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A Further Perspective
Who’s Lazy?
Not all Americans are, and they’re returning home to prove it.
The other day in Honolulu, President Obama told the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that “we” have gotten “a little lazy.” His specific example was that “we” have not been working hard enough to attract foreign investments.
He didn’t suggest that “we” included his administration so, presumably, he meant the whole nation. This fits comments to other audiences recently when he said we seemed to have lost our initiative and, earlier, that we’d gotten a little “soft.” Was he referring to the working men and women of the nation, the unemployed trying to find jobs, or the small, medium and large businesses that are the engine of the economy? If so, he was off-key.
The people these words fit are the louts, layabouts and loose screws who have been inhabiting campgrounds on city streets called “Occupy Wall Street.” Under the guise of exercising their right of free speech, these people have been showing us for weeks now what it looks like when self-discipline, self-reliance and social civility are replaced by a sense of entitlement stoked by resentment (or, in the case of Oakland, goaded by organized anarchists).
Timid and fearful mayors and city councils let these islands of barbarity fester until recent days when the defection, urination, rape, suicide, trash and disregard for the rights of neighbors and local businesses finally become too much. Now, at last, Mayor Bloomberg has had the police uproot the Obamaville in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park and half a dozen other cities across the country have done the same. At last, local ordinances are being enforced. That enforcement will have to continue until the louts begin to peel away. Cold weather will help.
The OWS “movement” has never coalesced around an objective, unless one considers that taking money from productive Americans and giving it to unproductive ones is an objective. What it may be is a portent of the future if we pursue Obama’s apparent goal of creating an ever-larger portion of society dependent upon the government.
One thing the OWS crowd seems to agree on: Problems in our economy are all the fault of greedy somebody-or-others, not the government. This is not incompatible with Obama’s belief that only government is capable of creating jobs and prosperity.
The sympathetic statements about the OWS people by Obama, Pelosi, certain union leaders and other Democrats suggest that they see these urban mobs as emblematic of a large number of Americans; something they can harness in an election through their old friend, the message of class warfare.
Some media commentators have even compared the OWS free-for-alls with the Tea Party Movement. There is no comparison. The Tea Party consisted — and does to this day — of people with the stated goal of reducing government spending and deficits and the size of government. Whether one agrees with these objectives or not, they are clear objectives. Tea Party demonstrations large and small have been orderly, not unruly, and have not broken laws.
What Obama & Co. don’t seem to understand, is that, with the exception of anarchists and thugs, Americans want an orderly society. To the extent possible, they want certainty so they can plan their daily lives and they expect to live within their means. They also have hopes, dreams and ambitions and many like the idea of bettering their lives through initiative and innovation.
Cutting against the downbeat statements of Mr. Obama and Democrat sympathy for the urban mobs is the little noticed news that some American companies are bringing jobs home to America.
Two recent examples: Caterpillar, the world’s largest earth-moving equipment company, has announced plans to move from Japan to the U.S. its production of small construction machinery. This will involve 1,000 jobs. It will build a new plant for this. At the same time, it announced plans to expand production of giant-haul trucks and large bulldozers at two Illinois plants. Meanwhile, Otis Elevators will move production from a plant in Nogales, Mexico to a new one in Florence, South Carolina. This will involve 360 jobs.
Ford and General Electric earlier announced they have been moving some jobs back home that had earlier been sent overseas. Not yet a job tsunami, this movement is nevertheless gaining momentum. It is called “reshoring.”
These initiatives reflect the American spirit. The anything-goes mess that is the OWS movement reflects what happens when you strip away the layers of civilization.
About the Author
Peter Hannaford was closely associated for a number of years with the late President Reagan, beginning in the California Governor’s office. His latest book is Presidential Retreats.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (21) | Leave a comment
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LMajito| 11.17.11 @ 7:24AM
yeah, this posseur that parades around maskerading as a leader, elected by the inept republicans aided with the progressive ca$h and lamestream media talks about being lazy and soft...really...oh that was before his called it quits and left the podium to play golf...
and queen michele was stuffing he face with the local swine telling everybody who's dumb enough to listen to eat veggies instead of flesh...
and remember all of these events happened in asia while he praised the navy corpses...
boy when american society gets duped, it surely does...
Louis Jenkins| 11.17.11 @ 9:18AM
Reshoring? Let's hope so. So far though, it is a drop in the bucket. Those companies can just as easily go back overseas again, depending which way the political wind blows.
DTOM| 11.17.11 @ 12:26PM
We're going to have to re-shore a lot of jobs to overcome GE's recent moves to China. Apparently Cat and Otis are not enough...
VonMisesJr| 11.17.11 @ 9:42AM
Anarchy is the opposite of statism. Anarchy is a positive for Austrian Economics supporters since it removes much of the regulation and interference by government in markets. And anarchy is what the Marxist believe is the utopian goal in their "material productive forces" nonsense.
But make no mistake, this is SOCIALISM.
Mr. Hannaford is spot on with this point. And if you want a nation of OWS, then donate and vote for Obama and the progressives that embrace this movement. Pelosi and several Democrats have praised the OWS movement, and now they own it.
DTOM| 11.17.11 @ 12:34PM
Anarchy is as much the opposite of statism as a fish is the opposite of a bicycle.
The opposite of anarchy is order.
The opposite of statism is self-governance.
