Remember the years of media flak President George W. Bush received for his alleged use for political gain of first the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and then the related Afghanistan and Iraq Wars?
Will the press be as vociferous now? Incoming Obama Administration Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, speaking on Wednesday on and to the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, stated outright his desire to make political hay with the ongoing travails of the U.S. and global economy:
"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."
Wonder why President-elect Obama resigned from the Senate so early (while Vice President-elect Joe Biden remains an active member) and is hanging back, not wading into the debate over bailouts etc, and naming candidates for nearly every Cabinet post save Treasury (the man or woman who will have $350 billion to dispense when he/she walks through the door)?
Chris Matthews and others in the media dreaming of an early coronation, I mean Inauguration, are perhaps missing an important Obama Administration point. The longer the crisis lingers, the more our economy tanks, the better it is for them from their perspective when they finally do take the reins.
All in the best interest of our nation, of course. (?!?)
Where oh where has the press's righteous indignation at the use of national hardship for crass political gain gone? That apparently has departed early, so as to make way for the Obama Adminstration they can't wait to see get started.
—Seton Motley is Director of Communications for the Media Research Center and Contributing Editor for NewsBusters.org.
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Obama = New Deal Socialism Part II
November 21, 2008 - 08:42 ET by PopularTechRead it while you still can...
America's Great Depression (PDF) (368 pgs) (Murray Rothbard, Ph.D. Economics, 5th Edition, 2000)
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Nice find, Chapter 2 pretty
November 21, 2008 - 09:15 ET by dscottNice find, Chapter 2 pretty much lays out what the Dems are attempting to do and why it will fail. Interesting that they think Savings and Investment are two different unrelated issues and explains why Dems have a penchant for taxing profits.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
Obama the new FDR
November 21, 2008 - 09:40 ET by PopularTech"For half a century, the conventional, orthodox explanation, provided by John Maynard Keynes and his followers, was that capitalism was incapable of saving itself, and that government did too little to rescue an intellectually bankrupt market system from the consequences of its own folly. This analysis seemed less and less convincing as the years went by, especially as Keynesianism itself became discredited. In the meantime, Rothbard had produced, in 1963, his own explanation, which turned the conventional one on its head. The severity of the Wall Street crash, he argued, was not due to the unrestrained license of a freebooting capitalist system, but to government insistence on keeping a boom going artificially by pumping in inflationary credit. The slide in stocks continued, and the real economy went into freefall, not because government interfered too little, but because it interfered too much.
When Hoover finally took over the White House, he followed his own advice, and made it an engine of interference, first pumping more credit into an already overheated economy and, then, when the bubble burst, doing everything in his power to organize government rescue operations.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration differed from Herbert Hoover’s in only two important respects—it was infinitely more successful in managing its public relations, and it spent rather more taxpayers’ money. , the net effect of the Hoover–Roosevelt continuum of policy was to make the slump more severe and to prolong it virtually to the end of the 1930s. The Great Depression was a failure not of capitalism but of the hyperactive state."
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The Democrats do not
November 21, 2008 - 12:58 ET by NL207The Democrats do not understand what Capital is. They think it is money, something they can just print more of or confiscate from private persons as they see fit. The concept that Capital is actually unconsumed goods escapes them.
Democrats also do not comprehend the Horn of Production. The notion that real interest rates have something to do with the formation of capital and the cost and availabilty of consumer goods is simply beyond their grasp.
The last part of Capital the Democrats do not understand is that high taxes, especially on the rich, destroy Capital and in the end, serve only to decrease properity.
"You never want a serious
November 21, 2008 - 08:56 ET by dscottThat's called crisis management using false dichotomies, foisting decisions that ordinarily wouldn't be agreed to. The more I look at this, the more I believe this whole economic debacle was engineered by the Dems to seize power. From their perspective, a poor vicitmized society is easier to control, continually making promises of equality via envy and then enacting policies that make more people poor.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
In "The Manchurian
November 21, 2008 - 09:27 ET by motherbeltIn "The Manchurian Candidate" the Angela Lansbury character describes the plot as a crisis that will create hysteria and sweep us up into the White House with powers that will make martial law seem like anarchy." (emphasis added)
I have a bad feeling about this.....
"...this whole economic
November 21, 2008 - 09:34 ET by mattm"...this whole economic debacle was engineered by the Dems to seize power"
Of course it was! They thrive on economic misery. If economic problems were solved, the Lefties wouldn't have any victims to stir up and swoop in to save the day with another government program and another tax.
They knew the housing bubble would burst, and they could easily blame the GOP, because they had the White House, and blame greedy Wall Street millionaires - also republicans (even though they give more money to democrats) - and deflect any criticism aimed at them because they have the media covering for them.
