Obama's Bizaro World

[wmw999 2,588]

And I have a friend whose grandparents put him into an orphanage when his mother was dying (he was 13). He ran away after she died, and ended up putting himself through jr. high and dropping out of 10th grade. Got a bad check charge at 17 that had him in jail for 9 months.

Now he's a company VP, after having had a number of college-educated jobs.

But these are the exceptional people. Really. There are a lot more successes who had good early lives. Are all those kids who go to shitty inner-city schools really stupider?

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[jclalor 12]

In 2006, I came to California in a 1997 Hyundai and a $100 in my pocket. Today, I'm sleeping in that Hyundai.

[airdvr 210]

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1738226211001/insight-into-president-obama-view-business-economy

+1

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Andy9o8 2]

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In 2006, I came to California in a 1997 Hyundai and a $100 in my pocket. Today, I'm sleeping in that Hyundai.

w000t! Is this a great country or what?

[Andy9o8 2]

Those are great success vignettes. The US is also a country where millions of hard-working, well-educated people get laid off in middle age, can't find employment in anything close to their field, are unqualified to perform skilled labor, are deemed over-qualified to work at lower-echelon jobs outside or inside their fields, are too old and cash-depleted to re-tool from scratch, have burned through all their savings, have no health insurance, can neither afford nor qualify for loans to put their own kids thru college, and are inches away from hanging themselves.

[rushmc 23]

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Haven't we discussed this basic topic before; that no man is an island?

Like it takes a villiage?

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 23]

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Yes I get what you are trying to say and in the end those things are part of what is used by successful people.

But that is not his point or context

So, basically, the only thing you think is bizarre is that he acknowledges that the government performs useful services?

You need to re-read the his speech

What is bizarre and sad it he thinks nearly no one can succede without his government

And clearly he is doing his damnedest to make sure that is the case

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[RonD1120 62]

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Those are great success vignettes. The US is also a country where millions of hard-working, well-educated people get laid off in middle age, can't find employment in anything close to their field, are unqualified to perform skilled labor, are deemed over-qualified to work at lower-echelon jobs outside or inside their fields, are too old and cash-depleted to re-tool from scratch, have burned through all their savings, have no health insurance, can neither afford nor qualify for loans to put their own kids thru college, and are inches away from hanging themselves.

Once again we find proof for Darwinian evolution.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[Andy9o8 2]

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Those are great success vignettes. The US is also a country where millions of hard-working, well-educated people get laid off in middle age, can't find employment in anything close to their field, are unqualified to perform skilled labor, are deemed over-qualified to work at lower-echelon jobs outside or inside their fields, are too old and cash-depleted to re-tool from scratch, have burned through all their savings, have no health insurance, can neither afford nor qualify for loans to put their own kids thru college, and are inches away from hanging themselves.

Once again we find proof for Darwinian evolution.

No, I don't think it's solely or even mainly a question of their innate capabilities or personal ingenuity, as your comment suggests. I think it's more that in our society, the formula for success can quickly morph into a formula for disaster.

[RonD1120 62]

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No, I don't think it's solely or even mainly a question of their innate capabilities or personal ingenuity, as your comment suggests. I think it's more that in our society, the formula for success can quickly morph into a formula for disaster.

Just my lame attempt at humor. I've been up in the north GA mountains for over a month. The difference in lifestyles makes everything seem silly down here.

Cheer up, the Republicans are coming to town.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[DanG 1]

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You need to re-read the his speech

What is bizarre and sad it he thinks nearly no one can succede without his government

You need to re-read his speech. That may be what you heard, but it is certainly not what he said.

- Dan G

[rushmc 23]

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You need to re-read the his speech

What is bizarre and sad it he thinks nearly no one can succede without his government

You need to re-read his speech. That may be what you heard, but it is certainly not what he said.

No, it is what he said and what you must be ignoring

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[DanG 1]

Can you point out a single sentence where he says that?

- Dan G

[brenthutch 444]

What is most disturbing is the implication that if no one is responsible for ones success, than no one is responsible for one’s failure. A sentiment that encapsulates the "Occupy" movement.

[rushmc 23]

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Can you point out a single sentence where he says that?

Combine his speech with his actions and plans

Not a big leap at all

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 23]

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What is most disturbing is the implication that if no one is responsible for ones success, than no one is responsible for one’s failure. A sentiment that encapsulates the "Occupy" movement.

and unlimited gov benifits for those who choose not to work and who do not pay ANY fed taxes yet suck the life out of the coffers of government

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[DanG 1]

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Combine his speech with his actions and plans

Not a big leap at all

Ahh, so he didn't really say it, but you've decided (or it was decided for you) that's what he meant.

Why did you insist on telling me to re-read the speech if you knew it wasn't in there?

- Dan G

[rushmc 23]

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Combine his speech with his actions and plans

Not a big leap at all

Ahh, so he didn't really say it, but you've decided (or it was decided for you) that's what he meant.

