It seems that our new president has gone from a person of hope to a person of fear. I've been listening to him trying to use the bully-pulpit to persuade Republicans to vote for the stimulus, and quite honestly, it is the same old tactics of instilling fear in the American public....boring....
In his speech last night he started with this (highlights mine):
"And that is why the single most important part of this economic recovery and reinvestment plan is the fact that it will save or create up to 4 million jobs, because that's what America needs most right now.
It is absolutely true that we can't depend on government alone to create jobs or economic growth. That is and must be the role of the private sector. But at this particular moment, with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back into life.
It is only government that can break the vicious cycle, where lost jobs lead to people spending less money, which leads to even more layoffs. And breaking that cycle is exactly what the plan that's moving through Congress is designed to do.
When passed, this plan will ensure that Americans who've lost their jobs through no fault of their own can receive greater unemployment benefits and continue their health care coverage."
Then later:"Now, despite all of this, the plan's not perfect. No plan is. I can't tell you for sure that everything in this plan will work exactly as we hoped, but I can tell you with complete confidence that a failure to act will only deepen this crisis, as well as the pain felt by millions of Americans."
One minute "Super Government and Superman" will save 4 million jobs (and I'm not sure where he is getting that number anyway), and the next he's not so sure. But the "fact" is that we are being asked to mortgage our children's and grandchildren's future to pass a stimulus package that our fearless leader is not even sure will work. This doesn't give me a "warm-fuzzy".
16 comments:
Being sure that anything will work is a pretty tall order.
Given the highly networked nature of our social system, the old approach of assuming that each piece is discrete and can be understood by examining its individual properties no longer applies. This obviates not only much of our present empirical knowledge, but the present form of empirical inquiry itself.
That's not to say that we ought to ditch empiricism, but instead that we need to consider what an empirical investigation into network properties would look like. I suspect it will look radically different than idealized science, since organic network topologies involving real people are not easy to replicate in the lab.
Along these general lines, I'm intrigued by John Robb's idea of the systempunkt -- the point in a system where concentrated effort can alter the direction of the system's evolution (or collapse.)
Roger, as I am sure you know, there was a good dose of fear already mixed in with all the talk of hope during the run up to the election also.
It is the #1 way of raising money and getting spending bills passed.
" the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back into life"...
Q: And exactly where are these resources the federal government has?
A: My tax dollars.
You are exactly right Steve. Our money is no longer ours so we are virtually "slaves."
I don't know about anybody else, but I'll be free no matter what my government does. I'd be free working on a chain gang.
Can't scare a man who is truly free.
absolutely true homebrewer
While this may not effect my spiritual, emotional etc. freedom, it will effect everyone's financial freedom down the line. Since I value freedom in general, I care.
Roger, have you figured out any way of approaching it all so as to hang onto that finacial freedom?
Write a few letters to congressmen and tell the truth to those you know, stay out of or pay off debt...other than that, I suspect we are heading toward social democracy with very little say-so in the matter.
Honestly, part of me would love to live off-the-grid on a self-sustaining farm somewhere in the sticks....
That was Roger.
Is it okay for me to call you Sunflower Mama? :)
Roger, there are no politicians I place trust in anymore. It's actually become sickening to me watching the party I used to support acting so fiscally responsible now that they are out of power. They had 14 years with control of Congress and good amount of that time with control of the White House and they spent money like it grew on trees and expanded government to a degree that it had never happened before.
So for me the conservative rhetoric of smaller government and more power to the individual turns out to be an even more difficult illusion for people to see through. It says what people want to hear about responsibility and self governence and behind the curtain does the opposite.
Kent,
I don't think there is any real difference between the two major parties at this point. I agree with your critique of conservatives. I am a registered Republican and got a "survey" from the party. They wanted to know my opinion on the issues. Funny thing was the issues were all the same talking points they just lost on. They still don't get it....and I won't be a registered Republican for long.
The issues are more complex and integral than the worldview most politicians function at. I think there is a "middle way" and perhaps libertarians are closer than any other party I've found.
Call me whatever you want big boy... :-)
Kent,
How about this?
http://www.reason.tv/roughcut/show/690.html
I didn't say I don't care. I've never written or called congressmen or senators in my life until now.
I was responding to Trish re: slavery.
I hope the libertarians have some reasonable candidates getting prepped.
Me too, not just has-been former Republicans, either.
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