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Obama's speech in Osawatomie, KS

I was waiting for someone to start a thread based on the President's Osawatomie, KS speech and center their entire argument on this one paragraph from same:

Now, it’s a simple theory. And we have to admit, it’s one that speaks to our rugged individualism and our healthy skepticism of too much government. That’s in America’s DNA. And that theory fits well on a bumper sticker. But here’s the problem: It doesn’t work. It has never worked. It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression. It’s not what led to the incredible postwar booms of the ‘50s and ‘60s. And it didn’t work when we tried it during the last decade.
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First of all, that's NOT the actual quote from his speech. Here's how that paragraph actually reads:

It’s a simple theory – one that speaks to our rugged individualism and healthy skepticism of too much government. It fits well on a bumper sticker. Here’s the problem: It doesn’t work. It’s never worked. It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression. It’s not what led to the incredible post-war boom of the 50s and 60s. And it didn’t work when we tried it during the last decade.
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(Note: The link to the speech is broken at WhiteHouse.gov, but I managed to find the entire speech here.)

Second, what the President was contrasting in his remarks (purposely misquoted I might add) is the attitude many pundits have that we as a nation are somehow better off fending for ourselves than working collectively for the good of the nation. Hence, the reference to individualism. Here's exactly what he said leading up to and including the correctly quoted paragraphs from his speech:

In 1910, Teddy Roosevelt came here, to Osawatomie, and laid out his vision for what he called a New Nationalism. “Our country,” he said, “…means nothing unless it means the triumph of a real democracy…of an economic system under which each man shall be guaranteed the opportunity to show the best that there is in him.”

For this, Roosevelt was called a radical, a socialist, even a communist. But today, we are a richer nation and a stronger democracy because of what he fought for in his last campaign: an eight hour work day and a minimum wage for women; insurance for the unemployed, the elderly, and those with disabilities; political reform and a progressive income tax.

Today, over one hundred years later, our economy has gone through another transformation. Over the last few decades, huge advances in technology have allowed businesses to do more with less, and made it easier for them to set up shop and hire workers anywhere in the world. And many of you know firsthand the painful disruptions this has caused for a lot of Americans.

Factories where people thought they would retire suddenly picked up and went overseas, where the workers were cheaper. Steel mills that needed 1,000 employees are now able to do the same work with 100, so that layoffs were too often permanent, not just a temporary part of the business cycle. These changes didn’t just affect blue-collar workers. If you were a bank teller or a phone operator or a travel agent, you saw many in your profession replaced by ATMs or the internet. Today, even higher-skilled jobs like accountants and middle management can be outsourced to countries like China and India. And if you’re someone whose job can be done cheaper by a computer or someone in another country, you don’t have a lot of leverage with your employer when it comes to asking for better wages and benefits – especially since fewer Americans today are part of a union.

Now, just as there was in Teddy Roosevelt’s time, there’s been a certain crowd in Washington for the last few decades who respond to this economic challenge with the same old tune. “The market will take care of everything,” they tell us. If only we cut more regulations and cut more taxes – especially for the wealthy – our economy will grow stronger. Sure, there will be winners and losers. But if the winners do really well, jobs and prosperity will eventually trickle down to everyone else. And even if prosperity doesn’t trickle down, they argue, that’s the price of liberty.

It’s a simple theory – one that speaks to our rugged individualism and healthy skepticism of too much government. It fits well on a bumper sticker. Here’s the problem: It doesn’t work. It’s never worked. It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression. It’s not what led to the incredible post-war boom of the 50s and 60s. And it didn’t work when we tried it during the last decade.
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So, what the President was referring to when he said, "It doesn't work...It never worked," was the idea that "the market will take care of everything" and everybody would share in properity for all under the theory of trickle-down economics. Curious...how's that working for the country these days?

Of course, Rush Limbaugh had to get his jabs in, but he, too, purposefully misquoted the President. Here's a portion of the transcript from Rush's show today where he speaks about the speech:

...the president of the United States said that while a limited government that preserves free markets speaks to our rugged individualism as Americans, such a system doesn't work and has never worked. The president of the United States said that the United States of America, as founded, "has never worked." Stop and think of that. Ponder that for a moment. The president. Not the head of the SEIU. Not the chairman of some congressional committee. Not a Democrat presidential hopeful. The elected president of the United States said in Osawatomie, Kansas, trying to be Teddy Roosevelt, that the United States of America has never worked. That is a quote, "has never worked."
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Talk about totally distorting and purposefully misquoting a person! My goodness!! But those who hang on Rush Limbaugh's every word will surely drink the partisan kool-aide...:roll: And just so people no longer misunderstand what the President was saying going strictly by what Rush wrongfully quoted, the President DID NOT blame the wealthy for our economic woes nor did he blame corporations nor the free market system. He blamed "crony capitalism" and politicians who are in the back pockets of powerful lobbyest who have used their power and influence to shape our laws and tax policies to the will of corporate interest, as well as the wealthiest among us. But don't take my word for it. Read the President's speech.
 
