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Why USA must listen
Published on April 17, 2009 By Bahu Virupaksha In Politics

The recent speech by the President of the USA, Barack Obama, at George Town University has rightly been billed as a "major speech". Without the economy in this state of utter chaos it is quite conceivable that Obama would not have made iot ti the White House and he has the mandate to take stringent steps to kick start the economy. He has stresswed that the regulatory framework had not quite done its job and hence the very institutions that shouls have prevented the sub-prime crisis started behaving as if they could undeerwrite derivative instruments that were worthless as Obama rightly pointed out. The unregulated capitalism of Wall Street has caused greatr pain in Main Street USA and Obama has indicated that there will be no return to the bad days of unregulated autonomy of the financial institutions. The sub-prime crisis that hit the housing market is dragging the whole US economy down annd with it the economy of the rest of the world.

The President has touched the right bases when he repeatedly said that he hears the voices of the people asking for a bailout. Now, Obama, risks being labelled a "tax and spend" liberal if he directly addresses the problem and hence he is being cautious. He has empahsised the fact that the best and the brightest must be involved in making things rather than manage "paper work". His call for an educational reform at the School and university levels will be keenly watched.

What is so charming about the new president is that within 100 days he not only identified the major problems facing the economy but he is in the thick of battle with his shirt sleeves rolled. The measures Obama takes will.be emulated all over the world and hence it is in our collective interest that USA must allow the President to succeed.


Comments (Page 2)
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on Apr 17, 2009

Maybe instead of posting something that came off as a "defense in question" of Obama, perhaps you could have stated something along the lines of "That was wrong of him". This is the reason there are so many argumemts, not debates, about Obama and the way he is doing things. because those who defend him will not except he has made a mistake, an error, a bad choice or move and instead fight back with "but Bush" or "give me a break" or "he didn't do that". Bush was bashed for 8 years for everything from mispelled words on boards he did not make, to his reaction to any kind of news, to his foul-ups when he spoke, to things that at first were said would never work but in the end it did and was still insulted by it. Now Obama is in his seat and everyone expects up to simply believe just because we should and not question anything he does just because it's only been a few months.

1. Or you could insert something that says, "This is how I'm taking what you said, but if..."

2. Oddly enough, I agree. I cannot begin to understand why those people do not find fault. However, isn't it better to take the initiative and debate, instead of arguing? It's all well and good, and easy - to point fingers at the other person. Frankly, bluntly, those people that bashed Bush - they've got the same kind elsewhere. So I agree, the bash Bush buss was stupid, and largely immature (and illogical, stupid, pointless, etc.); however, lets not start the same thing with Obama.

3. Personally, I had issues with things Bush did, but I respected the man. I didn't bash him consistantly, but neither did refrain from criticizing him.

 

I'm a firm believer in your right to express yourself as you see fit, but I also a believe that every action has a reaction and that one should not expect others to stay quiet when ones words were meant to push back.

 

I agree; my favorite quote is one largely attributed to Voltaire and is an epitome of his attitude. It says, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." I'll stand for your right to say what you want; stupid remarks and all, but please, please use at least a little bit of wisdom. lol

 

on Apr 17, 2009

Personally, I had issues with things Bush did, but I respected the man. I didn't bash him consistantly, but neither did refrain from criticizing him.

The same goes for Obama. This is not a bash Obama fest. We are merely pointing out what we believe he is doing wrong but it's a bit frustrating to have people find excuses for these things rather than admit it is wrong or at least point as to why it's not.

The bow for example. Many here claimed it was no big deal, Aisians do it all the time. However Asians do it to "each other" and in many cases those in higher positions do it first. But if it was not a big deal then why did his administartion claim he was not bowing but siply trying to reach down to someone, apparently, much shorter than him? See what I mean? Then there is the promise to keep lobbyist out of his administartion, where is the outdry from those who follow him? then there is the promiss to cut pork spending and he signs the bill breaking this promis. The excuse? It was last years business. Come on, how can that possibly be an excuse?

