tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post4705787670036154336..comments2023-05-10T04:52:13.662-05:00Comments on American Descent: Obama's "State" of the UnionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-28188513144485835862012-02-01T13:04:53.406-06:002012-02-01T13:04:53.406-06:00Of course he isn't.
Just ask him.
BZOf course he isn't.<br /><br />Just ask him.<br /><br />BZBloviating Zeppelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01359816456769157176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-28058704263442853422012-01-29T09:23:59.863-06:002012-01-29T09:23:59.863-06:00Not only was the auto bailout unnecessary, it was ...Not only was the auto bailout unnecessary, it was criminal--whatever laws were or weren't <i>strictly</i> broken or adhered to. The investors got shafted while the union received partial ownership....<br /><br />Following the 2009 bankruptcy negotiations between Delphi Corporation, General Motors, and the Department of Treasury’s Automotive Task Force, many non-unionized Delphi workers received devastating cuts to their pension plans while unionized retirees were made whole. To date, GM has received more than $70 billion in taxpayer funding to sustain the company. Under the Obama administration, the federal government acquired a 60-percent ownership of GM as a result of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. The United Auto Workers Union received a 17.5 percent ownership in the auto manufacturer. Wicker and Boehner expressed concern that not all Delphi retirees’ pension plans were treated equitably in the GM bankruptcy proceedings and have called on the administration to be more transparent about how pension decisions were made.<br /><br />The auto bailout may be dressed in the letter of legality, but it is criminal through and through beneath the tie of respectability.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08874712703862427318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-46319744627546239572012-01-29T03:21:20.882-06:002012-01-29T03:21:20.882-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Marshal Arthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01054268632726520871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-51498514159068685972012-01-29T03:21:13.370-06:002012-01-29T03:21:13.370-06:00I wonder if Ben can provide details showing us the...I wonder if Ben can provide details showing us the bills authored by Obama, or those to which he affixed his name, that would have reversed or slowed any of the economic decline he claims is the result of right-wing activities. I'm referring of course to his time as US Senator from Illinois, during that two year period after the 2006 mid-terms, wherein he and other Dems took control of Congress and all gov't charts show declines beginning. It wouldn't matter if the bills in question passed, but only which ones supported by him would have made any difference in what he "inherited" when he, damn our misfortune, gained the White House?<br /><br />As to our certain demise before his arrival, I have yet to hear how that would have played out had we not gotten Bush's final bailout plans. Had we allowed market forces to play out the situation unhampered by gov't interference, would we really have gone into a depression? And what the hell have we been in if not some level of economic depression/recession/oppression?<br /><br /><i>"Remember back three years ago when "the Obama government took over the auto industry"? Remember how the conservative party line was that GM wasn't too big to fail?"</i> They WEREN'T. Why were they not allowed to fail and go into bankruptcy where they would have had to restructure the way they are supposed to? Those union buddies needed to be stroked. That's why. It doesn't matter that bankruptcy restructuring has turned around companies before and made them more efficient to boot. The auto bailout was unnecessary.Marshal Arthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01054268632726520871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-66098529825631810692012-01-29T03:20:58.462-06:002012-01-29T03:20:58.462-06:00I wonder if Ben can provide details showing us the...I wonder if Ben can provide details showing us the bills authored by Obama, or those to which he affixed his name, that would have reversed or slowed any of the economic decline he claims is the result of right-wing activities. I'm referring of course to his time as US Senator from Illinois, during that two year period after the 2006 mid-terms, wherein he and other Dems took control of Congress and all gov't charts show declines beginning. It wouldn't matter if the bills in question passed, but only which ones supported by him would have made any difference in what he "inherited" when he, damn our misfortune, gained the White House?<br /><br />As to our certain demise before his arrival, I have yet to hear how that would have played out had we not gotten Bush's final bailout plans. Had we allowed market forces to play out the situation unhampered by gov't interference, would we really have gone into a depression? And what the hell have we been in if not some level of economic depression/recession/oppression?