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Krhazy said:
One of the themes he has picked is that this attitude that everyone is on their own is not good for the country, especially in a recession. He's not saying that individuals have no worth or that their decisions, by and large, shouldn't be respected. He's saying that society working together is a good thing too. Conservatives have lost their sense of compassion and it is going to hurt them in the long run, IMO.
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the problem is too many liberals think sharing is great as long as the libs are taking from others. when it comes to anteing up the libs tend to not be so keen on that
 
Objective Voice said:
So, what the President was referring to when he said, "It doesn't work...It never worked," was the idea that "the market will take care of everything" and everybody would share in properity for all under the theory of trickle-down economics. Curious...how's that working for the country these days?
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well, the last time we really tried it was in 1921. You could make an argument for 1987, but a less thorough one. How'd those recessions turn out? better, or worse than our current massive keynesian experiment?
 
cpwill said:
well, the last time we really tried it was in 1921. You could make an argument for 1987, but a less thorough one. How'd those recessions turn out? better, or worse than our current massive keynesian experiment?
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Um, I think the last time we tried it was between 2001 and 2007. In case you forgot -- it didn't work out so well.
 
AdamT said:
Um, I think the last time we tried it was between 2001 and 2007. In case you forgot -- it didn't work out so well.
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And keynesian economics is bailing us out of that one just like it did after the 1929 Republican laissez faire debacle.
 
AdamT said:
Um, I think the last time we tried it was between 2001 and 2007. In case you forgot -- it didn't work out so well.
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:lamo


you think the Bush Administration was lasseiz faire? :lamo
 
poweRob said:
And keynesian economics is bailing us out of that one just like it did after the 1929 Republican laissez faire debacle.
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actually his dates are kind of funny :) because it was 2001 and 2008 when Bush put major Keynesian economic policies into play, in 2001 to get us out of the tech bubble, and in 2008 to avoid a market crash.

how did that work out, anywho?
 
cpwill said:
actually his dates are kind of funny :) because it was 2001 and 2008 when Bush put major Keynesian economic policies into play, in 2001 to get us out of the tech bubble, and in 2008 to avoid a market crash.

how did that work out, anywho?
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Can you list some of those Keynesian policies that Bush put into effect?
 
Viktyr Korimir said:
That's the problem with President Obama. He always says all the right things, and then he doesn't do the right things.

Big difference between President Obama and President Roosevelt is that in addition to taxes and programs and regulations, President Roosevelt believed in America.
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so very true... Obama believes in Socialism... His speech yesterday was truly frightening for our country.
 
AdamT said:
Can you list some of those Keynesian policies that Bush put into effect?
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:shrug: the easiest things that come to mind are the tax credit give away attempts to "stimulate the economy by putting money in people's pockets". this payroll tax thingy that Obama is pushing us to renew now? Bush tried it twice, and it didn't work for him any better than it worked in 2011 for Obama. Then there was the massive move to prop up losers and try desperately to keep the bubble inflated. what was the way he put it? "I abandoned free market principles to "save" the free market" :roll:

:lol: remember when Bush was telling us how all the models told him he had to spend 2% of GDP in order to "prime the pump" :roll: then Obama came in and argued you needed to spend almost 4x as much to save us... and now swears we just need to spend more. which, it seems, is always the answer.
 
Medleyrelay said:
so very true... Obama believes in Socialism... His speech yesterday was truly frightening for our country.
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:D well, depending on how tightly he wants to tie himself to TR, it seems he believes in Nationalist Socialism :D
 
Isn't it interesting how so many progressives love the Republican Theodore Roosevelt? Why is that?
 
