Comments on: Have No Fear, Big (Spending) Government Will Be Here

By: Atlanta

Atlanta — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:33:47 +0000

The thing is these guys need the country to be in crisis mode because we the people will accept ideas and spending that we would never even consider if we felt comfortable…so In my opinion Obama does not really want the major issues solved until he can pass many of the projects and then they will be ready to declare we are saved.

By: mghorning

mghorning — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:50:10 +0000

I think many of you missed the point, which is this: That if Obama wanted to to fix this problem he woulf say so in a convincing positive way. Which he has not. He encourages me not to spend when I can , he delaying me from closing on a home purchase because I fear to part with cash.

He hasn’t done musch and he hasm’t done much right.

By: swinn

swinn — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:31:11 +0000

So what do you cut? Here are a few suggestions and, I fear, many will be inevitable.
The entire department of energy. The entire department of education. NASA. All support of local mass transit. Social Security will become a pay-as-you-go system – no guaranteed benefits. Same for medicare. Public employee pensions to be reduced by 40-50%. No more troops in Japan, Korea, or Europe. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to immediately end – we go after Bin Laden covertly, which is what we should have done all along. All economic or military support, real or implied, for Taiwan, South Korea, and NATO ends. No fannie or freddie or whoever. No urban redevelopment authorities. No FDIC – you want to invest, you take the risk. Forget farm subsidies, student loans, FHA loans. No more building of convention centers, science centers, football and baseball fields. No welfare. No more prisons – execution or restitution, take your pick – no other punishments – too expensive. You sue in court and lose, then you pay full court costs – same thing if you are sued and you lose. Post Office is terminated. Public schools come to an end – entirely privatized. Rent subsidies, Section 8 – gone. And no more Byrds or Kennedy’s in office – too expensive.

By: swinn

swinn — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:17:06 +0000

If you borrowed a million dollars from me and went out and spent it, you would feel rich. But when the money runs out and you have to pay it back, you will actually be poorer than when you started.
The national debt is approaching $12 trillion. I’ve read estimates that our total indebtedness as a people, government (at all levels), corporate, private, and, yes, entitlements (which are another form of debt) total in the range of $50 trillion. This debt is now due. When the world will no longer lend us anymore because they see the futility in supported the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, it will be over.
Simply put, up to $50 trillion in wealth will have to be given up to pay off our debt. As a nation and as a people, we will have to become $50 trillion poorer. Borrowing more won’t work. Merely cutting back won’t work. Anyone who ever lost their job or a portion of their income knows that you don’t cut back – you have to CUT OUT. More to come.

By: swinn

swinn — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:01:36 +0000

His policies and philosophy about government are totally wrong. When the campaign last year began to turn its emphasis over to the economy, it was obvious that Obama was perhaps a nice guy but didn’t know what he was talking about. Still, the people voted for style over substance. He isn’t even president yet and the lack of substance painfully shows. Ironic how Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who stated a clear and against the grain philosophy, continued to gain support as the campaign went on, and even afterwards.
My only hope is in a comparison to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln didn’t know how to fight a war, but his instincts were right, he learned along the way, and eventually became perhaps our greatest Commander-In-Chief. Obama seems to be willing to listen to other sides, although he is quickly developing an arrogance that may soon become dangerous. Obama just may be willing to throw out the big government BS he learned during his life when he finds out in the very near future that it doesn’t work.
The problem is, can we afford to wait? When FDR said we had nothing to fear but fear itself, he may have used a play on words, but with those words he gave the people hope and got them to believe that their destiny, regardless of how difficult, was still in their hands. Nothing Obama has said or done these few days has been reassuring and the people are becoming more fearful daily. He will have to learn fast and change his philosophy soon or we are in for an unprecedented crisis

By: Nett

Nett — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:12:47 +0000

I agree, CHANGE, HA!
there is not going to be any change unless the idea of using money the government does not have, to create jobs it cannot sustain, is completely forgotten about.

The only government jobs that are worth creating more of are military jobs and intelligence jobs. All the branches of the military as well as the branches of the intelligence services of this country require smart people to do difficult jobs. I think our young people would be served well by being involved in these type of jobs.

I am sick of hearing about lazy students, and stupid Americans.

Not only are we not helped by this perception, but we are hurt by this perception.

To begin to change it we can do all kinds of things, but as long as the President-Elect is committed to creating jobs, why not create a stronger military too, with all the good training that comes with being in the military and bigger intelligence agency’s, with all the good training that comes with those jobs.

By: earle

earle — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:59:34 +0000

I’ve said it more than once,”PE Obama, is all Fluff”! He’s incapsulated himself with the same baggage(Clinton’s past aministration cabinet)that got us in the same mess in the beginning. His speech-writer is fast running out of “orbiting/circling bullet sound-bites” that are coming close to shooting (Obama) him in the foot! The markets need to take their medicine? Simply said,capitalism,and government can’t integrate without jeopardizing the collapse of our Democracy! There’s to much emphasis put on the “Great Depression”, and his latest “Scare Tactic Speech” ,premised on the parallels of Paulson/Bush financial doomsday rhetoric,are unwarranted! This daily/ continuous barage of unnecesarily alarmist undertones is uncharacteristic of a true leader? I truly believe, he’s only a four years president,…?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:54:24 +0000

Easy solution – Give the money back TO THE PEOPLE IN THERE PAYCHECKS!!! Give a 1 or a 2 year Federal Tax holiday! Enough giving OUR tax dollars to the Corporate criminals.

By: Andy K

Andy K — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:31:58 +0000

Just to add, remember any quick recovery will only be a bandaid on and amputated limb. It took 20 plus years to get here, it will take a long time to get back if that is even possible now

By: Andy K

Andy K — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:28:14 +0000

Oh the humanity. Thats a statement on the footage of the hindiburge when it blew up in NYC while landing. Well folks, Oh the humanity. We are watching the explosion of everything we know and believe. We have heard every excuse in the world why things are the way they are except for the real reasons. Corporate greed, lousy leadership on both sides, the belief that we are owed a certain way of living, Illegal immigration ( Which is a bigger problem I think than anyone will admit). While its hard sometimes to find certain items made in the USA, Just take time and look. When you buy something even if it cost more look for the MADE IN USA tag. That is the first step we need to take. Less wallmart and more mom and pop shops is a good indicator of the the right direction.