Monday, April 2, 2012

When "On Your Own" Meant Freedom and Liberty

I've been stewing over this Obama speech since last Friday.  Did you see (or hear) this?



In a speech in Vermont, The Great Uniter takes a sharply partisan turn toward Republicans.  He sounds defensive, doesn't he?  Is he worried about something?

This is the part that just slays me:


"You know, if you're out of work, can't find a job, tough luck; you're on your own. If you don't have healthcare, that's your problem; you're on your own. If you're born into poverty, lift yourself up out of your own -- with your own bootstraps, even if you don't have boots; you're on your own," Obama said in remarks before a cheering crowd in Burlington, Vt. "Hey, they believe that's how America has advanced. That's the cramped, narrow conception they have of liberty."
Wow.  Just wow.  Clearly the man has no concept of economics or of what made America great.  We did not become the greatest country in the world by cradle to grave handouts or by massive expansion of the welfare state.  Obamacare alone created yet another massive entitlement system on top of the expansion of food stamps and extensions of unemployment benefits Obama has enacted.

Republicans do not believe "you're on your own."   I'd like to see his research on conservative charitable giving.  Healthcare?  Charity hospitals and clinics abound throughout the United States.

This is the part that got me: the insinuation that if you're born into poverty the only way you can get out is by some government handout.  Think of all the people born into poverty through the decades, since the beginning of America even, who had nothing yet worked hard, studied hard, and found a way to succeed.  THAT'S what makes America great is that the opportunity is there; the grit and determination of the individual to make something of himself makes the difference.

What pride is there in doing nothing but taking government handouts?

Obama mocks the way that America has advanced?  He says we have a "narrow conception...of liberty"?

Liberty is when the government leaves us alone; when it does the job the founders enumerated and no more.

Later in the day Obama said in another speech:

"I hear politicians talking about values in an election year," he said. "Let me tell you about values. Hard work, personal responsibility -- those are values. But looking out for one another, that's a value. The idea we're all in this together, I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper, that's a value."


He is confusing the idea of "looking out for one another" with unconstitutional mandates and government handouts. He's confusing it with cradle to grave handouts and entitlements.  He's confusing it with creating a society dependent on the federal government for its every need and whim while wrecking innovation and small business.   Let churches, neighbors, and families look out for one another.    


If Obama is truly his "brother's keeper," somebody ought to give him the number to his brother's hut in Kenya and maybe he'll leave me alone and let me worry about my own brother.


I agree with him on one thing.  Of the upcoming election, Obama said:


"I think it's going to be a clarifying election about who we are and what we stand for."


He's got that right.

5 comments:

Sarah said...

Ugh. I've been trying to avoid him and politics in general, because it all seems like a joke at this point.

I came to the conclusion the other day - and maybe I'm late to the ballgame - but the majority of us (Democrat/Republican) want the same things in life. Obviously, where we differ is how much and how often we want the government to provide those things. (That's not my conclusion.)

But it's easier for Democrats because they can conveniently leave off the part about government involvement and everyone sees them as saviors and heroes. We can't do that, or we've allowed ourselves to get to the point where we can't do that. They have the upper hand on public relations these days because we choose idiots like Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum to be our spokepeople. And most people in that party who have a voice often do leave that part off, because they know people will respond favorably. I mean, who's going to turn down love and happiness and rainbows for everyone?

I'm not sure I'm being very articulate here, but I finally understand why people say it's easier to be a Democrat. It's especially easy in this day and time.

And happy anniversary!

Kartman said...

I grew up in abject poverty. Unless Obama considers being in the military a government handout I have never taken anything from the gov. I am no longer in poverty so Obama is wrong. It is sad that we have a president who thinks like him.

david7134 said...

This election will be defining. If Obama is able to pull out a win. Then the country will be torn apart as in 1860. One way or another, we will get our country back from these people. I doubt that Mitt and group will change much. But in not doing so, they will set the stage for the fact that our election process is dead and thus the country.

david7134 said...

I was reading some history on the Pacific war, specifically Wake Island. At the start of the war, there were a number of independent contractors on the island building landing strips and related buildings. They interviewed one of the men after the war and he indicated that he was there to save up money and open his own business so that he could get ahead.

I felt bad as I realized that you likely could not do that in our country now.

Anonymous said...

Obama will be reelected. The main stream media will see to that. They will tear Romney to shreds. This is going to be a very ugly election. All we can hope for is for the Republicans to maintain their majority in the House so they can at least put up some kind of resistance to Obama's big government/socialist agenda.