<br /><br /><i>"Remember back three years ago when "the Obama government took over the auto industry"? Remember how the conservative party line was that GM wasn't too big to fail?"</i> They WEREN'T. Why were they not allowed to fail and go into bankruptcy where they would have had to restructure the way they are supposed to? Those union buddies needed to be stroked. That's why. It doesn't matter that bankruptcy restructuring has turned around companies before and made them more efficient to boot. The auto bailout was unnecessary.Marshal Arthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01054268632726520871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-69366066524119966292012-01-26T08:07:05.979-06:002012-01-26T08:07:05.979-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08874712703862427318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-30586400760576213112012-01-25T20:25:05.033-06:002012-01-25T20:25:05.033-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10004209843701697773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-51217623758977512702012-01-24T15:21:03.891-06:002012-01-24T15:21:03.891-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10004209843701697773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-29320849949272436852012-01-24T13:37:17.544-06:002012-01-24T13:37:17.544-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10004209843701697773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-65533823319343802622012-01-24T13:26:47.224-06:002012-01-24T13:26:47.224-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10004209843701697773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-43290511082984304612012-01-24T08:41:00.821-06:002012-01-24T08:41:00.821-06:00Typo: 2nd to last paragraph:
"their not savi...Typo: 2nd to last paragraph:<br /><br /><i>"their not saving"</i><br /><br />'their' should be 'they're'<br /><br />I hate it when I misspell like that.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08874712703862427318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-50840608990292012992012-01-24T08:37:19.507-06:002012-01-24T08:37:19.507-06:00"You don't actually know what socialism a...<i>"You don't actually know what socialism and fascism mean do you?"</i><br /><br />Of course I do, and I didn't use them out of turn; or place, or for good reason for that matter.<br /><br /><br /><i>"Pres. Obama is a middle aged father with two daughters, he worries about America's moral decline as much as you."</i><br /><br />Phooey. Define first just how <i>Obama</i> defines "moral decline." I'll bet it's very different from the mainstream.<br />Furthermore, if you'll take another look, I did <i>italicize</i> "opinion" below the main selection. And your pirate thing? For someone chiding me about context, that paragraph had NO context whatsoever to the post.<br /><br />Paragraphs 4, 5 & 6 of your first comment... your rebuttals of Curl's "facts"? Not so much rebuttals as apologies (and I don't mean the 'I'm sorry' kind... excuses might be a better word, I guess, but I'll stick with 'apologies'. I understand my usage here as well). <br /><br /><i>"Conservatives should be leading the charge to find energy resources that don't leave the Appalachian Mountains looking like Mars."</i><br /><br />Hyperbole. Where are the Democrats? Why aren't THEY leading the charge? Oh, that's right! Lobbyists! <br /><br />The charge Obama is leading, however, is akin to Custer's charge at Little Big Horn. Here (the U.S.) he refuses to allow the Keystone pipeline which would bring ten thousand jobs, minimum, forcing Canada to consider building the pipeline to the Pacific and selling its product to China. Meanwhile he approaches Brazil about helping their country develop the vast stores of oil off <i>THEIR</i> coastline, only to be turned down... they're going to let CHINA do it. <br /><br />The problem with Obama and his environmental base's logic, is the oil is going to be drilled, extracted, etc., no matter what WE do to cut ourselves off at the knees, energy-wise; their not saving the environment one iota. On top of this Obama is going to trot his ignorant self out tonight and tell the nation we need to develop more of our OWN energy sources to become more energy dependent. Surely, there has not been so ignorant, so cynical a president in the history of this ONCE great nation. <br /><br />Four more years of this man will kill America.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08874712703862427318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-13707822613191929072012-01-24T00:14:22.795-06:002012-01-24T00:14:22.795-06:00"If the left wishes to live in a socialist so...<i>"If the left wishes to live in a socialist society they should move to Europe. If they want to make this nation into a fascist society, I say "Fight." And I denounce anyone as a traitor who says government should control every aspect of our lives and economy."</i><br /><br />You don't actually know what socialism and fascism mean do you? They're just epithets you've picked up from the echo-chamber.