In regards to Obama's big speech on big government spending, Reason is a bit skeptical about the following statement from our President-Elect: Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy—where a lack of spending leads to lost jobs which leads to even less spending; where an inability to lend and borrow stops growth and leads to even less credit.To parlay this crass intervention, progressive blogger John Amato writes at Crooks and Liars that the era of the "anti-government" mantra is over:
Good government is crucial in restoring this country to prosperity and as we have all witnessed, conservatism has indeed unleashed its destructive influence over every part of our society.Sorry to not run with open arms into the "pro-government" aura there, Mr. Amato, but the last 30 years have seen the federal government turn our once great inner cities into war zones through misguided policies, run up an obscene national debt plus $50 Trillion in unfunded future entitlements, and scandal after scandal of politicians in the highest ranks of government. Can you blame the skeptics or the majority of Americans who think the federal government is doing a rotten job at managing and leading our nation? Is there any reason to believe that subsidizing the "zombie" banks by printing more money is going to work? Obama might talk a lot about "change", but the 111th Congress that decides on how money is spent is already off to a pretty shaky start. $3.5M in taxpayer money to celebrate St Augustine, FL 450th birthday might be a part of this economic stimulus. And, if it's not on the President's desk Jan. 21st, "More Dreams Will Be Deferred and Denied" according to our savior.
-Famine
5 comments:
sir, there is a difference in the KIND of goverment that obama is calling for. it will be the kind that actually regulates industry according to safety standards, so that coal miners don't die for the sake of profit. it will be the kind that regulates the market to keep housing prices from being artificially inflated so that more mortgages can be written. it will be the kind that holds the right people accountable for the collapse of an industry.
i know it's not what you're used to, so i understand your skepticism in allowing GOOD government to work, since we've had such a miserable failure of an economic policy for the past 8 years.
i'm sure you're sick of hearing this, but he can't be ANY worse than what we've had. no way.
Cath, you may very well be on to something. A GOOD government could do it, but do you really believe that ONE guy makes that happen? Judging by the numbers in congress that are incumbents, I doubt a new pres is is the straw that breaks the camels back. I would like to believe it, but Santa isn't real either, I have to buy my kids toys myself.
BTW, I'm sure the economic policies of the last 8 years are solely to blame and teh current state, which really isn't THAT bad(ask your parents or grandparents), has nothing to do with anything that is happening on a global scale, paying for two wars with no increase in taxes or war bonds, and several natural disasters (hurricanes, wildfires, flooding), just to name a few. Besides the fact that people have been screaming recession long before we were actually in one. Eventually the fear sets in and we are experiencing that right now.
cath- I'm not sure where you're going with the gov't that actually regulates industry. Our industries are significantly better regulated now than they ever have. Having worked in the timber industry the best form of regulation was always the cost of insurance. I didn't need the gov't to come impose any more regulations, we were already significantly over-regulated. Safety was determined some by OSHA regs, which it is in mining, but if you can't keep workmans compensation insurance you don't get to work anyway. Be around for the first spot insurance inspection, you'll see things change faster than the gov't slapping another reg on you.
And, the artificially inflated housing market is due mainly to the policies of our previous Democratic president, and the economic policies of our current President weren't that bad until the last year.
Subrookie hit the nail on its proverbial head with his response to Cath...good job 'rookie!
subrookie, the mine safety and health administration is its own entity in the federal govt. and it's bosses, who are there to ensure the safety of the WORKERS, are in many cases, former coal mining executives, no conflict there. ever since que creek and the sago mine tragedy, the industry has had to buckle down. hence the lower fatality rate this past year. but in the face of that, mines are closing after being forced to pay fines and comply with the safety regs. i contend that had they been forced to comply all along, for real, not just on paper, many lives would have been spared. that is the kind of regulation of industry, i feel we need.
and i don't know about you, but workers' compensation insurance in this sate is worth a big pile of shit if the employer decides to deny your claim.
and ogd, it has to start somewhere, and yes, one person can create a change.
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