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The Obama Watch
More Calculated Deception
Obama’s empty inaugural address offers nothing but more blind leadership.
(Page 2 of 2)
Obama said, “But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American.” But all of your programs, Mr. Obama, reward no effort, or lack of effort. Instead, throughout your presidency, you have vigorously pursued maximum dependency, with apparent political calculation in mind.
Obama cited the. ringing words of the Declaration of Independence, saying, “That is our generation’s task — to make these words, these rights, these values — of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness — real for every American.” (Emphasis added.) But those who don’t pursue can’t get. That is reality.
Obama conceded, “We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time.” But then he said, “The commitments we make to each other through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security — these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.” Please provide some sophist, Progressive apologist to explain precisely how “they free us to take the risks that make this country great.”
For it is precisely Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security that are inadequate to the needs of our time, that provide increasingly inadequate benefits to the poor and seniors. But you and your Democrats, with your domestic Brezhnev doctrine, refuse to even consider any changes that would modernize these programs and demonstrably make them better, for the poor, seniors, and taxpayers.
Obama proclaimed, “The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition: we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries — we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality …. “
But Obama is precisely ceding to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries and maintain our economic vitality. That technology is oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power. We are not going to power new jobs and new industries and maintain our economic vitality dancing on sunbeams and riding the wind, with energy “industries” that can only survive on corporate welfare.
Finally, Obama’s signature line, much celebrated in the Marxist media, was, “But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.”
But what has changed that means that the free market capitalism at the root of American Dream no longer works? What new challenges exactly is he talking about? And how does government action address those challenges?
But that line should be sufficient to earn the Marxist Obama at least the moniker “collectivist.” But what collective action is Obama talking about? That vague term does not specify an agenda. It evokes the government takeover of everything. Maybe that is the agenda of Obama and the New York Times. Somehow the New York Times expects to be immune from that. Maybe because it is already openly run by Democrat party activists.
About the Author
Peter Ferrara is Director of Entitlement and Budget Policy at the Heartland Institute, General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, and Senior Policy Advisor on Entitlements and Budget Policy at the National Tax Limitation Foundation. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan, and as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States under President George H.W. Bush.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (33) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Peter Ferrara
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http://spectator.org/archives/2013/01/23/more-calculated-deception
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Robbins Mitchell| 1.23.13 @ 6:17AM
In other words all Americans should be equal...but some dirtbag Chicago thugs are more equal than others
Al Adab| 1.23.13 @ 8:33AM
Ask Solzynetzin, all men are equal in the gulag.
TLP| 1.23.13 @ 1:18PM
I see nothing wrong with the WAPO's Headline.
By the time 2016 rolls along, I'm sure that we will have Total Equality.
We'll all have Nothing.
Frank Drackman| 1.23.13 @ 6:43AM
He has a Scheme....
Appleby| 1.23.13 @ 6:49AM
Obama is preaching the same 1968 Sophomore at Berkeley Rhetoric that he has believed since he started "writing" his "autobiographies" many years ago. It was garbage then, and it's garbage now. Those of us who heard it in 1968 knew that, and more people will know that before we crawl to the next election. Once the "rich" have left all the high-tax areas (Rich People Have Options) and there's nobody to "pay his fair share" except the hippie scum, either we will elect people who can fix the problem -- or Gucci Gulch will appoint another Northeastern Liberal and tell us He's Our Only Hope.
Appleby| 1.23.13 @ 6:50AM
Obama is preaching the same 1968 Sophomore at Berkeley Rhetoric that he has believed since he started "writing" his "autobiographies" many years ago. It was garbage then, and it's garbage now. Those of us who heard it in 1968 knew that, and more people will know that before we crawl to the next election. Once the "rich" have left all the high-tax areas (Rich People Have Options) and there's nobody to "pay his fair share" except the hippie scum, either we will elect people who can fix the problem -- or Gucci Gulch will appoint another Northeastern Liberal and tell us He's Our Only Hope.
Appleby| 1.23.13 @ 6:50AM
Sorry for the double post.
TLP| 1.23.13 @ 1:22PM
No big deal.
So, you double posted. Everybody does it.
Stop killing yourself over this.
Dodd2| 1.23.13 @ 8:23AM
That foreigner in the Oval Office gets away with this because so many in the country has been sufficiently dumbed down (thank you public school teachers) that they can't think beyond a reality show.
TLP| 1.23.13 @ 1:25PM
Read Shelby Steele's Book: WHITE GUILT.
That's why he gets away with everything.
None of these Weak, Linguini Spines wants to be called a name.
So much for: Sticks and Stones.
Al Adab| 1.23.13 @ 8:34AM
Infected as our culture is with celebrityitis is it any wonder that our elected officials more closely resemble Kardashians than statesmen?
