I believe that Barack Obama (with the assent of Congress, of course) has done more long-term economic harm to the nation in his first few weeks in office than any other president has done in his first weeks in office, and that in years to come, when the repercussions of it are more evident, we will look back on this period with a "what were they thinking?" horror, similar to how the Smoot-Hawley tariff act of 1930 is widely viewed today.
Addendum
I suppose this puts me over my self-imposed one-sentence limit, but to assuage those who conclude that I'm a Republican hack, I'll add that I think George W. Bush inflicted at least as much long-term economic harm on us in his, oh, last six months or so--and maybe more.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A one-sentence political rant having nothing to do with poker (I just need to get it off my chest)
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16 comments:
Couldn't agree more Grump.
I'm more a conservative than libertarian like you, but WHENEVER the gov't feels the need to stick its inefficient head in my affairs (wallet, bank account, etc) I get sick to my stomach and it doesnt matter if its Republican or Democrat.
Am I the only one who was nauseated by that tool, Nancy Pelosi trying to garner a standing ovation every third word?
I mean, I know these speeches are always about standing ovations and grandstanding, but she was so transparently cheerleading that they should have given her some green pom-poms (green for money) and a cheerleading outfit with a donkey on the front.
Oh, and I loved the part about being fiscally responsible a week after you spent more money than any government in history. Just like those morons who go to the pizza store and order 2 slices, a large order of fries, and a DIET COKE.
AWFUL!!!
Nice hit n run comment there. Yeah, we're all doomed. Go back to listening to Sean Hannity.
Best Bumpersticker I've seen in awhile - "Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Ron Paul"
Possible. The attentiveness of Congress means I won't count it out.
On the other hand, we re-elected GWB. Hell, at least it'd be an honest mistake.
I have a friend who lost his job at the end of 2008. he just got hired back due to funding the company will receive from the stimulus package. Hopefully we will see a post from you in a few years where you write about how happy you were to be mistaken.
Nobody knows how this will play out. Many of those who are against the stimulus would change their tune if very little was done and a year later half the country was begging for rice. The last six months, Grump? You are too kind.
Luke,
If it works it will be the first time it ever has.
Instead of an insult, try an educated debate if you think I'm wrong.
And while we are at it, if spending our asses off is the way to go, why wont your Democrat heros just come out and say so instead of saying one thing and doing another.
Doesnt that bother you at all?
Taking out a second mortgage on the house and going to play nosebleed stakes is risky, but might be +EV if you can't afford to pay off your existing mortgage.
Ray,
Poker Grump posted a blatant hit n run political comment on this blog, so I responded in similar fashion.
I've seen stuff like this before where somebody chooses to make a statement that requires in depth justification and wraps it up into one tidy little sentence because either a) the person making the statement does not have the knowledge of the relevant subject matter to back up what he is saying, or b) the person making the statement doesn't feel that this is the proper place or time to delve too deeply into this particular subject matter.
I don't know if it's "a" or "b" in the case of Grump, but perhaps it's a little bit of both. Whatever the case, I hope this isn't taken as me wanting Poker Grump to launch into a 400 paragraph post about why Obama is going to launch our country into the next Great Depression. I come to this blog to read about poker, particularly the Las Vegas poker scene, not politics. If he wants to go on a long-winded political rant, more power to him. I personally won't read it, as I have other outlets I choose to visit to read political opinions.
That being said, I am going to call him out for making what I deem to be outrageous hit n run political statements. I don't claim to be a professor of history, but even I am educated enough to realize that absurdity in comparing what Obama has done to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. But then again, unlike Poker Grump, I don't have access to one of those crystal balls thingies which are apparently so accurate in predicting our future.
Democrat heroes? I don't have any heroes in politics, at least not any living ones. Republican or Democrat, I am more about giving people a chance to do some good before judging them as failures. I didn't call Bush a failure until about, eh, the 6th year or so. It's not as sexy as making sweeping, dramatic statements about people based on just a few weeks of service, but it does make one look like less of a fool when one is ultimately shown to be wrong.
Luke,
When a particular action runs completely contrary to my beliefs, I can make a judgement on it if I so choose. I can even state my opinion if I want. I don't have to wait for you to finally figure it out.
Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it and our esteemed president seems to be acting as if he is robbing a bank by of the speed of his actions.
These types of spending sprees are EXACTLY what got us into this mess, and since it took you 6 years to figure it out with Bush I guess the last two years would have to be on you.
I hope you don't take this long to figure it out this time.
My experience tells me that while almost all politicians lie, its a particularly bad sign when they lie WHILE they are doing it.
That just means they take us for fools. Forgive me if I don't want to wait until its too late to make an obvious judgement.
If you noticed, this government wasn't really interested in considering alternative solutions before they acted.
Try forming an opinion before the fallout reaches 5 trillion dollars and your great grandchildren.
Or you could just wait and see what happens.
I really don't like Obama, but it was Bush who brought this country to ruin.
After 8 years of catastrophic Bush policies and outright looting of the Treasury, Obama is to blame?
Come on now... you're saying this is worse then Bush?
Good going Grump, ya got people arguing in the COMMENTS! ha ha ha
Spread the grump. Living thru a civilizations decline and fall might be very interesting, or not. Clapping and standing Os at all speeches in DC should be a capital crime.
Wolynski,
We shouldn't be ok with what Obama or any politician does simply because it "isnt as bad as Bush", or "Bush did it too". We should be looking to learn from past economic mistakes and IMPROVING on our past errors.
If you hated what Bush did with the economy, you should hate what Obama has done so far even more since he has done the same thing on a MUCH larger scale.
If you hated Bush for other reasons and therfore think that anything that Obama does has to be good since he "isn't Bush", then CONGRATULATIONS!!!
You are one of the millions of people who elected a candidate simply because he promised to be different than the last guy.
Not the dumbest reason to vote for someone, but its definitely in the top 5.
Ray, you haven't read my post - I said I don't like Obama. In my blog I warned against voting for him from the get go, so don't go saying "millions like you".
Paul Krugman, who's been cutting Obama no slack, says the budget is very good (not so much the stimulus package). Since Krugman just won the Nobel Prize for Economics I'd rather listen to him than you, Ray.
You misread my post.
I said IF you are one of the people...etc etc....
I respect your opinion but I have to disagree.
That said, I can't say I have an opinion on his budget since I haven't reviewed it yet. I am still getting over how he and the clowns running Congress jammed that stimulus bill down our throats in record time.
Spending the amount of money he is, while saying he will be fiscally responsible is like a poker player telling you he is a tight player as he shows down rags time and time again throughout the session.
When the lies are flowing with such clear evidence to the contrary, I blame the people that accept the lies more than the liar himself.
Ray sounds like a sore loser.
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