Great speeches are not all that make up a great president. You can have all the 'ethical idealism' in the world -- and the most charismatic way of communicating this ethical idealism -- but in the end, it is 'the trench work' -- the courage and substance a president shows in backing up all his or her ethical idealism, that will make or break the legacy of a president.
More than this, a president needs to show a certain amount of 'flexibility' in terms of changing -- or at least -- modifying his or her gameplan in the light of changing, particularly emergency, national priorities.
President Obama's medical plan is still an ethical ideal that is worth striving for. I think that an integrative 'public-private' insurance and/or non-insurance system might be the way to go.
The rich can pursue the 'best medical specialists' that they are looking for whatever their medical emergency or urgency may be -- assuming they are willing to pay the 'going rate' for these 'best medical specialists'.
All other Americans ideally should be covered under some sort of affordable 'medical insurance plan' -- either public and/or private -- in such a way, that no person or family is 'left medically unattended' and/or 'bankrupted' by a serious medical emergency.
This, in my opinion, should be the 'ethical ideal', albeit significantly compromised and modified by the speed -- or lack of it -- at which the American Economy can take it there -- and still be 'stable and balanced'. That could take a long time.
A country that is plummeting towards bankruptcy -- if it isn't essentially there already -- is not in a position to totally focus on 'medical insurance ideals' above all else.
For good, bad, or worse,
Economics rules.
I think that when Obama was elected President, the American people were expecting -- or at least hoping -- against all skeptical, cynical 'naysayers' for a President who had the courage and substance to stand up against all 'Narcissistic Corporate-Government Collusions' that were taking significant amounts of money out of the pockets and bank accounts of ordinary middle and lower class Americans. I don't think that this has happened.
From the first two corporate bailouts under President Obama's sole watch, that seemed to follow ominously in the shadow and footprints of what President Bush had done before him, 'red flags' started to go up in the collective American psyche.
The American debt continued to rocket upwards like a solar launch, with no end in sight. Where was the money going to come from to pay for all these bailouts, changes in the medical system, and ongoing wars? Cost cuts? Taxes? No....or at least not immediately.
The money was simply being 'borrowed' and/or 'printed' -- like Monopoly money -- with no 'substance' behind the newly printed money, resulting in the downward spiral of the American dollar...and a downward spiraling global trust factor in the credibility of the American economic system and its international credit rating.
A chance for The Republican Party -- and the newly formed Republican 'Tea Party' -- to regain relevance and voting significance in the minds of the Collective American Psyche.
Obama's ongoing failure to 'plug holes' and make 'shipworthy' the American Economic Titanic were the Republican's Party's opportunity to 're-seize a majority' in The House of Representatives with a revitalized eye on The Presidency again...
How soon the American people are willing to forget past government travesties if there is another more recent President and Government who/which is not sufficiently fulfiling his/its proclaimed ideals...
Every President has a leash and President Obama is at the end of his 'leash' in terms of 'exuberant Government overspending'...
And the Republican majority in The House of Representatives won't let him 'tax' the American people -- rightly so for the most part -- when many American families are fighting for their very economic survival...
Why should the American people be constantly paying for the irresponsible financial overspending of their own government?
How many wars does it take to be involved in to bankrupt a country? I don't know but America may soon find out...
How many billion dollar corporate bailouts does it take to bankrupt a country? What was it -- one under Bush and two under Obama? Or was the second of three consumated by Bush and Obama in 'union' together?
Any way you look at it, it was a bad economic start to President Obama's allegedly 'counter-Establishment' ideals...'Oops there goes another hoped for Shining White Knight...'
In the end, economics rules.
And if President Obama can't get the economics right -- which he hasn't so far -- this will be the last term of his Presidency.
There are only two things that will turn around his Presidential legacy:
1. The American National Debt going down; and,
2. American jobs going up.
Obama had it right at one point...
He needed to take a very long and detailed look...
