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LWolf

(46,179 posts)
45. Some of that is very good:
Mon Jan 21, 2013, 03:10 PM
Jan 2013

"...a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play."

Will he embrace fair trade based on strong environmental and labor standards?

"For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class."

Will he abandon the neoliberal economic policies that have widened the economic gap and embrace economic policies that will shrink it?

"We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war."

I believe that, anyway. If that's what he believed, he might have taken more decisive action to end the perpetual war on terror sooner.

"We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other – through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great. "

I assume this means that he will embrace fighting for single-payer, not-for-profit health care, which is what is required to make that care actually affordable; that he will never allow SS or medicare or medicaid on the table for cuts or for changes that reduce benefits in anyway, and that he will champion beefing up the protections they offer.

"We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations."

How will we respond? Will we revamp our tax structure to include carbon taxes, and deductions for those that reduce the carbon footprint they leave?

"For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall. "

How does this work in practice? Does it mean that DUers, listening to his urging, will stop calling each other and every non-Democrat names? That he will stand up for, and fight for, principles and ideas that may take many years to become part of policy? Or does it mean that standing on principle is "absolutism," and that we continue to allow our principles to be eroded in the name of "compromise?"

What makes it good, though, is the action he takes. Will he walk the talk, or continue to speak eloquently while walking a neoliberal path?

Some of it is, frankly, the reason why I have never been a fan:

"We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher. But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American."

To me, "outworn programs" is a phrase engineered to continue eroding public education, social security, and other important PUBLIC programs. "Reform our schools" is not even code; after 4 years, his neoliberal policies for privatization and public education destruction are blatant, and the effects have been harmful. "Work harder?" Really? Like we aren't already working harder and harder for less and less? That has the unpleasant taste of conservative bigotry, that those on the bottom rungs of society are there because they chose to be there, because they are too lazy to work hard enough. As a teacher, I've learned that I'm to blame for every social ill, that I "suck," as does the public system I work in, that I'm lazy, and that I need to work more than the 10-12 hours I already put in on a paid 8 hour contract, and that I need to do it for less money. "Means will change" means, to me, more privatization.

"We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom."

This smacks of empire to me. "Our interests" = corporate interests.

All in all a mixed bag. Time will tell how much is sincere, and how much propaganda.












