Pierce writes: "Almost everyone has had their whack at Thomas Frank's piece in Salon that argues that Barack Obama has been an incompetent, a sellout, or an incompetent sellout."
President Barack Obama. (photo: Getty Images)
No, Obama Has Not Failed
22 July 14
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lmost everyone has had their whack at Thomas Frank's piece in Salon that argues that Barack Obama has been an incompetent, a sellout, or an incompetent sellout. Here's Scott at LGM, and here's Kevin Drum, who lands a roundhouse punch at the essential premise. Generally, I agree with these guys. The president's political opposition turned up the pressure to 11 on every institutional choke-point in the American government, and even a few choke-points we didn't know were there. (Backing a lawsuit that trimmed the president's power on recess appointments? Shutting down the government over the ACA? Suing the president now for doing exactly what the opposition has said it wanted to happen ever since the law was passed? Rejecting their own previously held ideas, over and over again?) It's also very hard to argue that the president has shirked his responsibility to do what he must with the powers of his office since he gets called a tyrant every day for issuing executive orders less often than most of his predecessors.
However, on the issue of the economy, and the people who wrecked it and then sold off the pieces, and then, by and large, got away clean, there were some things the president could have done, and didn't do, that lead me to believe that, on this issue, Frank is more right than he is wrong. For example, there was no reason to involve Bob Rubin in the transition team, much less to staff the Treasury Department with Rubin-esque clones. Hell, Tim Geithner didn't have to be Treasury Secretary. There was nothing stopping the president in 2008 from appointing a tough assistant U.S. Attorney to be an assistant secretary of the Treasury tasked with vigorously investigating the causes of the economic meltdown, and whatever crimes were involved therein. The Republicans would have raised hell, but they were going to do that anyway. It's hard to see a Democratic Congress defunding the Treasury Department, but I admit there's no telling what mischief Max Baucus might have concocted. The president faced unprecedented opposition employing unprecedented tactics. However, "looking forward, not back" on many issues was a conscious governing strategy. To say that the president did more than he's given credit for is not to say that he did everything that he could.
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the corporations own the government.
We have a democratic government in name only.
The American people, for the most part, are the most apathetic, self-serving and ignorant group on this planet. A bunch of gutless wonders who are willing to bury their heads in the sand so they don't have to put themselves out so as to not impinge on that soft and easy lifestyle they so relish.
The only mitigation to this is our Fourth Estate who, when it comes to giving the American public the information it needs to be able to create checks and balances on our government, are as useless as teats on a boar...and we are now paying the price.
The Executive branch and congress(except for maybe, maybe! 20 individuals) should be run off the hill and replaced with people who can think critically, aren't bought and have the well being of US citizens at the forefront thinking and actions...along with the well being of the rest of the World.
Right now, it's a case of the blind and the stupid leading the blind and the ignorant.
Under the oligarchic/fasc ist/police state we now have we won't last long.
ROME - The sequel!
As much as I might agree with you otherwise I do not see that we are the most in any of that.
If the govt owns the means of production we call that Communism.
People I think confuse totalitarianism with either system.
BUT ... govt run health care is not fascism. Forcing people to buy privately owned health insurance btw IS leaning towards fascism.
Republic means govt by people not owned by any elite class such as a monarchy OR the rich. This includes corporations. When those entities have a better voice than the general public then we move towards fascism.
But the Republic owning the commons is not fascism. The same as the govt owning the Post Office or Amtrak. Neither are fascism.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/tell-vp-biden-end-his-war-marijuana-users-and-respect-people-colorado-and-washington/m4fQdJ4H?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl
Homeowners, whether in foreclosure or current, need to know where there loan is because it appears TARP funds may have been paying off the investors which may have kept MBS trusts current. If the trust is showing no losses, how can it claim damage and sue for foreclosure?
The big debate now is if my loan is in a trust and Uncle Sam made my mortgage payments (thank you very much) to keep the trust current - maybe some of the TARP money actually did help homeowners. It's just that the banks want their cake and eat it too.
If you don't know where your loan is run a Bloomberg Terminal search and request the excel that shows payments and losses for the tranche(s) where your loan is located. See www.doctelportal.com if you need help finding your mortgage loan.