At the consequences that Global Capitalism and The various 'Free Trade' Agreements have had -- and are continuing to have -- on the American people.
Why keep a large 'American' Manufacturing Compnay in America if the same 'American' Manufacturing Company can moves its whole manufacturing operation to any of various parts of the world and pay a 'pittance' of the labour costs -- to 'non-Americans'?
Perhaps there was a reason why 'tariffs' on particular imported products existed for all but the last 20 years years or so.
Wasn't that Reagan and Mulroney operating in tandem in the 1980s -- who essentially started the destruction of The Manufacturing Industry in North America through the beginning of The Free Trade Agreement?
Most North American civilians back in the 1980s didn't have a clue what the future ramifications of 'The Free Trade Agreement' were (all they knew was that it included the word 'free' and that sounded 'good', not 'bad'). Little did they know where the next 20 years plus would take them. If they had known, The Free Trade Agreement would have never passed into law as it was the beginning of the loss of thousands and thousands of jobs in North America...
If President Obama had been a 'non-conformist, non-Establishment' President, he would have kept hammering away at the 'Deconstruction of The Various Free Trade Agreements' -- which are clearly not in the interest of The American Worker....But when America owes billions (or is it trillions) of dollars to China -- how do you have any economic clout left to veto any 'Free' Trade Agreement with China that is clearly in China's national interest when China could simply call in America's loan -- and America would be bankrupt?
One way or the other, someone, someones, or something, 'silenced' President Obama on confronting The Various Free Trade Agreements. Just like his rousing 'anti-lobbyist' rhetoric during his various campaign speeches disappeared after he was elected.
You can't have a President of The United States of America sounding like a combination of Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King in his campaign speeches -- and then sounding 'just like another elected politician, talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time' once he gets elected. Otherwise, 'character substance' is seen for what it really is -- 'politically manipulated social perception' that doesn't have much more 'substance' than smoke and mirrors.
What else can I say other than...
Money changes everything...including in The White House and in Congress...
-- dgb, August 16th, 2011,
-- David Gordon Bain
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Six Common Sense Reasons For The Current American Economic Crisis
Without being an economist, here are six seemingly common sense reasons why America is spiralling towards bankruptcy (if it is not already there):
1. Printing money that has no 'substance' behind it which only lessens the value of the American dollar and will eventually raise interest rates and taxes;
2. Fighting too many wars in too many different coutnries that obviously America cannot afford. The only ones making money are those in 'The Military-Industrial Complex'. We don't seem to have heeded Dwight Eisenhower's famous farewell address;
3. Global Capitalism and The Various Free Trade Agreements...This has spelled the disasterous demise of North American Manufacturing Industries as large manufacturing companies everywhere in North America have vacated North America for cheaper labour markets in cheaper countries. This may be great for other countries, it may be great -- or simply necessary in order to compete -- for the large North American Corporations that have left, but it is terrible for The North American work force who have been abandoned by the companies that they used to work for;
4. 'Fish-hook' mortgage deals with 'low front end interest rates' and 'high back end interest rates' (same with credit card bank lenders);
5. Successive American governments that don't know how to -- or are unwilling to -- balance a budget. How can you ask the American people to balance their budgets when the American Government is the worst possible role model in this regard;
6. Dare I say Government and Large Corporation Collusion...Worded otherwise, successive governments that pander to America's largest corporations and corporation owners at the expense of the rest of the American people. Even billionare, Warren Buffet, has said as much.
-- -- dgb, Aug. 11th, 2011,
-- David Gordon Bain
................................................
Billionaire Buffett's call to pay more tax
By Ephraim Hardcastle
Last updated at 8:13 AM on 16th August 2011
Why don’t billionaires offer to pay more tax when those on modest incomes are struggling? America’s most famous investor, Warren E. Buffett, 80, says the wealthy in his country are ‘coddled’ by government – as they are here – and ‘billionaires like me should pay more taxes’. Last year, he paid £4.2million in taxes but reveals: ‘What I paid was only 17.4 per cent of my taxable income.’ He adds: ‘If you earn money from a job, your percentage will surely exceed mine – most likely by a lot.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2026456/Warren-Buffets-New-York-Times-article-calls-US-super-rich-pay-tax.html#ixzz1VCGkDgdt
........................................................