He was a Progressive. It was a bipartisan disease for most of the 20th century.
 
cpwill said:
well, the last time we really tried it [relied almost exclusively on market fluctuations) was in 1921. You could make an argument for 1987, but a less thorough one. How'd those recessions turn out? better, or worse than our current massive keynesian experiment?
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You know the answer to that question. The 1921 recession turned into the 1929 depression. The 1987 recession wasn't nearly as deep, but it did take a change in economic policy and a broader move toward embracing innovation and new technology to turn the national economy around. Still, most recessions this country has exerienced were short-lived. Nonetheless, I wonder if you or any other Conservative out there would be willing to answer the fundamental question: "What triggered each of the large recessions?"
 
Thrilla said:
you believe Conservatives have lost their compassion?

i'd say that is a false assumption.
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Perhaps not conservatives as a whole, but as a part of the "party's" campaign, absolutely.
 
I save my rugged individualism for when I'm clearing brush.
 
Boo Radley said:
Really? Didn't people have to work together to make it happen? I have never met a sould who did anything on their own. I've met many who thought they did, but any simple look shows they didn't. There'sa reason fronteer folks built forts and communities. ;)
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You were asked a question as to what obama is doing to UNITE the country and of course you didn't answer. Do you believe this speech was a pep talk to the country designed to unite the people for a common goal? Obama's speech was one of a Community Organizer and laid the foundation for his re-election campaign which is one of class warfare, individual wealth redistribution, and demonization of the rich. Here is something to think about before you decide to raise taxes on those evil rich people and this really puts that speech into context. By the way when will you, Obama. or any other supporter explain to us what the fair share is for the rich when 47% of income earning households don't pay any Federal Income Taxes. Apparently their fair share is zero.

Excellent Video on the Tax-the-Rich Mentality.flv - YouTube
 
Conservative said:
You were asked a question as to what obama is doing to UNITE the country and of course you didn't answer. Do you believe this speech was a pep talk to the country designed to unite the people for a common goal? Obama's speech was one of a Community Organizer and laid the foundation for his re-election campaign which is one of class warfare, individual wealth redistribution, and demonization of the rich. Here is something to think about before you decide to raise taxes on those evil rich people and this really puts that speech into context. By the way when will you, Obama. or any other supporter explain to us what the fair share is for the rich when 47% of income earning households don't pay any Federal Income Taxes. Apparently their fair share is zero.

Excellent Video on the Tax-the-Rich Mentality.flv - YouTube
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Conservative, posting hard numbers(out of context) and facts(from youtube videos).
 
Mickey Shane said:
I save my rugged individualism for when I'm clearing brush.
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I want my rugged individualism preserved so I can make a living, create wealth and all the other things that, over the past 230 years have made this the greatest nation in the history of the world.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
apdst said:
I want my rugged individualism preserved so I can make a living, create wealth and all the other things that, over the past 230 years have made this the greatest nation in the history of the world.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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You want the government to preserve your rugged individualism? Classic.
 
AdamT said:
You want the government to preserve your rugged individualism? Classic.
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No, I want the government allow me to preserve my rugges individualism, so I can help this country remain the greatest in history.

The government didn't make this country great. We did. If we leave it up to the government, they'll just **** everything up. Look what they did with the sub-prime debacle.
 
AdamT said:
You want the government to preserve your rugged individualism? Classic.
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The Obama speech was one of the most devisive ever given by any President and your comments are typical in that they ignore that reality. it is the role of the President to lead ALL Americans not just one class and it is the role of the President to promote the principles that this country was founded upon, self reliance and rugged individualism where the individual determines where to spend their money not the Federal Govt. Barack Obama has been a disaster and his speech laid the foundation for the 2012 campaign as to what kind of country the majority want this to be. Do they want a European socialist model or a free enterprise/capitalistic model that made this country great.

From the speech he seems to want to former and that shows poor leadership and lack of understanding of how our economy works. The video I posted shows how out of touch with reality you and other liberals are in wanting to redistribute wealth. There isn't enough money out there to fund the liberal spending appetite.
 
Conservative said:
The Obama speech was one of the most devisive ever given by any President and your comments are typical in that they ignore that reality. it is the role of the President to lead ALL Americans not just one class and it is the role of the President to promote the principles that this country was founded upon, self reliance and rugged individualism where the individual determines where to spend their money not the Federal Govt. Barack Obama has been a disaster and his speech laid the foundation for the 2012 campaign as to what kind of country the majority want this to be. Do they want a European socialist model or a free enterprise/capitalistic model that made this country great.

From the speech he seems to want to former and that shows poor leadership and lack of understanding of how our economy works. The video I posted shows how out of touch with reality you and other liberals are in wanting to redistribute wealth. There isn't enough money out there to fund the liberal spending appetite.
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Do you agree with Obama about anything?
 
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