<br /><br />Over the last 20 years someone convinced all the conservatives that political liberals have some sort of connection to modern culture. <br /><br />Ya'll have somewhere this secret belief that Nacy Pelosi, Barack Obama, & Harry Reid are auditioning young brainless bimbos to choose who the next Snooki, or Paris Hilton or Kardashian sister will be. Then liberal house interns sit up all night in crib sessions writing violent, curse filled rap-songs about how much fun it is to live off food stamps. While progressive grade-school teachers underline words in children's text books to brainwash them into homosexual orgies.<br /><br />In reality politics has nothing to do with these sorts of cultural changes. Politics actually follows these trends. Today's inclusive teachers are only expanding on the ideas that their parents taught them about non-discrimination. Today's gay-rights activists are following the path laid down by the women's rights activists of yours and your parents generation. Did moral progress end with the changes ya'll fought for?<br /><br />When conservatives had a philosophy they could articulate a theory of governance of gradual change, retaining the components of social order that serve to raise up civil society. <br /><br />Today's conservatives have no such philosophy, they only have obstruction. <br /><br />After the nation's second-greatest economic disaster, conservatives still pitch the same political policies (less regulation, concentration of wealth in the top, smaller social safety nets) they did 20-30 years ago. <br /><br />Even as there are fewer and fewer forests, animals, fish, clear streams, and natural oceans, conservatives have not changed their stance on environmental policies. Conservatives should be leading the charge to find energy resources that don't leave the Appalachian Mountains looking like Mars.<br /><br />It should have been conservatives saying, "Manufacturing jobs are the backbone of the American middle class, How can we save those millions of automotive industry workers?" Obstruction of unions was more important to today's party Republicans than actual conservative policy.<br /><br /><br /><br />Pres. Obama is a middle aged father with two daughters, he worries about America's moral decline as much as you.BenT - the Unbelievernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-21781984224624719792012-01-23T23:46:49.633-06:002012-01-23T23:46:49.633-06:00"let’s pause here to take as hard look at the...<i>"let’s pause here to take as hard look at the real state of America, by the numbers, using only cold, hard facts."</i><br /><br />I like that line, it gives the appearance that Mr. Curl is an unbiased logician. phooey! <br /><br />Since the 1800's pirate attacks on the high seas have declined, the global population has gone up though. Without context you might assume that pirate attacks before the 1800's stabilized the earth's population. <br />Facts without context are useless.<br /><br />The first piece of context for all Mr. Curl's "facts" is that when Pres. Obama was elected the nation was beginning the second worst economic collapse in its history. By the time he was inaugurated the recession was a hare's breath from depression. So any economic measure from his date of election will be skewed by the hole that was dug in the first 6 months of 2008.<br /><br />If you look at jobs, the stock indexes, business investment, any economic measure after Pres. Obama's policies began to be enacted, then Pres. Obama's three years tops Pres. Bush's eight years.<br /><br />Remember back three years ago when "the Obama government took over the auto industry"? Remember how the conservative party line was that GM wasn't too big to fail? How's that lookin' now? This last year GM was once again the world's largest auto manufacturer. <br /><br />Conservatives over the last three years have been wrong on every single one of the major economic challenges. Perhaps ya'll are better on foreign policy?<br /><br />Nope.<br /><br />Pres. Obama has produced a tougher sanctions regime on Iran than anything a conservative president has ever accomplished. And the rest of the world supports him. He's strengthened our ties in Indonesia and the South Pacific. He's killed terrorists in Yemen. Wound down our occupation of Iraq and returned our military focus to Afghanistan. And oh yeah...killed Osama bin Laden.<br /><br />If I were president and had done all that, I'd recite list every time I met a Republican Seantor or Representative followed by, "In yo' FACE!"<br /><br />This isn't to say I'm over the moon with Pres. Obama and his administration. I have gripes and complaints about his tenure in the White House, but they are over issues and policies where Pres. Obama chose a more centrist approach.BenT - the Unbelievernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570497968855832694.post-16371773256486583442012-01-23T21:30:29.653-06:002012-01-23T21:30:29.653-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10004209843701697773noreply@blogger.com