If those who follow Obama can at least accept he has done many things wrong and broken many promises, then maybe there would be room for working together. But when you have an administartion putting out reports that Conservatives could turn terrorist while at the same time prohibiting the use of words like terrorist to describe those who use terrorist acts to harm us, one has to wonder just how much does this administration want to unite this country. Since when do you insult people as a means to unite with them?

It's one thing to give someone a chance to prove themselves, it's another to see mistake after mistake after mistake and be expected to say nothing about it.

on Apr 17, 2009

The same goes for Obama. This is not a bash Obama fest. We are merely pointing out what we believe he is doing wrong but it's a bit frustrating to have people find excuses for these things rather than admit it is wrong or at least point as to why it's not

 

I agree, comments without substance are worthless.

 

The bow for example. Many here claimed it was no big deal, Aisians do it all the time. However Asians do it to "each other" and in many cases those in higher positions do it first. But if it was not a big deal then why did his administartion claim he was not bowing but siply trying to reach down to someone, apparently, much shorter than him? See what I mean? Then there is the promise to keep lobbyist out of his administartion, where is the outdry from those who follow him? then there is the promiss to cut pork spending and he signs the bill breaking this promis. The excuse? It was last years business. Come on, how can that possibly be an excuse?

 

I would have to say they may have made the case simply because everyone, or damn near everyone, was making such a fuss about it. (Explainations never hurt, though people will believe what they want to believe, along with the help of the media.) Again, that's just a guess on my part. (Not a defense )

Lobbyists are a sticky issue; most don't realize there are more than just the corporate lobbyists, there are those who actually go to DC with our interests in mind. They're more than likely overshadowed and outfunded by the corporate ones, but they're there none-the-less.

I've always felt that Obama promised more than he should have. I would've been more inclined toward him if he had merely said something along the lines of, "Guys, I can make only one promise - that I will work for you and work for you every second I have." That, at least, shows some sort of awareness and understanding on his part of the magnitude of promises and to me shows a maturity. He therein keeps his credibility and integrity to an extent.

How can it be? Easily, very easily. People will believe what they want, despite whatever points are against it. We (humans) are an extremely illogical, and f**ked up people. I'm probably late to the party on realizing that; it's kind of depressing seeing irrational thinking, etc.

 

 

If those who follow Obama can at least accept he has done many things wrong and broken many promises, then maybe there would be room for working together. But when you have an administartion putting out reports that Conservatives could turn terrorist while at the same time prohibiting the use of words like terrorist to describe those who use terrorist acts to harm us, one has to wonder just how much does this administration want to unite this country.

I've no clue how that report got out about the domestic terrorism; still though, why should it be PC? In all seriousness, I question how much control the national government has on state government. There certainly doesn't seem to be a monopoly on stupidity, lol.

 

Since when do you insult people as a means to unite with them?

 

Good point!

 

If those who follow Obama can at least accept he has done many things wrong and broken many promises, then maybe there would be room for working together.

 

Hmm, would you mind clarifying that? I'm intrigued by it and would like to know more of your opinion and what not on it.

 

It's one thing to give someone a chance to prove themselves, it's another to see mistake after mistake after mistake and be expected to say nothing about it

One man's mistake is another man's progress, just as one man's earmark is another's economic stimulus.

 

Pardon my language, but diversity of opinions really can be a bitch, heh.

 

 

---

As someone who wishes to enter into politics, it's unfortunate, but really the reality now days that a candidate ends up - not necessarily do they have to - breaking promises.It's all about the deal making, and a candidate may in one day trade favors to get the highest prioritized thing passed. Blegh, I hate the game, but yet I love the rolling up your sleeves and making change/progress, etc. 

 

~Alderic

 

 

on Apr 17, 2009

You know you're in trouble when China thinks your getting too socialist.

