What really is the state of the Union?
In answering that question honestly, one must look past self-serving political rhetoric – even beyond the economic numbers, which continue to be dismal.
In assessing the state of the country, much like the condition of a house, it’s best to look first at the foundation.
It is cracked and fissured.
This much is incontrovertible: The nation has taken on more debt, and the government more power, leaving Americans fewer freedoms and less opportunity.
Much of what the government does today is constitutionally questionable, at best. What it does do, it often does horribly: Trying to manipulate the nascent alternative energy industry, for instance, the Obama administration lost half a billion dollars on Solyndra, a failed solar panel maker the president once touted as a success story. In this case, as in others, it has been friends of the administration who benefited from the taxpayers’ forced largesse.
In other countries, they call that corruption.
Meanwhile, over half the states are suing the government over its health-care law, while the Obama administration sues a growing number of states for attempting to uphold the rule of law in immigration and the integrity of the voting process.
Then there’s the current president, who has now made a career out of using class warfare and envy to divide a nation that’s still licking its racial wounds. Although the top 5 percent of earners pay nearly 60 percent of the taxes, and half the country pays no income taxes whatsoever, the other half isn’t paying its fair share, he keeps on saying.
He jokes that it’s not about class warfare, but about math. He’s half right: It’s about the math that tells him there are an awful lot of voters who love the idea of soaking those who have more money.
But as for notions of fairness, it’s not even about math: He admitted in a debate that he’d raise the capital gains tax on investments even if that resulted in less money. And when he talks of fairness, he seems to mean equality of outcome, not opportunity. That’s not an American ideal whatsoever. It’s more akin to the failed policies of socialism and communism.
Moreover, government-refereed outcomes that seek to level the playing field through forced and artificial redistribution of wealth aren’t fair.
Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., summed up the state of the nation as well as anyone in a recent video – noting what a different track the country is on than the one he grew up in.
“Instead of freedom and
opportunity,” he said, “it’s one of debt, dependence, division and decline.”
Thompson recalled a 2001 report in which he had concluded the government back then was “bloated, wasteful, subject to massive fraud and basically out of control.
“A decade later, it’s worse.”
We are at a tipping point, he said – “one from which we may not return.”
That about sums up the state of the Union – unless and until our foundation is fixed.
Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona represented our frustration with President Obama well in a finger waving confrontation with him. He doesn't get the class division his policies promote. You have to shout at him, but what does he do? He walks away in midsentence in denial.
I pray the people in this country really see Obama for what he is - a thin-skinned, mean, condescending, egotistical, socialist that cares more for himself than this country. He has alienated our friends and emboldened our enemies, we are much weaker now than three years ago. Just look at what is happening in Iraq since we pulled out. The media covers him every way they can. NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, etc. should have a sign on the front of their building that simply reads, "National reelection headquarters of Barry Obama".
"Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., summed up the state of the nation". Nothing like getting advice from over the hill actors who hawk reverse mortgages on tv.
There is no limit to the super-rich's willingness to engage in name-calling to avoid paying their own fair share of taxes to support the country that has been so good to them.
Rhetor,are you adding an extra 25% of your income in your tax bill to "help the country that has been so good to you"?
Techfan,you worship a person that you know NOTHING about before he became a senator. You bring up 20-30 years of republican's history yet,ignore the cover-up of hussein's past. That just does not make sense. Please explain the logic
Techfan,what would be your reaction to mitt or newt sealing their records?
Birthers and their Bizarro Birtherverse where up is down and Newton’s Laws are just an opinion.
'Techfan,you worship a person that you know NOTHING about before he became a senator.'
copperhead, Maybe Techfan tell us about Frank Marshall Davis who was Hussein mentor from 12 until 18 yrs old. He was Hussein connection to Chicago. Maybe Techfan will tell us about the communist church called the 'Little Red Church on the Hill' that his grandparents took his mother. By the way Techfan Hussein mother was not a Christian, most people described her as an atheist. Hussein lied about her so what else is he lying about?
"On Easter or Christmas Day my mother might drag me to church, just as she dragged me to the Buddhist temple, the Chinese New Year celebration, the Shinto shrine, and ancient Hawaiian burial sites," Obama remembered. "But I was made to understand that such religious samplings required no sustained commitment on my part — no introspective exertion or self-flagellation."
"In our household the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita sat on the shelf alongside books of Greek and Norse and African mythology."
Funny how ACE staff talks about taking on debt.....Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!
bjphysics,what would be your reaction to mitt or newt sealing their past?
