There have been some very memorable lines from the DNC. The RNC has just one, tired old mantra-------"Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?" Over and over and over and over-----ad nauseum. At least the Dems have a new applications of that hackneyed old phrase.
I am anxious to see the poll results after the convention to guage whether or not there was a bump up in the numbers for O.
As Clinton pointed out about the RNC------"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry." Me either Mr. Clinton, me either.
Carol are you better off today than 4 years ago???
ReplyDeleteI'm not. Nor are most of my friends. 16 trillion and going up. Hope your freebies last, I doubt they will beyond the next 4 years. SS is broke, Medicare is broke, both contributing to the trill+ debt each year.
I can't even have a conversation with Carol. How can you have a conversation with someone who honestly believes that the only thing the Republicans can say is "Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?"
ReplyDeleteOk, so enlighten me as to the proposed legislative fixes to our issues, both economic and social that are put forth by the Republicans.
Delete"Are you better off today than 4 years ago???'
DeleteIs this the question Americans should be asking each other? Would it not be more pertinent to ask ": Is America better off today than 4 years ago"
In support of this attitude I offer another quote written I believe by a bloke named Galbraith for an incoming President 41 years ago.” Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country". I will not insult my friends by quoting more, you are I am sure, all word perfect in your memory of this great speech. It is odd that some great speeches remain in the mind forever; I am not word perfect with the Gettysburg address but can give it a shot. This needs the backwoods American drawl to hear it at its best. My Aussie accent demeans the words.
Cheers from Aussie
When Reagan asked that question, it was a clever though disingenuous question. Most average people don;t really understand that any particular point in time contains scores of inputs both long and short term. When Glass/Steagall was implemented, we felt the positive effects of the bill for 65 years. When we took care of veterans after WW II with housing and education benefits, we felt that effect for decades as well. Sadly, we are also today continuing to feel the bitter cultural battles of the 1960's. You don't have to say that Carter was a brilliant POTUS to acknowledge he inherited a lot of bad things. Likewise, you don't have to negate the entirety of Clinton's presidency to acknowledge that he was lucky to have come into office after his predecessor made some unpopular moves that were nonetheless the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteSometime in the presidency of Clinton, we stopped governing. Cooperation stopped, obstruction started and cat and mouse games of circumvention became blatant. I thought Clinton was a decent POTUS and he addressed things that were important to me. But it's time to move on. Likewise, it is way overdue for Republicans to drop their mythical vision of Reagan and stop spouting things he said like as if they were Godlike axioms. The worship of him is truly becoming Great Leader like.
Ryan and Romney, to me, offer very cynical solutions. They won't repeal medicare and SS for those OVER 55 because they know they would be humiliatingly defeated. This is like saying, we know our plan won't appeal to voters we need, so we will just take away future benefits to younger people. Talk about dishing about freebies Lou. Why, if those programs are broke, are we not simply ending them now?
Max--------very well said. I am glad you are here. You bring badly needed factual analysis, critical thinking, issue-related commentary. Thank you.
DeleteMax because our congress has broken the programs doesn't mean they are not worthwhile.
DeleteThe original intent of SS was for retirement. Now it is used for disability, children with a deceased parent can collect SS until they are 18. Children with 1 parent at retirement age can collect SS.
In the past when the government collected more than they paid out it wasn't a problem. Today it's a major problem as congress has cut contributions by 250 billion in the last 2 years via a stimulus tax cut to the middle class coupled with high unemployment.
The choices are simple, fix the economy get more people working or change the program. You can always exclude the people who worked hard all their lives, saved money for a comfortable retirement and give it to the people who have foolishly consumed and not saved all their lives.
Ryan's plan affecting those under 55. It gives those under 55 time to change their plans to accommodate a change in Medicare. Do you honestly think Medicare can continue on forever in it's current form especially after pulling 700 billion out of Medicare over the next 10 years??? The 700 billion was a democrat thing not a repub thing.
Clinton lost his way under a blue dress, I have zero respect for any man that cheats on his wife. He's more concerned with finding another dress to get under than anything.
ReplyDelete