Massive bailouts, foreclosed homes, jaw-dropping gas prices, chaos on Wall Street. These are just a few signs of the U.S.'s struggling economy. As America enters the next chapter of its history, what impact will an Obama administration have on our economic future?
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forclosure phil
Part II
In cases of regulation or government bailouts, here is what happens: businesses do not need to be financially sound. This is very much like the kid you knew in school was was small but friends with the bully. That guy would flap his lip endlessly because he knew the bully had his back. Take the bully away, and this guy thinks a little more before he speaks. If a business like a bank knows the government will be there to save them, they can take greater risks and this is exactly what happened with Fanny and Freddy.
But the biggest issue to me is I feel, long ago, we lost our concept of government. It is no longer by the people, for the people as every decision made has underlying motives. Things like campaign contributions, PAC money, lobbyists...not to mention political spin because Lord knows, no one want to be holding the bag. In the video clip above, you can see Democrats arguing with the auditor, saying Fanny and Freddy were financially sound yet listen to them this past fall and they sing a different tune. It wasn't their fault, it was the republicans and deregulation. Find someone else to blame so people won't think it was you and never mind that those senators in the video all got money from Fanny and Freddy.
Everyone is to blame and everyone had their hands in the cookie jar and I have gotten to a point where I don't believe a one of them, republicans or democrats.
So please take a step back and really look at this. It is so easy to blame Bush for the war, for example, when Al Gore virtually guaranteed in 2000 that he would invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam if elected. If Gore had won, we'd be in the exact same place we are now. It doesn't matter who is in office, or what little letter is shown after their names (R or D), its our whole government. I voted for Obama only because I hope and pray he really is someone different. Only time will tell...
GORE'S CAMPAIGN SPEECH TO AIPAC, May, 2000: His own words...
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/Gore.html
"We have made it clear that it is our policy to see Saddam Hussein gone."
"We have used force when necessary, and that has been frequently. And we will not let up in our efforts to free Iraq from Saddam's rule. Should he think of challenging us, I would strongly advise against it. As a senator, I voted for the use of force, as vice president I supported the use of force. If entrusted with the presidency, my resolve will never waiver. Never waiver."
A politician is a politician. Don't blame them as individuals, blame the collective mess that our government has become.
- Pliskin
February 28, 2009 2:51PM
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phil
I do agree that many are to blame. However, it would appear you take the "its the system" approach; which is to say no one is to blame. Therefore, there is no such thing as personal responsibility. Moreover, to point to Al Gore and claim he "would have" done the same thing as Bush in Iraq seems to me a bit of a logical leap. The problems we face is not "the system". The problem is a philosophy that rewards greed and embraces the maintenance of inequality of opportunity.
And lets be honest here. Bush's war had nothing to do with ridding the world of a vicious tyrant, nor did it have anything to do with the now infamous weapons of mass destruction. It had everything to do with no bid contracts, using 9/11 an excuse to invade Iraq and gain control of its oil.
Of course, there is no one to blame because it the "system". Tens of thousands of people have died and no one is to take responsibility. We can only blame the "collective mess" then?
- wanderer
March 1, 2009 6:32AM
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