“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.”
My first thought was that Obama is vastly out of touch with the American people and what has made America great. Now, I will give Obama his due, he is a very good campaigner. Much better than anyone since Bill Clinton, so a gaff of this size is out of character. I decided to read the whole speech, being as the president’s supporters claims he was taken out of context, and draw my own conclusion. I learned, well, actually reaffirmed, many things from this speech. All of them reveal a lot about Obama’s strategy to get re-elected and the character of this man.
“In 2008, I promised to make sure that middle-class taxes didn’t go up. And in fact, because of the recession, you needed some help, so we cut the typical family's income taxes by $3,600. (Applause.) So if you hear somebody say that I'm a big tax guy, just remember $3,600 for the typical family. That’s the tax break you've gotten since I've been in office.”
Two lies for the price of one, right here. Obama did not cut anyone’s taxes. Haven’t you heard the media decrying the evil “Bush Tax Cuts”? Take the word “Bush” out of that and what do you have? You have the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which actually cut the tax rates of every single taxpayer in America. The only thing Obama did was sign a piece of legislation that left those tax rate cuts alone. He gave no one any tax relief. As for the “big tax guy” comment; Obamacare is the single biggest tax increase in the history of this nation. Did you hear me? Single biggest. Ever. But, Bush was evil and caused this whole mess, because he decreased tax rates for everyone, and Obama signed the bill leaving them alone? Moving on.
“And so, just as we came together in the last campaign -- not just Democrats, by the way, but Republicans and independents, because we’re not Democrats or Republicans first, we’re Americans first.”
Later in the speech he says
“Four years later, I'm running to keep middle-class taxes low. So this week, I called on Congress to immediately extend income tax cuts on the first $250,000 of income. Now, what that means is 98 percent of Americans make less than $250,000, so 98 percent of folks would have the certainty and security that your taxes, your income taxes would not go up a dime. “
The first point here is obvious; first he confirms what I just said about the tax rate cuts. The second is a big hint into his philosophy. Part one “we’re American’s first” Part Two he makes a clear division between Americans. That is the overriding theme of the Obama campaign; divide America and bribe them, one segment at a time.
No, it’s not about fixing the economy of closing the deficit. Read my blog “Balancing the Budget the Right Way” from 12/10/11, for a more detailed explanation, but we would have to tax and take away almost every single dollar from the people who make $250,000 or more just to balance the budget for one year!
One year! You can’t take that money again. Only a fool is going to bust his ass to have all his money taken, when he can sit back and have a check given to him.
No, this speech and his policy is about “fairness” and division. Remember this quote when Obama was just a Senator, being interviewed by Charlie Gibson of ABC news on Apr 16, 2008?
Charlie Gibson: And in each instance, when the [capital gains tax] rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased; the government took in more money. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28 percent, the revenues went down. So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected?
Obama: Well, Charlie, what I’ve said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness.
Division is what Obama is after, not unity. He desires to create as many divisions as he can. Not just in economic classes. He has failed abysmally in race relation. His failure to prosecute the New Black Panthers for voter intimidation in Philadelphia, his interjection into both the Trevon Martin case and the Henry Louis Martin case, show not only an inability to mend those fences, but not even a desire.
He says he will no longer prosecute a segment of illegal aliens. He divides Hispanic Americans from the rest of America. He pacifies as many of the “rest” by again claiming fairness. Is it fair that these people are rewarded for breaking the law? I will admit there is an element of compassion in it, but Obama does nothing to stop the continuing problem. No, he perpetuates the problem, setting up the opportunity for even more voters in his debt; both the children he helps and their future amnestied parents.
Next point.
“Here's the problem: If you continue their (above $250,000 in income) tax breaks, that costs a trillion dollars. And since we're trying to bring down our deficit and our debt, if we spend a trillion dollars on tax cuts for them, we're going to have to find that trillion dollars someplace else. That means we're going to have to maybe make student loans more expensive for students. Or we might have to cut back on the services we're providing our brave veterans when they come home. Or we might have to stop investing in basic science and research that keeps us as a leading-edge economy. Or, as they suggested, maybe you would have to turn Medicare into a voucher program”
That “trillion dollar” figure is over ten years. We have a deficit of 1.3 trillion dollars every year. That deficit is of his own creation. GWB left the White House with a deficit of under 500 billion per year, about a third of what it is now.
Then we have more division. Scare the students with the student load part. Obama is deathly worried that those young voters are not interested in him any longer. Their turn out in 2008 to elect the first black president, the man who promised “Hope and Change” was instrumental in his election. Those kids are trying to compete in the workforce four years later, and are telling their younger siblings that maybe another change is in order.
The “Medicare into a voucher” is meant to divide the elderly from the rest of society. Medicare is bleeding money. It is unsustainable and will go broke unless Congress makes some painful changes. It takes a principled politician to say he will make any changes to Medicare as those in that program don’t want it touched. They paid in when they were young, now they want the benefits. Understandable, but the money is running out. It is the cowardly way out to campaign on leaving the status quo. Cowardly, and divisive.
On and on the speech continues, each point he singles out a voter base, and divides it from the rest of America. Each time he makes promises of spending someone else’s money to fix their problem. Then towards the end he gets to the “You didn’t build it” part.
The conclusion I reached? This man thinks that big government is the solution to everything. The government built the roads and bridges. The government gave us the internet. The government gives you teachers.
I don’t think so. The taxpayers, Americans, did all of that. It was their cry for a road, a bridge, or a teacher, that made it happen. It was their dime that paid for it. There intent was to make America better. All America. They believe that government serves the people, not the other way around. But, then it is the politician, epitomized by Barrack Obama, who takes credit for it, and for the hard work that built the small businesses around this nation. So, No, he was not taken out of context. He meant every word, exactly as he said it.
I think his message is clear. Without the government you are nothing.
I’m voting for Romney and against every Obama supporter (Democrat) on the ballot. I’m working to rebuild what he has torn down.