The only problem is, and this is where the GOP better learn their lesson (but they won't), we had Bush come in and offer the exact wrong solution. He should have used the opportunity of the crisis to call Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Franklin Raines, Chucky Schumer, ACORN and B. Hussein Obama to the carpet for their malfeasance in this whole mess, and use it as a political issue to bring down the Democrats and Obama in the election...
He could have said, I'll bail out Fannie and Freddie, but only if the dems on the banking committees step down and anyone who profited off the scam is fined or jailed, and if the tax cuts are made permanent and the loan qualifications are tightened up.
But, nooooo! He's too "above" crass politics. He's too busy trying to show he has class.... Well thanks alot George, your "Mr. Nice Guy" attitude has just screwed us out of our country. Why the hell can't the GOP be as hawkish with the dems as they are with our foreign enemies?????
The crisis was caused by Alan Greenspan
November 21, 2008 - 09:44 ET by PopularTechDid the Fed Cause the Housing Bubble? (Robert Murphy, Ph.D. Economics)
The Housing Bubble in 4 Easy Steps (Mark Thornton, Ph.D. Economics)
Guilty as Charged (George A. Selgin, Ph.D. Professor of Economics)
Greenspan says ARMs might be better deal (USA Today)
Alan Greenspan: A Minority Report (Murray N. Rothbard, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Economics)
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Anything to deflect the
November 21, 2008 - 09:58 ET by mattmAnything to deflect the balme away from the Democrats who forced banks to give loans to people who couldn't affor to pay them back....
Where do you think the loan money with the low rates came from?
November 21, 2008 - 10:01 ET by PopularTechWithout the Fed artificially keeping rates low, there would have been no expansion in credit to low risk borrowers.
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Where do you think the
November 21, 2008 - 10:45 ET by mattmWhere do you think the artificial demand for the loan money with the low rates came from?
I don't doubt Bush and the Fed had a hand in this, but it' the Dems who are clearly the most guilty party in this whole mess, or are at least equally guilty...yet they will get away with blaming others and set themselves up as the saviors and will consolidate more and more power for themselves, just like FDR did, and with the help of a bunch of RINOs like Bush and McCain, the Dems will finally have the socialist, command-economy/marxist society they have been working on for the last 75 years.
No Alan Greenspan and the Fed are the most guilty
November 21, 2008 - 12:43 ET by PopularTechWithout his rate reductions and Fed credit expansion after the NASDAQ Bubble and 911, the rest is irrelevant.
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With the help of Bush the housing bubble got worse
November 21, 2008 - 09:49 ET by PopularTechBush 'No Money Down' - Tax Payers Will Pay (Video) (6min)
Bush: Expanding Home Ownership (The White House)
"This Administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in America. We want more people owning their own home. It is in our national interest that more people own their own home. After all, if you own your own home, you have a vital stake in the future of our country."
- President George W. Bush, December 16, 2003
American Dream Downpayment Act of 2003 (HR 1276)
American Dream Downpayment Act: Fiscally Irresponsible and Redundant to Existing Homeownership Programs (Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D. Economics)
Bush's 'American Dream Downpayment Act of 2003' (Lew Rockwell)
Bush seeks to increase minority homeownership (USA Today)
Compassionate Conservatism loses AGAIN!
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There's no doubt that Bush
November 21, 2008 - 11:22 ET by Indiana JoeThere's no doubt that Bush bought into the "everyone should own a house" mentality. But at least he acknowledged the problems in the CRA, and proposed reforms.
Frank, Dodd et al. actively blocked any fix, however, because this is just the result they were hoping for, IMO. The Great Depression solidified the Democrat's power for decades, and they have no problem with having another one if it leads to the same result. Their complicity in this mess will be ignored, and it will forever be totally and completely blamed on "Chimpy McHitler." Meantime, the Dems will use this to grab even more power over our economy, no matter the harm they do.
And just for the record, the phrase "compassionate conservatism" has always set my teeth on edge, from the first time Bush used it.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams
Hey PopTech - yep he did, but perspective here
November 21, 2008 - 12:29 ET by Gary HallHey PopTech - indeed he did, but perspective here is something that is absent in the MSM - and thus on the street with voters.
It's notable that the far left - has screamed since the late 90's on both the dangers of the numerous bubbles and on the risk of the Democrats much stronger push to get minorities into the ownership society. The other missing component in the equation is that the MSM successfully managed to convince most voters that the Bush administration did not know of the dangers, and did nothing along the way to warn, or to intervene.