The only action to be taken would appear to be an emotional one rather than a "solutional" one, although it might contain the seeds of a solution, and that is to withdraw and divest one's self from every possible connection with a "system" of banking and governance that is corrupt beyond imagining.
Withdraw your money AND your debt from the big banks, eschew debt, especially credit card debt. If your credit rating is shot anyway and you are on the brink, declare bankruptcy. Downsize your lifestyle voluntarily instead of letting the next national or personal catastrophe do it for you. (less painful by far) If you have any assets in the market, withdraw them from ANY corporation in which the CEO's have committed themselves to screwing you politically as well as financially. Biotech industries, war-mongers, armament manufacturers, banks and securities firms, resource extraction firms, all of which are dedicated to your slow death or impoverishment, need to be withdrawn from. Both Parties need to be withdrawn from.
I believe it does holds the seeds of a solution, but if not, it might make you feel better.
When is the public going to put an end to the stupidity?
We ARE the power folks, and can change the world with every waking $$. What ARE we choosing, allowing, and going along with?
I am ashamed to be an Amerikan, and proud of it.
(How do you spell "shellacking"?)
Shell lacking? More like Shell gaining. Although it's not alone.
Unemployment? The official figures went down because many workers stopped searching for work. Many settled for "underemploymen t" and various part-time and even illegal arrangements.
Wish, hope and think are all procrastinating words, so I'll say it this way, when Elizabeth Warren gets to the bottom of this fiasco something will get done.
I respect Matt, but he sounds a little like chicken little.
I would expect no salary and be happy to provide ongoing data which would in due course yield millions of dollars in benefits to the government and to the people of the United States. The grant would also put an end to certain government "subsidies" I currently receive, which over my expected lifetime would more than offset the $100,000.
I am purposely being vague here, but....just at a glance at least portions of this must appear to make sense.
You know what the major problem is? The government doesn't think in numbers that small any more.
Ah well, he was doing, by his own words "God's work" wasn't he?
Poor ol' God, it gets dragged into and through all kinds of reeking shit dunnit?!
The writer has given us insights into just how corrupt the whole system is. However, I doubt if he or any major journalist understands that this is the natural consequence of a bad money system. Not merely corrupt but inherently bad.
It has taken us 100 years to see the real consequences of our political leaders abandoning their responsibility and violating the Constitution by transfering our monetary system to private banking interests. Like in the political cartoon/speech, when you put the cats in charge, they just do what comes natural to cats. They are devouring our nation. Can it be rescued? I think so but our window is not infinite. It is truly up to "We, the People." and we do not seem to have suffered enough as yet. I hope I am wrong.
handouts -- with no loans to businesses, no mortgage assistance to the millions of underwater and bankrupt homeowners, yet millions in bonuses to CEOs, execs, and similar misdeeds -- could so soon pay off billions in goverment handouts. At least part of the answer came in two obscure articles that appeared in the last year: The largest recipients quickly bought US treasury bonds with the huge taxpayer handouts, at handsome interest rates. Upon maturity, the big recipients repaid the government handouts and pocketed lucrative interest payments (again at taxpayer expense) with not a modicum of assistance to the ailing US economy. How could such an obvious "slight of hand" escape the eyes of government overseers ? PBS' Frontline" ran an excellent documentary on the bailout and the political playout in realtime. The Frontlines documentary should be required viewing for every US taxpayer.
It's tough not to get discouraged. If you have money in the market, ask your investment person to make sure you are not investing in weapons and other horrible enterprises, at least. Share ideas. I'd like to hear other ideas. Yes, this country has drifted toward fascism. "Rage against the dying of the light."
But there is one obvious question he neglected to address.
Where was the sainted Barack Obama when all this was going on? Admiring himself in the mirror while Geithner, et al called the shots?!?
Sounds like the Commander-In-Ch ief was no better than 3rd in command behind Geithner and Bernanke.
And just like that noted genius GW Bush--BH Obama was perfectly happy with that arrangement.
Lesser evil arguments in politics seldom get less than evil results.
http://projects.propublica.org/bailout/
Very current too, December 19 2012