China, for all its faults, is no where near socialist. At least not in the sense the US is heading. There are no government health system, there are no entitlement programs. I'm sure there is graft and corruption, and it might be near the amount that is in the US. If a criminal is caught, he/she can expect harsh punishment for their actions. True you can't vote, but the government is not in your face with their hand out either. Religion could be a problem, due to lack of facilities, I'm not too sure about persecution, but I didn't see any (plenty of Buddhist monks roaming around though). The cities are modern, (with all the problems of modern cities) kids wearing jeans, fast food, neon, and malls. Looks like many places you'd find here. On the surface it's as far from communist as it can be (and I am a die-hard anti-communist whose been to a few nations with this system of government). If I had to compare it, I would say it resembles 1940' or 50"s USA but without elected officials. They have a budget surplus and don;t spend more than they earn. Even home buyers save up for a home or car and pay cash. Maybe on a few issues we should listen.

on Apr 17, 2009

China, for all its faults, is no where near socialist. At least not in the sense the US is heading. There are no government health system, there are no entitlement programs. I'm sure there is graft and corruption, and it might be near the amount that is in the US. If a criminal is caught, he/she can expect harsh punishment for their actions. True you can't vote, but the government is not in your face with their hand out either. Religion could be a problem, due to lack of facilities, I'm not too sure about persecution, but I didn't see any (plenty of Buddhist monks roaming around though). The cities are modern, (with all the problems of modern cities) kids wearing jeans, fast food, neon, and malls. Looks like many places you'd find here. On the surface it's as far from communist as it can be (and I am a die-hard anti-communist whose been to a few nations with this system of government). If I had to compare it, I would say it resembles 1940' or 50"s USA but without elected officials. They have a budget surplus and don;t spend more than they earn. Even home buyers save up for a home or car and pay cash. Maybe on a few issues we should listen.

 

Ha...hahahahah! Of course you wouldn't see it? Why would the government want you to see that? They're going to make sure you get to see all the pretty lights and tourist attractoins. Try being a Falun Gong; you're either dead, missing parts, etc. Or Christian for that matter.

 

Since we're on the topic of persecution and suppresio in China -- Try being Taiwanese, or Tibetan, or from East Turkestan, Uyghuristan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, to an extent Manchuria, even Hong Kong. They're all areas that have people that have tried to establish their own country after oppression. In the case of Tibet, well...I'm not going there. The whole deal pisses me off.

~Alderic

 

on Apr 17, 2009

Politifact is being very generous towards obama... for example, obama said "90% of guns recovered in mexico originate in the US".

Politifact says this is "half true", it claims that 1/3 of the guns recovered in mexico are suspected to be of USA origin, which are then submitted to the american tabaco and firearms beureo, which verifies that 90% of those are indeed from the US and 10% were mistakingly identified as of US origin.

1/3 * 0.9 = 30%. so in reality 30% originate in the US.

I don't see how tripling a figure is "half true", its simply NOT true.

 

Also a lot of the so called "stalled" and "compromises" should be broken compromises... my favorite is baraks promise to go line by line and eliminate earmarks, which he claims to have done in the stimulus bills.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/512/go-line-line-over-earmarks-make-sure-money-being-s/

The most porky bills of us history...

PolitiFact found a handful of projects in the bill that we consider to be earmarks — a program to reimburse Filipino veterans of World War II, money for a power plant in Illinois, among others — but they were small considering the giant size of the bill. Steve Ellis, vice president for Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington group that tracks spending, calls the stimulus bill "largely earmark-free."

Eliminate earmarks means eliminate them, not make them insignificant in amount compared to your other excessive spending (also there were WAYYYYYY more than a "few" earmarks in that porkulus bill, and veteran comp or powerplant construction are both not really earmarks.)

The $410 billion Omnibus bill for 2009. Depending how you count them, there are upwards of 9,000 earmarks in the bill, which is the product of nine appropriations bills that were not passed last fall. The White House says Obama plans to sign the bill later this week after it passes the Senate. Obama's aides have downplayed the significance of the earmarks, saying they came from a budget process that mostly took place before Obama was elected. But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said March 2 that Obama will soon be outlining his policy on handling earmarks.


