Think about what he said...

My fellow Americans, please don't fall for Senator Obama's passion and rhetoric. He's charming as heck and speaks extremely well, but think about what he says and you will be astonished at what he is saying. Again, here are my thoughts on his speech with the portions of his speech that I am commenting on. It is long, but very important for you to take a deeper and more critical look at the implications of such ideas. In summary, Mr. Obama basically is telling America that we are too dumb to achieve the American Dream on our own and that we will never do so unless we suck at the breast of government.

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
"The American Promise"
Democratic National Convention
August 28, 2008Denver, Colorado

Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to. It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well. (OK…he said it…the American dream can be obtained by what?...”put your mind to it”, “hard work and sacrifice”. Mark his words and remember that he said this and notice later that he contradicts himself. I say, “Government, get out of my way so I can achieve or fail on my own!")
Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach. These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush. (Government should not have a response when private enterprise is corrected by natural market forces…this coming from me, while I am struggling to pay my mortgage with reduced pay…but that is my risk to take and my opportunity to fail or succeed and I don’t need the government to bail me out…Well, we’ll see if I’m singin’ a different tune in October when the new government bail-out programs start up to help people with their mortgages? ;-)
America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this. This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work. (Admittedly, I struggle with the unequal healthcare issue. Again it comes down to who can administer healthcare coverage better, private companies, families, churches or the government? On principle, I say let the government be the last resort for heath care…if at all.) This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he's worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news. (As I stated in a previous post…if we cannot compete, we don’t deserve to do it. Perhaps if our own government didn’t tax corporations so heavily we could compete a little bit better) We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes. (So what do you do with Veterans that have mental illness and while not live in a home or apartment? Its tough issue to deal with. I’d like to see soldiers that have fought in battle be given a lifetime reprieve from personal income taxes and military health care until they are laid to rest with honors.)
Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough." (I’ll take eight more years of good standing up to evil. I’d like eight more years of a president who prays for the Lord’s guidance…I hope McCain is a more religious than I think he is. The economy may not be going my way right now, but that isn’t the governments fault.)
Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need. But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change. (When George Bush was right 90% of the time, I pretty much like my odds with McCain, especially with his new VP candidate Sarah Palin and her true conservative positions.)
For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. (Wait…wait…wait…This is a flat out evil twist of what true conservatives believe. Notice how Obama uses the word “give”. Who’s doing the giving? Is Obama so presumptuous that he believes the government, or that we the people, are “giving” the rich more and more? Conservative doctrine is that we have we should have the right to “earn more and more” and as you do so, you cannot help but benefit those to whom your prosperity trickles down to. Everyone needs to read “Atlas Shrugged” before they go to the polls and vote in a closet-socialist who thinks that those who achieve financial success are evil.)
In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own. (Remember what he said at the beginning of the speech?! Now he’s telling you that you can’t do it on your own. The Americans I know, using Obama's own words, can do anything they want to when they put their minds to it and work hard and sacrifice.)
Well it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America. You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country. We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush. (We all measure success this way…but conservatives don’t look to the government to achieve these ideals. We look within ourselves.)
We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work. (Government intervention in business destroys the “dignity of work”. The market will generally pay people what they are worth. As the government forces business to pay people more than they are worth, productivity and efficiency will decrease while indolence and inflation increase.)
What is that promise?
It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect. It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road. (True. So why do we need to make laws about what will happen naturally? I am totally okay with laws that punish business owners who abuse their employees and violate their fiduciary responsibility and integrity with regard to their employees and share holders. But please keep government regulation over ever little thing away from me.)
Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm (national defense is indeed an acceptable role of government) and provide every child a decent education (I still have personal struggles with this issue. I think am satisfied to say that “locally” managed government provided education for all is the best way to go); keep our water clean and our toys safe (not the responsibility of government, but of every citizen); invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology (not the governments job to invest in science and technology…let private business do it and profit from it and employee thousands in the process and don’t tax us all for it!).
Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work. (What did JFK say, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” What B.O. is saying, “And so, my fellow Americans, since you are not capable of achieving the American Dream on your own, demand that the government make up for your deficiencies.)
That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation (Obama, please quit contradicting yourself. Are we responsible for ourselves or is the government responsible for my success?); the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper. (There you go folks…Biblical justification for higher taxes being plundered from your bank accounts so that we can “keep” each other. I’d rather donate my money through my church’s charitable organizations than let the government take it by force from me and misuse it.)
That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President. Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it. (Lobbyists represent the American workers and they only get paid for how well the represent our interests. There are some lobbyists who play from unethical positions and they should rightly be rejected from society, but does every American worker have the time to truly lobby for their own positions?)
Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America. (I’m okay with this…I think?)
I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow. (Can we hold you to this promise?)
I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class. (Sounds great! But you really want to stick it to the 5% of Americans who create all of our jobs, don’t ya? So if the companies and individuals that we work for are taxed more, what if they can’t afford to pay me anymore?)
And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. (Oh, so are you in favor of drilling more on our own land and off-shore?) Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office. Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.
As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced. (Please let the citizens do this and keep the government out of it!)
America, now is not the time for small plans.
Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. (A common socialist method…make it your moral duty and obligation to let the government rob you to death.) Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American - if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.
Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most. (Insurance companies do seem to be abusing the system…so I’m okay with them being held responsible for injustice, but government’s job should be in the punishment, not in the regulation and red-tape.)
Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent. (And good companies already recognize this without your help Mr. Obama.)
Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.
And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.
Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. (He's gonna tax the businesses so much that they have to raise their prices, thus perpetuating inflation. Good plan buddy!) But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy. (That was truly may favorite statement of the whole speech! I'd like to see conservatives saying that they want to truly eliminate government programs.)
And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." (Another good quote, but he has contradicted himself throughout the speech so far.) Yes, government must lead on energy independence (why "must" government lead?), but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair (I agree, but government hand-outs are not the way. Stop taxing companies so much and they will have more jobs to offer these young men. Stop providing government programs to train the young men, but encourage private individuals with skills and talents in this arena to find ways to help.) But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need (Amen to that!).
Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility - that's the essence of America's promise (There he is again, sneaking in that "mutual responsibility" to let him into your pocket book to pay for government programs).
You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need. (So, Mr. Obama, what are you going to do? Go and "talk" nicely with them?)
We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.
As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.
I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future. (Impressive words here and it appears that he at least understands the importance of war-making powers, yet he sounds a little niave about it. It would be interesting to see what choices he would make. Would he ignore it and pretend it didn't happen like Bill Clinton, or does he have it in him to make the tough decisions like Truman did with the atomic bomb? I don't think America's moral standing has changed on the good versus evil part of our battle against terrorism. The world's moral standing has corroded and the morality of America has desicrated what was once known as "the common good". We need to live more righteously in God's eyes and quit worrying about what France thinks of us. )
The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America. (Amen to that!)
(So the change Obama wants is a change from self-reliance and self-made-men, to a nanny-state where government provides for our every need and compensates for our weaknesses. Is that the change we really want for America? The change I'd like to see is a change back to the sense of common decency and common good. I still see glimpses of this in my fellow Americans, so I know that our roots are still good.)