Please get your terms in order.
And the belief that government interference in markets is a good thing for consumers is unaware of how much government regulation costs plain old citizens. The reason there are so many lobbyists in Washington is so that they can influence legislation to benefit the lobbyists' employers. There is no other reason.
Government regulation is designed to take your money and give it to their friends. THERE IS NO OTHER REASON.
Adam Smith said it in the The Wealth of Nations in the 1780's, Frederick Bastiat said it in his 1850 pamphlet, "The Law" and countless others have said it. And they are all correct!
Petronius| 11.17.11 @ 11:09AM
Hey B O
You want me to go back to work? Let me keep and spend the money I Earn!!! Being retired with a little investment income, all I have to make is a piddly 3K to wind up with a whopping income tax increase. At that point my taxes would be 44% before I even leave the house. Why bother?
DTOM| 11.17.11 @ 12:41PM
Petronius,
Have you noticed that they all frame the problem of not enough jobs? As though jobs were some kind of commodity one digs up out of the ground? The only way anyone can create jobs is set free the potential for wealth creation which increases the need for production, hence jobs.
This administration hates wealth creation and especially allowing wealth to be kept by its creators.
They are actually battling wealth creation by publicly condemning its creation and condemning its creators. Why do we think OWS big favorite was "Eat the rich?"
Obama and his socialism IS the problem. The only way out is to lose him in 2012 - or impeach him for Fast and Furious, Solyndra, real estate fraud in Chicago, et al.
Petronius| 11.17.11 @ 1:57PM
Don't stop there D
The pharisees view businesses as support groups who's purpose is to care for their employees and collect enough in taxes to pay government bureaucrats twice as much.
And there is another way out. That is to say what will really happen. The private sector economy will collapse under the weight of over taxation and regulatory imposts like so many civilizations in the past. The result will be depression, civil war, and a new dark age of mob terror. As I stated in an earlier post; your property will be limited to what you can maintain through armed force or carry at a dead run.
Judi | 11.17.11 @ 12:01PM
The American Spirit is alive and well, bringing jobs back to our shores is positive, and what I will take away with me today, as I work toward my hopes, dreams, and vision of an orderly society.
Ricco| 11.17.11 @ 12:40PM
The one returning home who have already proven beyond a metaphysical certitude that they are not lazy are the thousands who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To have them lumped in with the "lazy" comment is most disconcerting.
Appleby| 11.17.11 @ 1:03PM
These companies are coming home because the places they are leaving have become anarchic and dangerous. This is also why the Canadian Dollar is not rising and the American Dollar is -- because worldwide the USA is still seen as a safe haven.
Anybody who doesnt understand why has probably never travelled anywhere but Disney World and the Caribbean, and has never lived under actual socialism.
Occam's Tool| 11.17.11 @ 9:10PM
And, dear A, it will stay that way when a Republican (not a Libertarian) gets voted in in 2012.
I hope your life and fortunes are improving, madam. You truly are a Class Act, as my daddy would say.
POST American| 11.17.11 @ 11:16PM
---Ever since the 'social engineers'
(ie EUGENISTS) at the Rockefeller Foundation
and elsewhere decided to 'liberate' women,
decads ago, we've had a society where
BOTH parents are out working, sometimes
2 jobs.
This is, even now, virtually unknown
even in workaholic Japan and Korea.
---THIS IS EUGENICS, pure and simple,
deployed with the long term aim of cultural destruction.
--------------HUAC/ NUREMBERG 2012-------------
Dimitri Aleksandrovich| 11.18.11 @ 8:42AM
I think the OWS crowd has allowed their movement to degenerate into a neo-hippie Berkeley style freak show. With this said I cringe at the bankers being called "productive" Americans. They are thieves and parasites that feed off the blood of working class Americans. The Wall Street types have corrupted our political system and shipped our manufacturing base overseas where workers work for a fraction of an American wage. The big corporations are in bed with the Federal government and they always have been. I think this is what the Tea Party crowd and many in the OWS fail to recognize. Big corporations and big government go hand in hand together. Why else would many American politicians become lobbyists after they leave Capitol Hill. Also many have gotten rich off insider trading which astonishingly is legal for Congress, but not for the average American.
Jacob R| 11.18.11 @ 10:15AM
The biggest problem in this country is that I need more money!
June| 11.18.11 @ 2:18PM
Interesting... most people understand that the word "we" is inclusive of the speaker. Queen Elizabeth certainly did... I must say, "We" are not amused by the serious stretching to grasp straws. This story is nonsense.
Fist of the Fleet| 11.18.11 @ 8:35PM
Lets' see. I work 50 hours a week, (drive time not included) attend school for another 35 to 40. Raise a family and all that it entails, and I'm lazy ?
Richard Baker| 11.18.11 @ 9:10PM
This coming from the Vacationer/Golfer in Chief? Wonder how many days he has one or less meeting/appointment. And people criticized Ike for his playing golf?
Richard Baker| 11.18.11 @ 10:05PM
Fist of the Fleet:
Of course, you're lazy. The Messiah said so. (Attaboy on your efforts, by the way)
POST American| 11.19.11 @ 12:59AM
-------------------BOTTOM LINE-----------------------
--------------HUAC/ Nuremberg 2012-----------------
--1945 ---was a just the start.
-------Tick ---Tick ---Tick ---Tick!