For now, however, as we assess the "line-by-line" promise, we're faced with two very different approaches. 

On the economic stimulus, Obama took a strong and vocal stand against them and showed what he could do with the power of the bully pulpit. The bill was not earmark-free as he claimed, but it was close. 

The Omnibus, however, is loaded with earmarks. Obama and the White House could have used the bully pulpit to criticize them. But they have not been very critical, nor have they indicated any attempt to go "line by line" through the bill to look for wasteful programs, as Obama pledged during the campaign.

Administration budget chief Peter Orszag said, "We want to just move on. Let's get this bill done, get it into law and move forward."

For now, with those sharply different results, we find this promise deserves a Compromise. But we'll be watching this one and will revisit it later.

That is very generous of them, I would consider a 9000 earmark bill which he does not go line by line over (as he promised) a broken promise.

PS. what last administration? democrats took over congress in 2006, the difference is that now they have a clear majority with ability to pass laws even if a few democrats dissent, and they have a democrat president who would not veto their crap. but no, its bush's fault that obama and his administration are about to pass an even more porked bill than the last.

on Apr 17, 2009

1/3 * 0.9 = 30%. so in reality 30% originate in the US.

It gets even better - only 17% of crimes committed with weapons in Mexico can be confirmed to have involved weapons manufactured in the US.  So nearly half of that 30% (of weapons from the US) are weapons being used to defend people from the 83% of Mexican weapons used in crimes which don't originate in the US.  It doesn't take a college degree to understand that in a poor country like Mexico, inexpensive non-US weapons, which are readily available (legally & otherwise) will represent an overwhelming majority of the weapons in the country.  Why buy an AR-15 when you can have 3 or 4 AK-47's for the same price?

Moral of the story - It's a rare politician who cares about the truth.

on Apr 17, 2009

Ha...hahahahah! Of course you wouldn't see it? Why would the government want you to see that?

As I said (and you chose to ignore), China is far from perfect. I'm aware of Tibet, and would like them to be independent. I'd also like to see Taiwan be recognized as an independent country. I think I have a little more insight on the matter, than your assumed "tourist's insight" reference would infer. Sure I've been there. Got met and married my wife there in fact and experience their bureaucracy first hand. My wife lived there 48 of her 49 years, She went through the Cultural Revolution and work on an "educated youth" farm. Now perhaps you can give your expert opinion on the subject after you provide your qualifiers? Or should I take your lead and assume?

on Apr 18, 2009

I do not want to say anything about the domestic political issues as there seems to be a clear divide. However, on the economy I think Obama is spot on. He wants huge Governmental spending as that is the only known remedy for a recession on a sxcale as grand as this. Unlike, 1929, the USA is off the Gold Standard and the US $ remains the global currency of trade. This being the case the instability in the US financial markets and institutions have a global impact. Secondly, I think many are not giving enough credit to Obama for identifying the problem-lack of regulation-and his crusade for a world finacial reorganisation. His attack on Tax hacvens may not be of very graet significance to US citizens, but every corrupt third world politician has billions stached away in tax havens and in Swiss accounts. I think Obam is reight in going ater tax havens. His attemt to put main street America back in the game by giving tax breaks and college tution grants is extremely creditable. I think some must set aside their partisan points of view and see Obama in the light of what he says and achieves.

on Apr 18, 2009

mmm, so half of those "weapons used in a crime" are used by the victim to protect himself? well we DEFINITELY don't want THAT. [/sarcasm]

 

but thats ok, as long as an authoratative sounding source like politifact (they even have FACT in their title!) says its only "half truth" for him to say that 90% of them come from the us, who are we to argue?

on Apr 18, 2009

I do not want to say anything about the domestic political issues as there seems to be a clear divide. However, on the economy I think Obama is spot on. He wants huge Governmental spending as that is the only known remedy for a recession on a sxcale as grand as this.

