and Iran, and even possibly into the hands of Hezbollah. I didn’t necessarily agree with GW on Iraq, though I still believe the world is better off without that murderer of hundreds of thousands of innocents. But this is a matter for the historians.
On religion Scott, you can read my blog. I agree with much of what that young man is saying. The problem continues to be folks politicizing the issue out of the gate. I am not qualified beyond that analysis to be frank.
I don’t believe the President is a Muslim and I believe the documentation attesting to his birth. Are you not clumping me in with the “birthers” and such? I have written nothing or suggested anything to the contrary as I see this as counterproductive.
Finally, I do believe he is a Socialist. I have read his books and studied his life in great detail, and while he may not put himself in that category, his actions and efforts tell a very different story Scott. President Obama, like me, is ideologically driven to be sure. I do not fault him for his belief systems, however I take umbrage with the way in which he characterizes them.
Come on now, isn’t this fun???