Transparency

There is just something so sexy about the category of "Protecting the Vulnerable" in a federal stimulus package.
 
We get to fawn on Thursday. Canada adores him too, we're jealous, our PM is such a cold fish.

Don't be jealous, we can share. :) Just don't invade us just to get him for yerselves. And it took us so long to get it right....

(sorry about your VICHYSSOISE, which I just learned does not mean cold fish soup... but I decided to use it anyway. I bet he could be a cold potato too, if you thought about it?)
 
it bothers me that Healthcare and Education are fifth and sixth and separated from infrastructure. The point of the plan was to create and retain already existing jobs, Healthcare and Education are usually one and two on people's lists. What better place to create jobs than in the fundamental public/private facilities: healthcare and education? The 8billion for "other" just irritates me.

It's already been shown over and over that cutting payroll taxes and individuals taxes doesn't lead to spending/stimulus in moderate recessions. Companies hoard the money and continue to layoff as if they never received assistance, just like the insolvent banks hoarded the money last year and ceased loaning. It should of been down the line government spending if it was really going to be a stimulus. Which is only problematic because during the last period of massive wealth creation('03-'07) we ran a record deficit, which leads us back to the war and the cut-tax and spend neo-con/neo-liberal principles that have run the government since at least reagan(yes, including Clinton.) Which is sort of an incriminating thing to say, if not self-hating, since my job is to sell government debt via treasuries and bonds into private hands.

Body hair is a more appetizing discussion. I want obama to fix everything and ride a unicorn down Penn ave and stab a mortgage crisis effigy with the unicorn's horn. Hopefully this next mortgage one, the thing that actually caused the recession, concentrates on the problem instead of just tossing a wet blanket in the vicinity of the out of control forest fire.

Addition: Has anyone heard him say anything about the wars? it's no longer a 'war', so the language has improved, but has he said anything of content about the wars? I can't blame the guy for not doing more, I understand the issue of time. However there's no reason why he isn't talking around the clock and in detail about how he intends to go about the immediate crises(the war is as immediate as the non-payment of mortgages in california) Its been years since he started for the job and he got the job in Nov, so he had months of doing nothing but preparation for it.
 
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I don't want to piss on anyone's parade but there was a comic skit over here where one of Obama's speeches was translated into German and dubbed over the film of him delivering it. Everyone got the joke. Since Hitler no European politician can use rhetoric like American politicians use it because of the comparison with the NAZIs. I think this is why American politicians are often misunderstood in Europe, its a cultural thing, rhetoric is taboo. If you have something to say, just say it, don't dramatise it.
 
I don't want to piss on anyone's parade but there was a comic skit over here where one of Obama's speeches was translated into German and dubbed over the film of him delivering it. Everyone got the joke. Since Hitler no European politician can use rhetoric like American politicians use it because of the comparison with the NAZIs. I think this is why American politicians are often misunderstood in Europe, its a cultural thing, rhetoric is taboo. If you have something to say, just say it, don't dramatise it.

Is it considered dramatization if he really means it? Is it rhetoric if it is heartfelt and comes from his upbringing and experience? Do they misunderstood that he really cares?

Not trying to pick a fight here. I'm actually curious as to European perceptions. :)
 
Is it considered dramatization if he really means it? Is it rhetoric if it is heartfelt and comes from his upbringing and experience? Do they misunderstood that he really cares?

Not trying to pick a fight here. I'm actually curious as to European perceptions. :)


As I pointed out, it is a cultural difference due to history. Rhetoric isn't used here in politics anymore because of its historical associations with extremism.

The skit was done by a German who was aware of how popular Obama was in Germany though most Germans couldn't understand him or knew what he actually stood for. Most Germans thinking he was a leftwinger when actually he is a centrist in American politics which is centre right conservative here. So, not that it matters, most Europeans will end up disillusioned with him because they have perceived him wrongly in the first place.

My personal point of view, and I warn you that I am a cynic, is that he is just another politician. A breed of people that are well known to have on average, considerably more psychopathic tendencies than the average population.

As for him meaning what he says, in my humble opinion, politicians who actually believe what they say are the most dangerous politicians of all. Tony Blair actually sincerely believed Iraq had WMDs when all of the evidence that was available said they didn't. In fact, that most insincere politician of all, President Chirac, told Tony Blair the invasion would start a civil war and there wasn't the evidence of WMDs to justify that.

Just my humble opinion.;)
 
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