I loved the speech. Pisces Jan 2013 #1
The "takers" part stood out for me Renew Deal Jan 2013 #2
For me, too! panAmerican Jan 2013 #4
I soooo loved the last 2 sentences of this portion you posted. goblue316 Jan 2013 #24
Yes!!!!! tavalon Jan 2013 #94
far as I am concerned, his best speech ever! rurallib Jan 2013 #3
Absolutel brilliant speech Siwsan Jan 2013 #5
music to my ears: kpete Jan 2013 #8
I loved all but the foreshadowing upi402 Jan 2013 #6
He said reduce "health care" costs ecstatic Jan 2013 #14
Exactly, ecstatic.. no need to get Cha Jan 2013 #46
Certainly works for me. Always has. Hekate Jan 2013 #84
Heard the speech before, now I'd like action Myrina Jan 2013 #7
+1 forestpath Jan 2013 #10
Then ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #11
Only Obama can pick a Chief Justice who will prosecute corporate criminals. JDPriestly Jan 2013 #55
The Chief Justices doesn't prosecute cases ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #64
Sorry. I meant to say Attorney General. JDPriestly Jan 2013 #79
I figured that's what you meant ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #80
The evidence is there. JDPriestly Jan 2013 #92
When citizens in Occupy got involved virgo7 Jan 2013 #15
Hush now. tblue Jan 2013 #38
Are you not grasping parallels between today's protests and past (Seneca Falls, Selma, Stonewall? proverbialwisdom Jan 2013 #77
Today's protests? tblue Jan 2013 #87
"Outworn programs"? What does that mean? forestpath Jan 2013 #9
I suspect ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #12
Try reading the ENTIRE quote Glitterati Jan 2013 #18
I did read it. Your condescending defensiveness speaks for itself. forestpath Jan 2013 #19
Not the least bit defensive Glitterati Jan 2013 #23
It's funny how you told another poster this is a day to unite - when you forestpath Jan 2013 #25
What's that old saying...... Glitterati Jan 2013 #26
In other words, you couldn't answer my question so you resort to lame insults. forestpath Jan 2013 #27
There was no question Glitterati Jan 2013 #28
Funny, since you jumped all over me when I asked it. forestpath Jan 2013 #34
Asked and answered Glitterati Jan 2013 #35
All you did was take the opportunity to condescend. Another poster managed to answer me forestpath Jan 2013 #40
Excuse me.......all I did was paste a quote! Glitterati Jan 2013 #42
Oh, please. You posted personally to me in the same message, don't know why you'd deny it. forestpath Jan 2013 #43
Oh, jeeeezzzz! Glitterati Jan 2013 #44
'work harder' 'reach higher' = bootstrap stuff n/t leftstreet Jan 2013 #36
This message was self-deleted by its author Son of Gob Jan 2013 #65
I'm sorry you ran into a nasty exchange when asking your question. Melinda Jan 2013 #32
Well said Melinda, thanks. xtraxritical Jan 2013 #53
Aww, thank you for the affirmation, xtracritical. I appreciate it very much. :-) Melinda Jan 2013 #72
I'm butting in here; but ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #66
You may very well be right. But just think how much more enjoyable DU could be if every question... Melinda Jan 2013 #71
I completely agree ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #73
Very good point! I completely agree. Politicub Jan 2013 #13
not really hfojvt Jan 2013 #16
^^THIS^^ Dawgs Jan 2013 #17
+1 forestpath Jan 2013 #20
This was an inaugural speech Glitterati Jan 2013 #21
that's all well and good hfojvt Jan 2013 #30
We will have to disagree Glitterati Jan 2013 #33
it might have been hfojvt Jan 2013 #39
I thought he made himself very clear Glitterati Jan 2013 #41
yes goblue316 Jan 2013 #31
It was an Inaugural speech, not a State of the Union address. pinto Jan 2013 #29
The 'State of the Union' speech will be next month on February 12th Tx4obama Jan 2013 #49
I am betting that speech will include something hfojvt Jan 2013 #54
Tax cuts for the "middle class" ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #69
no, Keynesian economics involves government spending hfojvt Jan 2013 #74
Okay ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #75
admittedly, it has been almost a quarter century hfojvt Jan 2013 #76
Well ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #78
of course they are stimulative hfojvt Jan 2013 #82
Well ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #86
the difference is about a dimes worth hfojvt Jan 2013 #88
LOL ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #91
you seem to be missing some reading comprehension here hfojvt Jan 2013 #96
Okay. n/t 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2013 #97
Yup RedCappedBandit Jan 2013 #62
Actually the tax code is more progressive Son of Gob Jan 2013 #67
mouth frothing hatred hfojvt Jan 2013 #70
"Work harder"? Brickbat Jan 2013 #22
yeah that phrase stuck out too hfojvt Jan 2013 #37
"Learn more"? Son of Gob Jan 2013 #68
Some of that is very good: LWolf Jan 2013 #45
Whatever the President may want to do he still has this lame obstructionist RepubliCON Congress xtraxritical Jan 2013 #57
Of course. LWolf Jan 2013 #60
Thanks for the transcript. I teared up so many times I missed some of it. SunSeeker Jan 2013 #47
"...Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall..." Tx4obama Jan 2013 #48
I've waited a long time for a speech like this. santamargarita Jan 2013 #50
Yes, Thank you for posting.. absyntheminded Jan 2013 #51
The speech was great adieu Jan 2013 #52
President Obama is still working with an obstructionist Congress. xtraxritical Jan 2013 #58
Yes, I understand adieu Jan 2013 #59
There is no doubt that Obama gives great speeches, MadHound Jan 2013 #56
K&R ismnotwasm Jan 2013 #61
What A Beautiful Mosaic DallasNE Jan 2013 #63
K&R B Calm Jan 2013 #81
And we are loving it Hekate Jan 2013 #83
Spam deleted by cyberswede (MIR Team) sage advice Jan 2013 #85
Let 's get busy! Phentex Jan 2013 #89
It was a great speech. And not the thread to be shitting all over it. Comrade_McKenzie Jan 2013 #90
Wow, we're citizens again! tavalon Jan 2013 #93
It's not a speech that people need Cal Carpenter Jan 2013 #95
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