Why did you insist on telling me to re-read the speech if you knew it wasn't in there?

Your lacking is not my problem

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[DanG 1]

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Your lacking is not my problem

No, your lacking is your problem.

Done here, good day.

- Dan G

[rushmc 23]

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Your lacking is not my problem

No, your lacking is your problem.

Done here, good day.

You were done a while ago

I already knew that

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[quade 4]

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What is bizarre and sad it he thinks nearly no one can succede without his government

He doesn't say "his" government.

And he's right.

Unless you live in a cabin in the (unincorporated and non-blm) woods, make your own weapons, kill your own food, and somehow manage to get rich off of doing that, you absolutely rely on other people in order to make it in this world. Absolutely nobody accomplishes anything in this world without a LOT of help from other people.

There is no such thing as a "self made" millionaire. It's a myth.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[rushmc 23]

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What is bizarre and sad it he thinks nearly no one can succede without his government

He doesn't say "his" government.

And he's right.

Unless you live in a cabin in the (unincorporated and non-blm) woods, make your own weapons, kill your own food, and somehow manage to get rich off of doing that, you absolutely rely on other people in order to make it in this world. Absolutely nobody accomplishes anything in this world without a LOT of help from other people.

There is no such thing as a "self made" millionaire. It's a myth.

Your attitude is exactly where he want him and his government to take us

Very very sad

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[GeorgiaDon 380]

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There is no such thing as a "self made" millionaire. It's a myth.

What are you talking about? Everyone knows Sam Walton became a millionaire by selling products he invented himself, manufactured himself using machines he invented and manufactured himself from iron he mined and smelted himself, and powered by electricity (which he discovered) generated from coal-fired generators (of course, he mined the coal himself and invented/built the generators). He sold his products from a building he built himself, using wood he produced himself from trees he cut down, by himself, and processed into lumber in a sawmill he built himself. He moved his products from the factories to the store in trucks he invented and manufactured himself (he'd already figured out how to mine and smelt the metals, so it was pretty easy for him); the trucks ran on oil he discovered, drilled, and processed into gas all by himself. It goes without saying that the trucks (he drove them all himself) used roads he engineered and paved himself. It wasn't too hard to invent asphalt once he'd figured out the oil thing. People learned of his products because he advertized in newspapers he published himself (after inventing paper and the printing press), on the radio (all that stuff you learned about Marconi? Not true, it was Sam), on television (yep, he invented that too), and on the interwebs (Al Gore? not needed).

So you see, rich people didn't need to take advantage of any of the infrastructure or resources our society provides. They can do it ALL BY THEMSELVES, because they are special (not like us 99%ers).

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[rehmwa 2]

So what should Sam Walton do here?

Should he have paid taxes for roads just like everybody else - I assume he did as he went along?
Are you saying they shut the roads down for everybody but Sam?

I don't really get this line of argument that equates something like welfare with things like public roads and utilities - it seems to be a moot point at best. Petty at worst. But not really productive.

At best, all you guys are saying is - "society exists". OK, I suspect everybody acknowledges that.

I do find that acknowledging a handful of individuals that have success to be much more motivating than giving everyone a medal, or calling anyone that wakes up in the morning a "hero".......YMMV

Just how does having public roads (or purchasing and using in the open market anothers' invention or business like paper and printing) to help enable a guy like Sam to succeed equate to giving welfare and other entitlements to those who didn't invent or create a product. I want to understand the mindset that considers them equivalent.


Why is exploiting the public market successfully than others so much less praiseworthy than those that exploit the government welfare system successfully than others? Who gave back more to the rest of us once it was alll done?

Or is it really just that we can control the second group more than the first? Or is it just ego?


as eloquent (or not, in my case) as we can be here - it still just boils down to the whole "equal results vs equal opportunities" debate. And that's been beat to death.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[weekender 0]

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What is bizarre and sad it he thinks nearly no one can succede without his government

He doesn't say "his" government.

And he's right.

Unless you live in a cabin in the (unincorporated and non-blm) woods, make your own weapons, kill your own food, and somehow manage to get rich off of doing that, you absolutely rely on other people in order to make it in this world. Absolutely nobody accomplishes anything in this world without a LOT of help from other people.

There is no such thing as a "self made" millionaire. It's a myth.

I think you two see things far to extreme. IMO the President was saying you cannot build a business today without the infastructure like roads and highways and the internet. Things brought to you by society or as he likes to point out the gov't. Its pretty true and i feel he is emphasizing this because Romney is painting the picture that gov't hurts and does not aid private business. Which is an extreme point also. they are running for office after all.

as far as self made men being a myth i think you are being way to literal on purpose to help your point. Most reasonably moderate people would feel if you created a new business, not inherit it, you are self made. in my experience that is the most common usage. for example, Donald Trump is not self made but his father, Fred was. one created the other just expanded a business. they are both rich but one is more admired than the other in US society.

"The point is, I'm weird, but I never felt weird."
John Frusciante