Keep in mind he is doing exactly that which Bush was criticized for. People do not want massive spending of money we do not have. This is not the only remedy. Sometimes you have to fall and hurt yourself a bit to get up stronger next time, cushioning every fall will only lead to  making thesame mistakes again.

Secondly, I think many are not giving enough credit to Obama for identifying the problem-lack of regulation-and his crusade for a world finacial reorganisation.

What credit? We all knew what the problem was and the Gov't was the one who caused it. As you weretold before that you ignored or missed it was massive regulation that screwed things up, not lack of it. Fannie May and Freddie Mack were the catalyst for all this and they were Gov't controlled. Can't get more regulated than that.

His attack on Tax hacvens may not be of very graet significance to US citizens, but every corrupt third world politician has billions stached away in tax havens and in Swiss accounts. I think Obam is reight in going ater tax havens.

This I don't mind. People should be able to do what they want with their moneybut they should also pay their taxes and not hide their money to avoid it although I can perfectly understand why. I guessI am a bit divided on this issue.

His attemt to put main street America back in the game by giving tax breaks and college tution grants is extremely creditable.

You can't spend and give tax breaks at the same time. That is something Democrats decried for 8 years. now it's OK for Obama to do it? What will he do, take more taxes from the rich? This is ludicris, you can't not take money from one group and take much more from another. And here I thought we were suppose to be a fair Nation.

on Apr 18, 2009

He wants huge Governmental spending as that is the only known remedy for a recession on a sxcale as grand as this.

Bah, humbug.  There is no evidence to support this statement, none.

on Apr 18, 2009

I think Obam is reight in going ater tax havens

Yeah, maybe he should start with his own cabinet.

on Apr 18, 2009

His attemt to put main street America back in the game by giving tax breaks and college tution grants is extremely creditable

When he turns the country into a third world nation, that $10 to $13 will come in handy. He is generous with our money, I'll give him that. He takes a barrel full and gives us back a cup and we shall all be so grateful that he knows how to spend it better than we can. The people that give nothing, yet receive something really love this path we are heading. Can't wait for all those college students get out of school, find a good job, and start paying 45-50% of their earnings (Federal, State, and local taxes) to keep the un-motivated happy, healthy, and in school. I'm tired of it, but I won't have to put up with it much more. I just hope they remember back to the days of "free money" for everyone was their battle cry, because the invoice will be coming shortly. (BTW I got my degree without any grants (and it turn studied harder than most that had their parents or the government paying their way, or saw it as party time), had to do a scary thing first... w-o-r-k).

I think some must set aside their partisan points of view and see Obama in the light of what he says and achieves.

My "points" aren't partisan, the Republicans made a mess too, triple of the same is not progress. You can love the man, as it appears you do, and still not like his policies.

on Apr 18, 2009

Daiwa

He wants huge Governmental spending as that is the only known remedy for a recession on a sxcale as grand as this.


Bah, humbug.  There is no evidence to support this statement, none.

It was done during the seventies recession, and things were a lot worse IMO. Jobs were scarce with double digit unemployment, New 30 year-fixed mortgages were 15% or higher. People were lucky if they could find a house with a low mortgage that they could assume. Most financial institutions won't allow that today after that little loophole was brought to light then. So let's see, today 8% unemployment and 4.5% mortgage rates, might be bad, but it's not that bad.

And for the folks that say how terrible it is out there, I lost my job in early Feb., Don't feel bad I planned for a rainy day. My bills were paid on time, and my standard of living barely changed. It's called personal responsibility. Didn't need or want a bailout and I'm not near wealthy, even by Obama standards. Oh, I started a new job tis past week. It even pays more than the last one did. I did consider not taking it, as it was nice putting around the house as so many do for a "career". But, someone has got to help fill the multitude of outstretched hands, and doing nothing for too long just isn't my style.

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