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Dissonance Among Liberals

24 June 2010 14 Comments

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

There is a current of dissonance among Liberals these days, with a seeming penchant to believe that as President, Obama can solve all problems with a flourish of anger and attitude. This is the Obama who promised change and hope to believe in. And this is the same Obama who was ascribed the term “Messiah” by Conservatives with pluck during the presidential campaign. Now dissonance rises even within the ranks of Liberals who seem to have lost perspective and have adopted a penchant for that old canard: instant gratification.

Within the first eighteen months of his presidency, Obama shepherded in health care against a recalcitrant Congress. This is the Obama who prevented our nation from crashing headlong into an economic depression. Now there is a gushing oil well and many believe that it could just be fixed if only, if only Obama were more angry and more bold. Pundits from the Left such as Rachel Maddow, suggested last week that Obama should just dictate energy legislation through a submissive Congress that does not exist in an unparalleled universe.

Some Democrats go so far as to suggest that the President has not been ambitious enough about deficit spending. They posture that he should have pushed last year’s recovery act over a trillion dollars, the result of which would the have kept the economy stuck in a stalled gear. They clamor for a second major stimulus which would have us reeling for decades. They do this without realizing how much risk was taken on the first stimulus package, given the military budget and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A New Deal! A Great Society! These are chants from history past, not politics present. There is a saying that the man does not make the Office; the Office makes the man. Washington has happened to Obama, and the up-shot is that a balance must be struck. There must be a lurch toward conservative spending without the loss of social ideology. Only a true Messiah could pull that off.

—cher

14 Comments »

Carpetbagger said:

At his inauguration, I heard it said that perhaps only Abraham Lincoln and FDR faced tougher presidencies on Day 1 than Obama did. And things have only grown more challenging since then.

It seems nearly impossible for him to thread the needle of what’s expected, what’s prudent, and what’s possible. I find myself a little disappointed that he has gone in the opposite direction of his campaign promises regarding Guantanamo, extreme rendition, and scaling back on the wars.

However, I still thank my lucky stars everyday that we are not talking about the missteps of President McCain.

# 24 June 2010 at 12:51 pm

admin (author) said:

Carpetbagger,
It is true that this must have been the most difficult presidency to assume in recent years. I am thankful too that it is not a McCain presidency. I suppose there will always be disappointments with any president. Even JFK had many detractors, as did Reagan at various points in his terms.

# 24 June 2010 at 1:00 pm

bluzdude said:

It’s easy to clamor for things to happen right away… and it’s usually people far removed from the messy details that are doing all the clamoring. Unfortunately our “fast food” attitudes do not translate to politics, economics or real problem-solving.

Then there are the people that will not be happy no matter what Obama does. (ie the ones that yell for less government, then complain he hasn’t pushed BP hard enough to clean up the oil spill. (I’m looking at you, Jindal.)

# 24 June 2010 at 4:31 pm

admin (author) said:

Bluzdude,
You are so right all the way down the line. Can you hear us, Jindal?

# 24 June 2010 at 5:05 pm

KAK said:

That Carpetbagger is right on. Every time I say or write Obama’s name a “the poor man” escapes under my breath. the poor man.

“They clamor for a second major stimulus which would have us reeling for decades. They do this without realizing how much risk was taken on the first stimulus package, given the military budget and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”……..Cher, second stimulus or not, we will be reeling for decades, Bush hurt us bad. We are in a catch 22, we are damned with and without a second stimulus so the decision should be easy, all I have to say is think of the country’s children. Think of the crime to come, think of starving and freezing people; many old people live under electric blankets winters, many a family will too and think of those without a place to plug an electric blanket in. The decision on a second stimulus can only go one way, we are supposed to be a first rate country.

The American working class is the bulk of the “consumer” responsible for 70% of the demand for goods and services.This being said, where is the consumer demand going to come from? Our investor class will sit on their dollars and make interest on the national debt, every $10,000 dollars of Treasuries cost the tax payer $400, we the tax payer are subsidizing the rich to sit on their money. We cannot ask people to freeze and starve for this. Sales on yachts are up 30% this year so far, that tells a story. The first stimulus went to the banks. What did we get for this? Bigger banks, bigger salaries and bigger bonouses. Many an economist and activist was screaming when this was allowed to happen, the country should have been screaming. Now the deficit hawks take their turn and scream, F#*^ them, they ruined our era of prosperity in a frenzy to advance up the millionaire-billionaire chain, out doing the Vanderbilts. Yes, we can handle no more deficit spending, but we must, at least for the kids, we must.

Yes it is a time for cutbacks in government, cut all departments so many percent, cut people, supplies, waste, corporate welfare and the time has come to make severe military cut backs; the empire is DEAD. Gates is being herralded as a cut back man for the pentagon. Do you know how much has been cut back? The cut back he is taking his three pats on the head for are a 1% increase in military spending, congradulations Mr Gates.