Complex Question: “Are you still beating your wife?”
Your question presupposes Obama sealed his pre-Presidential records, he did not, this is a myth promulgated by birthers.
Well bjphysics,give us a link to find info on hussein's records,please.
I know about Hussein's past. He took vacations to Pakistan. He can even pronounce it like they do. "Pokistan."
bjphysics,you still did not answer my question. What would be your reaction to the appearance of mitt or newt sealing their past records? Please,just answer this without denying the question.
Yes, this election will be one of the most clear cut decisions the American voter has ever made in this country's long history. Two diametrically opposed ways forward will be decided. You would think that both parties would bring their 'A' game to the court of public opinion. NOT. With Romney and 'the newt' eviscerating each other, the way forward will be directed by their protagonist for at least the next four years. For all those who 'buy' into the faux/AM radio babble about the end of times, you'd best focus on what went so abhorrently wrong in this cycle. Self reflection on failure is so much more effective than 'blaming' the opponent.
copper; do you realize how smart these guys are to keep the minutiae of the past from the wondering eye's of Faux/AM radio blowhards ? You guys have made an art out of taking the mundane and blowing it out of all rational proportions. By the way, I remember well GW's records being sealed. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, Oh yea, unless it's YOUR goose.
bjphysics,please supply links to hussein's records. This would end ALL questions.
Instead of Obama's "Race to the Top" America is in a race to become the newest Third World country: a Balkanized, jobless, debt ridden, poorly educated, morally bankrupt Nation demanding more diversity, more inclusion and more political correctness.
In Nov. 2012 I fear we'll hear Obama proclaim "Mission Accomplished".
Obama’s pre-Presidential records are not public documents and are sealed: 1) by institutional policy, or 2) by privacy laws or confidentially laws. Obama DID NOT seal his pre-Presidential records, others did and they didn’t do it JUST FOR HIM, they do it for EVERYBODY.
Regarding records held on file:
Your records are sealed, my records are sealed, everybody’s records are sealed. You can’t look at my birth records and I can’t look at yours. You can’t look at my educational records and I can’t look at yours. I can’t get your medical file and you can’t get mine. We can both get COPIES (some certified, some not) of our records and show them to each other.
I can sign a waiver and you can sign a waiver to authorize release of your records to some select agencies such as: the military, law enforcement, and DISCO (Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office).
Obama can do the same but has only done so with his birth documentation, he did this twice and just like those two times, if he did that and those records (educational, etc.) were flattering or countered their claims, birthers and pseudo-birthers would claim the record copies are PDF forgeries.
Now give me a link to images of these people’s birth documents: Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Ron Paul.
After you’ve tried to do that, give me a link to posts you have made where, for every record you want Obama to produce, you have made the same request of every other presidential candidate during your political lifetime.
BJ Physics, Obama could get copies and let them be open to the public like Al Gore, George Bush, Hillery Clinton (except for her thesis and Saul something or other ski) did except Obama won't.
madgerman, actually the country is controlled by less than 1/10 of 1% of the population, President, vice president, Seantate (50 members) the house (400 + members) and the nine members of the Supreme Court. Amazing huh?
BJphysics, I can get George Bush's college transcripts, Al Gore's college transcripts, Hillery Clinton's etc. Seems some ones' is missing...hmmmm
"Nothing like getting advice from over the hill actors who hawk reverse mortgages on tv."
"Birthers and their Bizarro Birtherverse where up is down and Newton’s Laws are just an opinion."
Nothing like a little irrelevant name calling from a couple of rabid Obama supporters. It's all they've got left.
Here is a simple fact. There are ultra-rich people on both sides of the political spectrum. We all know that ultra-rich people can shelter their money from income taxes. The rich Democrats know that and the rich Republicans know that. We all also know that every time we go through this "tax the rich" temper tantrum, the only ones that end up actually paying more taxes is the middle class. You might think that the rich will pay more taxes but what really happens is that the middle class pay those taxes in higher prices for the products and services they use. This whole "tax the rich" argument is a red herring to divert attention from this administration's out of control spending, crazy energy policy, and the corruption of giving away taxpayer money as political payback to unions and "failed before they started" green energy companies. Take a look at what this administration has done to our deficit in only three years and if you still think that our only problem is that we are not taxing the rich enough then you can move on out to the commune and spend your evenings reading Karl Marx. I'm not worried about rich people paying their "fair share". I am worried about the "gimmee more" half that ain't paying anything. Before you wage a war about "fair share" you have to first make sure that everyone is paying "a" share.
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