On the other hand, the reality remains, Bush was presiding for 8 years and I offer two items to consider. 1.) Neither Bush, Clinton, nor any President, and perhaps they should not, is likely to heed the loud warnings and go public with the fact that this bubble or that bubble is insanely dangerous. Why? It crashes their economic legacy. The national press could do this -- during Democratic administrations as well. 2.) Bush and his administrations efforts [limited or not] to address this crisis are well documented; where he failed in the effort to succeed there, is that he never learned the importance of actually making his case known (press conferences, national addresses, etc.)
In addition, for everyone's reading pleasures I offer the following. As it's been covered here at NB well enough, I'm skipping the Bernie Frank, Dodd, and the VIP Countrywide Financial scandals:
The root cause of the housing bubble and credit crisis:
The MSM could have reminded the voters of this:
Expounding on HUD's actions, where's a better source than the "Village Voice":
And a look at the long held views (entirely censored by the MSM)from the progressive left, on the topic of the Clinton legacy - and the dangers of bubbles. Once again, I'm not defending Bush's role in this - nor, for a matter of fact, all of our roles in letting it happen over and over again - simply trying to keep it in historical perspective. I note that while these particular articles are brand spanking current - these views have been out since before Bush became president. The leftist MSM did not want the voters to question their party - so they simply censored it:
I note: Baker has reversed himself a bit on several issues; one being the discussion of Clinton leaving budget surpluses. Baker, was clearly aware, back in 2000-2001 that when that bubble popped, the silly projected budget surpluses were going to hang around as long as the reflection of a window in a soap bubble in a Santa Anna wind.
And this is fun one. I was visiting with a radical commie in the bay area, and after giving up on the process of having the ability to offer anything intelligent in a discussion of economic fortunes, he tossed this magazine to me - apparently having not actually read it. He was content to have read the title of the piece, believing, as most do, that there is this great legacy still out there for Bill Clinton's economic record:
(;~> Gary
The Root Cause is Alan Greenspan and the Fed
November 21, 2008 - 12:38 ET by PopularTechThat is where the credit expansion came from that drove the bubble.
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Perhaps, a shared legacy Pop
November 21, 2008 - 12:40 ET by Gary HallPerhaps, a shared legacy Pop - OK?
Rush Limbaugh has been
November 21, 2008 - 09:15 ET by motherbeltRush Limbaugh has been saying for years that bad news for America is good news for Democrats.
This statement by Emanuel just proves it.
Can you imagine the media outcry if a Republican had said this???
There would be cries of "Outrageous!!" and "Exploitation!!" from coast to coast.
It would be the ONLY topic on all the morning news shows.
Very true. The interesting
November 21, 2008 - 14:06 ET by celatorVery true. The interesting thing is that Raum is so upfront about his corruptive view of the economic crisis. No shame a'tall.
The only way this is going
November 21, 2008 - 09:20 ET by mattmThe only way this is going to get any play outside of the conservative counter-media is if those lame asses in the GOP would stand up and say something, but their too busy trying to "reach out" across the aisle...
Thanks RINOs
While I would like to agree
November 21, 2008 - 09:28 ET by general companyI fear they no longer have anyone in the msm that will give them the time of day. They will be ignored at all cost now I think.
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Exactly, matt....
November 21, 2008 - 09:31 ET by motherbeltLed by Guess Who?????
This is why I'm not sorry
November 21, 2008 - 09:39 ET by mattmThis is why I'm not sorry McCain lost...I'm just sorry a marxist named Hussien is going to be our president..... It's the downfall of America.
ha
November 21, 2008 - 09:59 ET by candanceSo Obama has a meeting with John McCain to discuss the fact that they both agree on global warming bankruptcy taxes, closing Gitmo, and massive leniency for illegals...and this is what he calls reaching across the aisle.
When he decides to host such a meeting with Richard Burr, Michelle Bachmann, and Jim Cantor, then I'll believe he's genuine.
I'm a typical white person.
"You never want a serious
November 21, 2008 - 10:43 ET by Dan The Man 2"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." And this is true in any situation where you want advantage.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
Will the press be as vociferous now?
November 21, 2008 - 11:10 ET by Indiana JoeOf course not. Like the Democrats, the press has no interest in anything beyond getting Democrats into power.
This is a golden opportunity for the left in this country. They can finally have their cake and eat it, too. No matter how long this down-turn lasts, or how bad it gets from their meddling, it will always be "Bush's fault." When the economy does finally recover, they can take all the credit, confident that there will be virtually no analysis in the media about what really happened.
And like the New Deal, the repercussions will echo through our country for years to come.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams
Emanuel's comment is eerily
November 21, 2008 - 11:52 ET by Chris NormanEmanuel's comment is eerily similar to Biden's words during the last weeks of the campaign about how, following a foreign "test" of Obama, there may be actions taken that many Americans may not understand or approve of - "at first". At the time I thought - what in the heck...