In the last thirty years the rich have done well for themselves, it is time for them to thank us, tax the living shit out of them to cover the damage they have done and supported through their lobbies to our sell out politicians. Remember they are driving the deficit up through their purchases of Treasury notes and they do not give a damn. The Federal Reserve is giving out almost free money and they are taking it! People have to survive and because of them we are in this boat where the middle class is floundering, not the poor, the middle class. Death is creeping to the door of the poor, maby this winter. Depression lasts 7 to 10 years, realize it has not begun yet, no stimulus is a guarantee of 7 to 10 years of hell for too many people to let this happen to. To hell with reacting from emotions, for god’s sake react with a conscience. Yes Republicans are right, deficit spending is bad but for the sake of getting this economy moving again it is an evil with a higher pourpose; economic rules change in times of depression. Realize we paid off the huge deficit from WWII in 5 years, because growth will not reach those rates for a long time it will take longer out into the future now. Reality is, a reality that most sense but do not want to fully accept and admit to, that life in these United States will be different from here on.(I will quit now before I have to slam my fingers in a door and break them so I can sleep)

Prayers for Obama!

# 24 June 2010 at 9:45 pm

admin (author) said:

KAK,
I truly hope we are not headed for a Depression, inflation maybe, but not a Depression. It is true that the recovery will take years. Your conclusion that growth will be slow is accurate, I’m sure.

# 24 June 2010 at 11:54 pm

KAK said:

Most of the economists I am reading are in agreement, we will see moderate inflation(no hyperinflation) followed by deflationary depression……My original blog was shut down at almost 150 posts, why I do not know, I think my harasser had something to do with it. When I started four years ago, I thought that I was reading too much doom and gloom, I watched the people that were calling for this calamity and saw the results and have since watched many more come out of the wood work. They have convinced me, the writing is on the wall if you look for it. I was always very political, since reading “Burry My Heart at Wounded Knee” in highschool, 6′ x 10′ of book cases are full, mostly political; now my primary reading is mostly economics. I had 6 Economics courses at the University of Scranton(highly rated Jusuit College) as well as business and marketing. ……There is too much depression talk out there for it to be a low likelyhood, explained from a wide range of angles. …………………..I do not know if you are familiar with Thom Hartmann, I listen every day, 3 hrs(why I am up so late too often)..WCPT 3-6PM….KRXA 11 PM-2AM,most nights….I urge all to catch the wisdom and intellect of Tom Hartmann. Some people have gotten back and thanked me for the Hartmann connection.

# 25 June 2010 at 12:55 am

admin (author) said:

KAK,
I have heard of Hartmann but have not listened as yet. I’ll have to get it a try.

# 25 June 2010 at 1:23 am

Judie said:

I am so very disheartened by what is going on in Washington right now! The Hatfields and the McCoys are embroiled in an ungodly battle on a daily basis, and it is getting sillier and sillier! I shudder to think what McCain would be doing right now if he had been elected! Obama inherited two wars, one of which was incredibly obscene under the circumstances, involving Bush’s desire to try to out-do his daddy, and the other, which may have been already over had it not been for Iraq.

The huge financial scandals, and now BP’s greed have done incredible harm to our country, not to mention the rest of the world!

I am afraid for my children, and my grandchildren.

# 25 June 2010 at 5:24 pm

admin (author) said:

Judie,
“The Hatfields and McCoys.” What a great analogy. Your statements are spot-on. We all need to be worried about the impact on future generations.

# 25 June 2010 at 6:01 pm

Judie said:

What can I say? I’m from the southeast.

# 25 June 2010 at 9:10 pm

admin (author) said:

Judie,
I hear ya!

# 26 June 2010 at 12:34 am

Harrison said:

“Washington has happened to Obama”? He was IN Washington making deals before he ever ran for office and his advisers are well connected as well.

Mr. Smith doesn’t exist, but nothing “happened” to Obama except consequences from his numerous promises coming home to roost when he couldn’t deliver on them. In short, “reality” happened to Obama.

# 27 June 2010 at 12:55 pm

admin (author) said:

Harrison,
Unless you are the person at the top, I do not believe one is ever fully prepared for the inside playing that goes on and how deeply it runs. I beg to differ with you that Obama has not ‘delivered.’ Health care reform has been needed for many years. Now we have it. We did not tumble into a fiscal abyss of a Depression brought about by W and his errant ways, because Obama stopped it from happening. Harrison, it’s only been 18 months and Obama has already helped to clean up a spill on the floor of Congress. Perfect? No, but better than the alternative your Party offered.

# 27 June 2010 at 2:36 pm