There was never any such thing as "change"! Politicians all the same, protect the wealthy
A lot of people are reciting the above these days, and it's a Republican talking point.
Yeah, they'll take some of the hit if they can use it to knock down Obama.
It's actually part of an illogical syllogism, the next step being,
"The Republicans aren't great either, but at least they didn't double the national debt so that taxpayers can give bonuses to crooks!"
Then, "Or bring us fricking socialism! Sure, the war on terror is expensive, but you've gotta admit,
Bush kept us safe." That's where this leads, and you know it.
So when somebody says to you, "I guess this is what 'change' was all about!" and you answer,
"Yeah, I know -- it's horrible!," you are participating in this agitprop. Instead, why not tell them they're Overreaching, and that Obama's doing a good job in really hard cirumstances, whereas McCain would have simply been incompetent and might well have hatched a second Great Depression. Hey, the markets are fluctuating a bit, but they're doing pretty well, considering.
Buck up, eh? :)
On the other hand you can tell them they are right, nothing will change until the citizens demand it. We need real, systemic changes.
March 19, 2009 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
So maybe we differ, that's no biggie. What changes would you like to see (and no, I'm not trying to be provocative, or challenge you).
March 19, 2009 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bush kept us safe
True enough, inasmuch as the "us" here present, of necessity, excludes the three thousand or so who were decidedly not kept safe on 9/11.
I suppose, (to focus on the topic), one welcome change in the midst of the AIG shitstorm, is that at least Prez steps up, where W. weaseled perpetually.
OTOH, the Goldman Sachs Alumni Association simply must find some other place to hold their cigar-stripper-poker parties than the West Wing. These chumps are straight punking Prez, and I weep to see it.
March 19, 2009 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh I am going to like reading your posts!!!
Markets are doing well, considering. Good points.
March 19, 2009 10:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the kind word!
March 20, 2009 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
The argument about socialism is completely false. We've actually been moving away from socialism for decades.
Where this nation once worked in unison and had the rewards of the total effort fairly equitably distributed across the entire societal unit, an ever increasing portion of the total reward has been steadily redirected to a financially elite class of citizens.
This is anti-social in nature but gives rise to the argument of socialism.
The true condition is the inequality of resource distribution requires that resources be reallocated to accommodate the inequality.
March 20, 2009 7:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good comments!
I personally regard the "socialism" line as just a smear, that's all. Something mean-spirited that they like saying.
March 20, 2009 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink