AP Photo
As banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions management were taken over by the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress, a version of a communal society began to to replace the free enterprise system.
According to an article in the Washington Post (04/13/2009), what Obama is proposing is a "post-material economy" by de-emphasizing the production of ever-more private goods and services by harnessing the economy to achieve broad social goals.
In the recent past, America's free enterprise system has been one of producing more for less cost. The result was that mass markets were developed for clothing, cars, computers and other products because declining costs expanded production and rising living standards. What Obama is saying to the ambitious and enterprising America is that if you earn it, we will tax it, that in a communal society, no one is allowed to have a higher standard of living than anyone else, regardless of how much their investment or how hard they work.
Robert J. Samuelson in his article, "Obama's Economic Mirage" says Obama uses a "feel good" approach which makes Americans accept the communal society because they think it will save the planet from global warming, or obtain better health care for the poor. There is a belief among his followers that somehow some magical technological breakthroughs will produce clean energy that is also cheap and taxing high wage earners will create wealth in the country to be disbursed among all.
Samuelson calls it "Obama's mirage" and like any mirage, when American get to the oasis they are seeking, the may find higher taxes on everything to pay for the communal society goals. Taxes that are already being imposed on the populace in many U.S. states may already be an indication of the shifting sands under their feet.
For more articles:
Obama nationalized health care plans debated
American doctors opting out of treating Medicare patients
Obama twists language into "Newspeak"
Obama changing free enterprise to government controlled economy
Obama turning the U.S. into a banana republic?
Obama carbon tax can be passed on to consumers
Comments
-
With each passing day Obamuh looks more and more like Hugo Chavez.
Look at those two guys and what comes to mind?
Hey Harry- that other "guy" was George W. Bush's top economic advisor; Bush went on to appoint him as chair of the Federal Reserve Bank. The man's name is Ben Bernanke. How many times did you vote for George W. Bush? You all can rest assured that President Obama differs from your man Bush by very few degrees. Oh yes- it was under George W. Bush's administration that the wild bailout spending began; does the name Henry Paulson ring a bell? Don't you people read anything?
@Andy, Hate to disappoint you but I didn't vote for Bush in 2004, in fact both Kerry and Bush were so pathetic that I didn't even bother. I'm a conservative, and not a republican. The only reason McAmnesty received my vote was because of Palin, and due to the fact that Obama was such a pathetic candidate.
ahh sensational journalism. Watch this writer for them to contradict themselves in about 12 months and start accusing Obama of being beholden to corporate interests. Whatever sells those paper huh Martha Gore? Why should you care about the effects your warped truth has on the public discourse? As long as you get the feeling of self-satisfaction from your invented cleverness and the 25 bucks or whatever for writing this.
DRH comments, "With each passing day Obamuh looks more and more like Hugo Chavez."
Dirty Harry asks, "Look at those two guys and what comes to mind?"
Twiddledee and Twiddledum.
Having resolved similarities, back to Martha's topic, and she writes, "...when American get to the oasis they are seeking, the may find higher taxes on everything to pay for the communal society goals."
Obama has almost four years to convince Americans he is a blithering idiot, and he will do just such.
Obama is applying a "community organizer" philosophy to America, this philosophy he learned over in corrupt Chicago. Obama is working at gathering together fervent ACORN like followers who will force his and their agenda upon America.
This is OK. Obama and his ACORN nuts will make a complete mess of America, Obama will be a one term president and conservatives will be swept back into power to clean up this Obama-nation mess. This is, if conservatives get their act together and pull the Republican party back together. Michael Steele has to go; way too pimped out hip-hop blingy.
My view is America is in for a really rough eight years. Obama will spend four years destroying America, the next political party which comes to power will need four years to fix America.
Tax and spend. Tax and spend! I do not get this, we pay so many taxes how can we spend?
Tomorrow, April 15, ironically tax day, is the day Americans will have earned enough money to pay their taxes. One-fourth of an average American work year goes to paying federal income taxes.
What does this tell you, Dirty Harry?
On the average, Americans are paying a twenty-five percent tax rate. But wait, there is more! State income tax, retail tax, gasoline tax, liquor tax, condom tax, this tax, that tax, this and that tax! Everything is taxed!
Well, prostitution is not taxed but I hear a rumor Spitzer is to repent by pressing for a tax on hookers; ass tax.