Pecos Pete| 1.23.13 @ 8:34AM
KingOcare is a'comin down the road. Collectivism at its best. The Village Idiots will be crying when they learn that it isn't free.
Al Adab| 1.23.13 @ 10:58AM
Naah Pete:
As long as they think (the operative word) or are led to believe that someone else is paying the bill, they are OK with it.
TLP| 1.23.13 @ 1:28PM
Have you Milked those Horses, yet?
Pecos Pete| 1.23.13 @ 6:23PM
See comment at: Pecos Pete| 1.23.13 @ 5:50PM on the Mobocracy. Even you have to work some of the time.
Hardcard| 1.23.13 @ 8:35AM
soros-alinsky
Russel| 1.23.13 @ 9:08AM
Bravo Peter , that one is GONE . Finest illustration I've had the displeasure of reading on what an inept , inexperienced ideological boob the ignorant , begging and easily influenced American voters paid for . No other observations on Emperor Zero's disaster are necessary .
Michele San Pietro| 1.23.13 @ 11:02AM
So Obama has allegedly "a sweeping agenda for equality"? In the United States, all people are already equal. Of course, I refer to equality conceived as a starting point, since equality as a final point is an absurdity in my opinion.
RCV| 1.23.13 @ 11:33AM
The "more overtly Marxist New York Times"?
Peter, you have fallen off the right wing cliff of lunacy....
As for the general thrust of the article, it brings to mind with a chuckle the recent New Yorker piece: "Republicans Accuse Obama of Using Presidency to Lead Nation".
Albert Constantine Jr.| 1.23.13 @ 4:51PM
"Republicans Accuse Obama of Using Presidency to Lead Nation off the … cliff"
There, RCV, I used some of your words to make a more accurate statement.
Von Mises Jr| 1.23.13 @ 12:11PM
Great article. Reading of Tocqueville or Mises would provide more insight on Mr. Ferrara's point about reversing the Industrial Revolution.
Nothing has really changed in 225 years or so since the French Revolution began and ended 10 years later in dictatorship after two reigns of terror.
The Petty Bourgeoisie is now small business owners across America. The intellectuals are the same. The Nobles today are Soros and Buffet (who just got much of a $9B bailout in the Sandy Relief package for Insurance Companies), and the Aristocrats are in the Congress and Administration. The culmination of the dream is Obama as Monarch.
Peppermint Tea | 1.23.13 @ 1:36PM
So we can look forward to more riots that mean nothing (OWS), foot shortages, people shot for trying to leave the country, churches ransacked, hyperinflation, new currency, more hyperinflation, a dictator...
...and a musical in 220 years.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 1.23.13 @ 4:56PM
I can imagine the current POTUS singing to himself (or the Press in one of the Karaoke performances he seems to enjoy more than, say, meeting with John Boehner) "♪ ♪♫Master of the (White) House ♪..."
RCV| 1.23.13 @ 2:07PM
Gee, I missed seeing Hillary knitting while those heads of Republicans rolled off into the basket. "Nothing has really changed in 225 years or so since the French Revolution...". Only in your insane little world, Von Mises.
Bandido| 1.23.13 @ 12:50PM
A snakeoil salesman can only make money if the rubes pay. If they don't, he slinks away to a new venue. Blame the rubes if they are stupid enough to buy. And Americans are, hence, Obama.
TLP| 1.23.13 @ 1:31PM
Obviously, you're talking about RCV.
Just replace "Rubes" with Zombies. Or, Lemmings. Or, Cultists.
cicero| 1.23.13 @ 1:56PM
The question is not whether Obama wants to, and is leading the nation. The question is where is he leading it?. The people have spoken, and they have voted for more of the same. Now they will get it. Hopefully, the damage will not be irreparable. The fault lies both with the Democrats who haved shown that they will do and say anything to stay in power, and the Republican who have shown that they will tolerate anything to stay in power. The next two years will tell whether the people will believe anything to maintain their fantasy.
Butch| 1.23.13 @ 3:38PM
Those Republicans clinging to power have power only over other Republicans. They have no power whatever regarding national affairs. They aren't clinging to power, they are putting their "way of life" ahead of ours, the citizens.
Louis Jenkins| 1.23.13 @ 4:04PM
Seeing Obama place his hands on two different Bibles and swearing to defend the Constitution just about made me puke. Isn't it great that our backgrounds will be thoroughly checked over for the least infraction, while Obama's past history will go unchecked. The man is a liar, a cheat, and will never be clean. (Call me a racist if you wish.)
Pecos Pete| 1.23.13 @ 6:24PM
Nope, you ain't racist.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 1.23.13 @ 8:36PM
As a Delawarean, I feel obliged to note that your assessment conflicts with that put forth around 2007 by Biden, who not only described Obama as clean, but also articulate.
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hrgfue | 1.23.13 @ 10:57PM
2013 Happy New Year