1. Printing money that has no 'substance' behind it which only lessens the value of the American dollar and will eventually raise interest rates and taxes;
2. Fighting too many wars in too many different coutnries that obviously America cannot afford. The only ones making money are those in 'The Military-Industrial Complex'. We don't seem to have heeded Dwight Eisenhower's famous farewell address;
3. Global Capitalism and The Various Free Trade Agreements...This has spelled the disasterous demise of North American Manufacturing Industries as large manufacturing companies everywhere in North America have vacated North America for cheaper labour markets in cheaper countries. This may be great for other countries, it may be great -- or simply necessary in order to compete -- for the large North American Corporations that have left, but it is terrible for The North American work force who have been abandoned by the companies that they used to work for;
4. 'Fish-hook' mortgage deals with 'low front end interest rates' and 'high back end interest rates' (same with credit card bank lenders);
5. Successive American governments that don't know how to -- or are unwilling to -- balance a budget. How can you ask the American people to balance their budgets when the American Government is the worst possible role model in this regard;
6. Dare I say Government and Large Corporation Collusion...Worded otherwise, successive governments that pander to America's largest corporations and corporation owners at the expense of the rest of the American people. Even billionare, Warren Buffet, has said as much.
-- -- dgb, Aug. 11th, 2011,
-- David Gordon Bain
................................................
Billionaire Buffett's call to pay more tax
By Ephraim Hardcastle
Last updated at 8:13 AM on 16th August 2011
Why don’t billionaires offer to pay more tax when those on modest incomes are struggling? America’s most famous investor, Warren E. Buffett, 80, says the wealthy in his country are ‘coddled’ by government – as they are here – and ‘billionaires like me should pay more taxes’. Last year, he paid £4.2million in taxes but reveals: ‘What I paid was only 17.4 per cent of my taxable income.’ He adds: ‘If you earn money from a job, your percentage will surely exceed mine – most likely by a lot.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2026456/Warren-Buffets-New-York-Times-article-calls-US-super-rich-pay-tax.html#ixzz1VCGkDgdt
........................................................
My Fellow American...
Hi David
America was built on the principles of equality and basic human rights for all. Recent mosque protests and congressional hearings on American Muslims are all unfortunate examples of a rising tide of fear that lead to intolerance and inequality. This climate of suspicion towards our fellow Americans compromises the great values that our country was founded upon. We've put together a 2 minute film in response that I believe you and the readers of Hegel's Hotel: American Politics...DGB Philosophy-Psychology-Politics... will be interested in sharing, watching, and discussing:
http://myfellowamerican.us
It would be great if you could post or tweet about this video. The site also has many other cool features including the ability to share your own stories and you can even take the "My Fellow American" pledge. If you are able to help, please let me know - I'd love to share your post or tweet with my team. I am here if you have any questions. Thank you so much.
Elizabeth
America was built on the principles of equality and basic human rights for all. Recent mosque protests and congressional hearings on American Muslims are all unfortunate examples of a rising tide of fear that lead to intolerance and inequality. This climate of suspicion towards our fellow Americans compromises the great values that our country was founded upon. We've put together a 2 minute film in response that I believe you and the readers of Hegel's Hotel: American Politics...DGB Philosophy-Psychology-Politics... will be interested in sharing, watching, and discussing:
http://myfellowamerican.us
It would be great if you could post or tweet about this video. The site also has many other cool features including the ability to share your own stories and you can even take the "My Fellow American" pledge. If you are able to help, please let me know - I'd love to share your post or tweet with my team. I am here if you have any questions. Thank you so much.
Elizabeth
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