Obama is hitting with us lots of backdoor taxes; removal of salary tax cap, near doubling of the capital gains tax, a cap and trade tax, business tax... on and on. But wait, there is more! We also pay state income tax, county taxes, municipal taxes, property taxes... but wait there is more!
Massive tax increases are now hitting Americans.
So, Dirty Harry, what is our real tax rate?
An average American pays an effective fifty percent tax rate. When all taxes are considered, half of our money is given to our government which turns around and gives our tax money to Wall Street, Mexico and Europe.
And taxes are skyrocketing.
This cycle of endless taxes cannot be supported. American families, working or not, are, de facto, bankrupt.
America is bankrupt and Obama is running our debt up by trillions of dollars. Americans are out of work, foreclosed out of their homes, living on the streets, and our taxes are going up, way up.
No rocket scientist thinking here, we cannot afford to continue this tax and spend policy.
Oh sure, Obama can stand on a street corner, pontificate power to the people, get a bunch of welfare mommas all hot and bothered, organize a rat hole gang infested corrupt Chicago neighborhood, or hood.
However, this is America. We are a nation, not a projects housing slum. Americans will not stand for being organized into welfare dependents living on food stamps.
Obama and Capitol Hill are pushing Americans to a point of taking to the streets then yelling,
"I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore."
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Oh? How?
Where did you get your info, this piece is completely false. I would seriously hire a fact checker. Being a media analyst in my day job, I have access to numerous news feeds and I can tell you that the very core of your argument is wrong and is baseless.
Matthew Abuelo comments, "Where did you get your info, this piece is completely false."
What you write must be true, I read this in a web blog!
Matthew, I am noting your comments are completely void of any factual cites.
Martha cites Robert J. Samuelson with the Washington Post and Martha quotes Samuelson with exactness.
My presumption, Matthew, is you face challenges in reading comprehension.
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Obama ain't my mama.
Dirty Harry quips, "Obama ain't my mama."
Oh, come now, Harry, we all know you are a mama boy. Based on what I read around here you want Sarah to be your mama, want Michele to be your mama and want Ann to be your mama. I think Ann might be a bit hard to handle.
Sorry, folks, inside joke.
Harry, you only have until midnight, tonight, to pay your taxes.
I watched Douglas Shulman, commissioner of the IRS, on PBS tonight. During his interview, he said, "We've got what it takes to take what you've got!"
Shulman discussed an interesting IRS policy. He explained the IRS is working with tax payers this year, seeings how everyone is bankrupt. He talked about scheduling tax payments and all that. He did not mention interest and penalties might be involved.
More interesting, Shulman talked about the new IRS policy, "Carrot and Stick". I cannot quote him but can paraphrase what he said. "We are dangling a carrot on a stick. If a person pays his back taxes and 'substantial' penalties, we will not put him in jail. Otherwise, we will make every effort to put him in jail. Our carrot is no jail time, our stick is jail time."
Shulman seems a nice boy.
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Why would anyone think Obama understands the free market? He has never participated in it and does not understand the sacrifice, the reward and the benefits of the "free market" as he has almost always been on the government payroll and his mission has been to grow the government.
I have poised this question on many occasions for anyone on the left to point to a successful, long term progressive economic model in a large diverse nation where it has been a success? I have not even received one answer to the question; just the same talking points. The reason is that there are none. We only need to look at our cousins in Europe who are trying turn to the right after being crushed with the entitlement programs or look at Massachusetts and California and see how at a state level the progressive model at the state level has failed.
Obama was not the guy I wanted to see in the White House (neither was McCain), but he did have a pragmatic bent to his oratory during the campaign and I knew the American Idol crowd would be turning out in droves and this guy would get elected. I had a slim hope that maybe this guy is smart enough to understand history and economics so that he would make sound policy decisions, unfortunately he is just like any big government politician and is only concerned with expanding the entitlement culture
Let me guess Matthew Abuelo, media analyst for none other than "media matters"? If conservative moguls manipulated the media as much as Soros and Gore did it would be daily front page news.
The scariest thing I'm seeing today is that the more "liberal" the country becomes, the less and less acceptance of differing viewpoints and opinion. If don't believe in the Big O, your un-American.
Yet nothing the Big O is doing is even close to the Founding Father's and the actual Constitutional intent so I guess Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Franklin didn't know anything. (At least in the current mindset of the Dems in Congress and BigO)
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!