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So the President gave his Labor Day speech and he gave some ideas for what he thinks people need (or want to hear).
I want to highlight a couple of pieces of this "talk." President Obama goes down the standard list of administration "accomplishments" (though many of those "accomplishments" are subject to debate as to how truly effective they are in helping those in need today). But the following just struck me as wrong on a lot of levels.
That’s why we’re making it easier for workers to save for retirement, with new ways of saving their tax refunds and a simpler system for enrolling in retirement plans like 401(k)s. And we’re going to keep up the fight to protect Social Security for generations to come.
[rant]
Mr. President, I am 58 years old. I have been un- or under-employed for six years now. I do not need a "simpler system for enrolling in retirement plans like 401(k)s" nor do I need a "new way of saving my tax refund."
I NEED A FUCKING JOB THAT ALLOWS ME TO PAY MY BILLS.
I NEED A FUCKING JOB THAT WILL CARRY ME UNTIL I AM ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY.
AND I NEED TO KNOW THAT SOCIAL SECURITY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ME, MY SIBLINGS AND COUSINS AND FAMILY OF ALL AGES.
Right now, your Catfood Commission is looking for ways to cut Social Security, not "protect" it. And yes, raising the retirement age is a cut no matter how many ways you may attempt to spin it otherwise.
I’ve had to spend what retirement savings I had in 401(k)s these last few years in order to survive. What I need now is a job and I’ll take care of whatever savings I can from that going forward. But thanks to your bankster friends and catfood commissioners, all I get is words and platitudes, not actions.
So, Mr President, on this Labor Day Weekend of 2010, I hear your words but I’ve seen you parse your words before. At this time, your words do not match your deeds.
I can take care of the savings part on my own as long as you and the banksters don’t blow the economy up again.
But I do need the decent paying job to do this on my own and so far your words are doing nothing for that need for me and millions of other Americans who are un or underemployed today.
Address the issues at hand Mr President, not the issues you wish were at hand.
[/rant]
12 Comments
Sorry, he can’t hear you. He’s spending the holiday leisurely at Camp David. Call him later.
Right. Talk to the hand, leave a message after the beep.
A week or so ago, I got an email saying they wanted me to commit to vote. I wrote back that his administration had better pay attention to the needs of the people and the people need JOBS. Situation is dire, and you want a commitment? pfft.
Shorter Margot: “When Congress votes, so will I.”
When Congress figures out that the voters are angry at everyone in DC, maybe.
Beats taking a two week vacation in Texas, ‘cutting brush’, every two months.
But not by much.
Ironically, it was Hillary Clinton of all people who warned us that Obama’s words were just that: words, with no action whatsoever to back them up, or worse, action that is diametrically opposed to the empty platitudes he spews out. For her efforts, Mrs. Clinton was mocked. I wonder now how many people realize the truth of them.
Unfortunately, Michael, there are still plenty of people out there who are backing Obama right or wrong. I know because many of them are friends and neighbors of mine!
What’s slowly becoming a clear theme is the arrogance of the corporate-political-elites. It reminds me of the Marquis in a Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The Marquis drives his carriage around starving, impoverished Paris at terrific speed and kills and injures children and other pedestrians. He is forced to stop to hear the complaints of the injured and those who are starving. His reply? There are many starving. Do you expect me to help? When confronted about damages his carriage has done, he throws them a gold coin, annoyed that he even has to respond to a complaint. He does not believe the life of the injured party is worthy of the same consideration of his own life. He does not even bother to ask if his victim has a name.
By setting themselves apart from the people whose suffering they deliberately ignore and do not feel responsible for, there is arrogance and cruelty. It is not only an attitude of ‘me-first’ ness, it is also an attitude of ‘me and I, alone’ are important; and, no one else counts as important. How else could they get away with 20% jobless and many without any unemployment benefits available anymore? They rationalize that those who have not are lesser people than they are.
And blaming those who have little helps them to deny more and more their responsibility to the citizens. They really do believe that they are ‘better’ and that they come from the ‘best’ schools and so on. That is the big lie which supports the powerful classes throughout history. It is the only rationalization which allows them to jail someone for stealing food or to strip their assets when they cannot afford their medical bills.
Right you are, mplo.
I have an acquaintance who blindly accepts Dem soundbites and makes no effort to dig for the truth. When I tell them stuff, they imply I must have “some kind” of agenda. As to SS, they think I am “interpreting the facts incorrectly”. This person only looks at sources that promote the party line and what they want to believe. A true ostrich with their head in the sand, no different than the “nuts” they despise.
Another acquaintance knows the details and just doesn’t care. They are still high on Bush hatred. They think it’s perfectly acceptable for Obama to act no different than Bush, because – he’s not Bush!
What happened to the idea of standing by your principles? If it was wrong when Bushco did it, why is it OK when Obamaco does it?
I was told “you just don’t get it, do you? No I don’t.
One is
Yeah, but given her DLC background, I’m convinced she would have been just as bad.
Face it:
The Democratic Party of our parent’s generation (and our own youth) no longer exists. Therefore, we are fucked.
Well said.It’s what I keep say’n.We are doomed…Dems are slowly bleeding us to death while the GOP …well they just hate ordinary Americans & the poor even more.
I realized the truth of them then… but I was outnumbered.
I do think Clinton would have fought harder for a better health care bill… and for one that did not throw women, among others, under the bus.
She also voted against that odious FISA bill. Obama voted for it.