The mechanisms are already
November 21, 2008 - 13:06 ET by GrannyGrump42The mechanisms are already in place to suspend the Constitutition and institute martial law in case of a "national emergency". In which case the best we can hope for is that FEMA is too bungling to successfully round up the dissidents for the "reeducation camps".
Obama and Co. may want to consider the old adage...
November 21, 2008 - 12:51 ET by PrairieSky"Be careful what you wish for...You may get it."
If Obamessiah and his flunkies are in fact hoping for the financial crisis to drag on until they are in charge with the misguided hope that it will somehow benefit them politically, they may end up with much more than they bargained for. Not to mention that this type of cynical political opportunism is unbelievably selfish and self-serving, and destructive for the country.
But then, we are talking about Dems after all, aren't we???
"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981
What scares me
November 21, 2008 - 13:01 ET by GrannyGrump42What scares me is Biden's promise of a major international incident -- a crisis that would lead Obama to make choices so "unpopular" that even his staunchest supporters would have to go on blind faith that The One was looking out for them.
The mechanisms are already in place to suspend the Constitution and institute martial law. All Obama needs is a sufficient "national emergency".
This is a guy who, from the best we can dig up, spent the mystery years in close proximity to the inner core of the Weather Underground.
Weather Underground + FEMA = a REAL disaster.
Why Obama is hanging back
November 21, 2008 - 13:13 ET by merlin61Original question why Obama is hanging back and
not getting involved in economy? He's just a
puppet-----all these Clinton people are going to
run the country. Obama has no idea of what
to do. He's only interested in settling in at the
White House, getting his girls in school and
playing with his phones and blackberry's. Why
should he do anything? Its all being handled
by Emmanuel.
Obama is the figurehead of
November 21, 2008 - 13:45 ET by dscottObama is the figurehead of the Dem Party, he is their messenger, the message is carried out by Pelosi and Reid, thus he Obama need do absolutely nothing but what Pelosi and Reid tell him to do.
Ann Coulter had this down correctly.
Have you ever noticed that whenever Democrats lose presidential elections, they always blame it on the personal qualities of their candidate? Kerry was a dork, Gore was a stiff, Dukakis was a bloodless android, Mondale was a sad sack.
This blame-the-messenger thesis allows Democrats to conclude that their message was fine -- nothing should be changed! The American people are clamoring for higher taxes, big government, a defeatist foreign policy, gay marriage, the whole magilla. It was just this particular candidate's personality.
http://www.anncoulter.org/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=282
Back in 2003, that same idea was also seen: http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/etzioni/documents/B435.pdf
Obama, the consumate salesman he is will tell the public whatever it wants to hear, but Congress will do what it wants with little interference since they now have the power to carry out their agenda. Every time Obama makes a speech, think Joe Iszuz...
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
dscott...Figurehead, empty suit, puppet...Take your pick...
November 21, 2008 - 15:05 ET by PrairieSkyAll of these terms describe Obama. I like to call him "The Great Pretender." He seems to 'pretend' to be whatever it is he wants people to see him as. He 'pretended' to be an Illinois state senator when he voted "present" a zillion times. He 'pretended' to be a senator from Illinois for the 143 days that he was there before he began running for president, and then effectively went MIA from his senatorial duties.
Now, as of January 20th, he will begin 'pretending' to be president, although I think he started that months ago with the Obama presidential seal, the speech in Berlin, his embarrassingly over-the-top venue at the Dem convention, and his very own version of an Oval Office speech days before the election.
It is apparent to me that the real "power(s) behind the throne," so to speak, will be Reid and Pelosi.
Heaven help us all.
"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981
Obama's first 100 days as Soros' puppet
November 21, 2008 - 19:12 ET by R D HelmObama's first 100 days as Soros' puppet are going to be the most dangerous, as the people in this country have never seen the rabid assault on their individual rights and freedoms as we will all see beginning January 20th.
This is a perilous time for this nation, one that may yet spell its end, as any "victories" won by Obama and his horde of freedom-haters will be virtually impossible to undo, now, or anytime in the future.
Even if Saxby Chambliss retains his senate seat on Dec. 2nd, it may not matter at the end of the day, as I am guessing the dems will be able to pick off just enough RINOs to pass whatever oppressive BS the radical left will be seeking to impose on us all.
God help us all.
-Dave
Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?
RINO's must be purged from
November 21, 2008 - 19:24 ET by Clear thinkerRINO's must be purged from the party or the party will completely implode. Which is very close to doing so now.
Save Conservatism - Dump The GOP?
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
"You never want a serious
November 21, 2008 - 20:05 ET by TN Mom"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."
This is a really creepy statement. This should be breaking news but the MSM ignore it completely.