Want ‘Hope and Change’? Buy a Goat
Although the mainstream media won’t report it as such, Obama’s approval numbers are shrinking. Which means that elsewhere, certain numbers are growing — the unreported-by-the-MSM growing numbers of Americans who are kicking themselves for not having bothered to read the small print underneath the word “change.”
The small print was kind of blurry, while “change” was spelled in huge, pleasing letters on the signs they held at the rallies. The fierce urgency of now was in the air. Everybody was in such a hurry to bring about change; there was no time to ask “why” or “what kind of change.” As objectivity faded into the sunset, their individual brains melted into a euphoric collective mush, swirling around the only remaining absolute — change. In the absence of other standards, the truth became a mere matter of taste, subject to change without notice. If it didn’t change, it wasn’t the truth.
So they won the election; now what? Three months later and almost a month into Obama’s presidency, as the nation is beginning to rub its sore, swollen eyelids and finally trying to focus on reality, it looks in the mirror and, with a shock, notices a gigantic hammer and sickle tattooed on its forehead, which clearly wasn’t there before. The bubbling euphoric pulp has solidified into a depressing pile of unpaid bills and warrants. The computer has turned into a shovel and the big-screen TV into a 1930s-style radio, with the disciplined voice of Dear Leader calling for unity and sacrifice in the face of mounting economic hardships. The only thing left unchanged is the Obama t-shirt with the magic word “change” on the chest.
Being an immigrant from the former USSR — the land of equally redistributed misery — I used to cringe when Americans complained to me about the perceived misery and lack of opportunity under capitalism. I laughed at American homegrown agitators who were carping on behalf of “communities” about the lack of “economic justice.” They sounded like ignorant, spoiled brats who hated their rich parents for giving them the car of the wrong color. The whiners either didn’t realize how good they had it or they were being deliberately misleading. Either way their message was a fraud.
I had witnessed the stagnation and the collapse of a centralized command economy that, in the absence of the markets, was fueled by the carrot and stick of coercion and stale motivational slogans. I had lived through the hyperinflation, when I had to pay a million rubles to a guy who fixed the rusty refrigerator in my kitchen. I had seen the old country plunge into the chaos of mass unemployment and crime, while it was being robbed to the bone by crooked unelected officials who profited from the corrupt scheme to merge socialism and capitalism — a half-baked brainchild of Clinton’s economists who are now advising Obama.
In other words, I had been at the end of this road and I didn’t want to take it again.
It’s not the goat that’s been growing on us. It’s the elephant that’s been sitting on us. Your bleak outlook is a testament to the Soviet grey you can’t leave behind. Open BOTH of your swollen eyes and you will see the dissolution of soft tyranny. As Kaiser Soze said, “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” I fear you’ve been convinced over the last eight years. Others of us saw the devil for he he was and shed him. But don’t despair, you weren’t entirely wrong . . . “(Americans) sounded like ignorant, spoiled brats who hated their rich parents for giving them the car of the wrong color.”
indeed.
Hope for the chump change that the magnanimous One would let us keep after he has done stimulating his and his cronies’ pockets with our tax dollars.
Oleg,
You are right. Bad analogy by “one of”. There has been no elephant sitting on us — that’s not a Republican style. S(he) might have called it Republican “neglect” — that would be more accurate. But then it would also mean that the national government must be involved in saving everyone. State and local governments? Shouldn’t they have been doing that? Isn’t that why they collect taxes? Bottom line: Americans like “one of” feel with certainty that their national government must take care of them. Sort of a permanent in loco parentis.
FROM: http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/
“We must not revert to isolationism and unrestrained economic egotism… Excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state’s omnipotence is another possible mistake. True, the state’s increased role in times of crisis is a natural reaction to market setbacks. Instead of streamlining market mechanisms, some are tempted to expand state economic intervention to the greatest possible extent… In the 20th century, the Soviet Union made the state’s role absolute. In the long run, this made the Soviet economy totally uncompetitive. This lesson cost us dearly. I am sure nobody wants to see it repeated.”
– Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin
Opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland
January 28, 2009
(SEE ALSO: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123317069332125243.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)
This is really pathetic. Even Russian President Vlad Putin is warning the US against socialism.
“One of your own”, if you really believe you have been such a “victim” for the last 8 years, you have only confirmed yourself to be one of those “ignorant, spoiled brats.”
“One of your own” is a fraud. He/she is more likely a product of our wonderful educational system steeped in the new speak philosphy that America is really a capitalist monster that sits on the weak and down trodden. Logic and critical thinking are no longer taught in the ivy covered walls; thus the “soft tyranny” that actually is the product of the socialism pushed by the new administration, not the last.
Oleg is right – Americans do not have any idea how bad the rest of the world has it – When I was in Eastern Europe a few years ago, the people had no water for most of the day. They had to save water in their bath tubs. There was low unemployment in the Bush years and he kept us safe. Viva Bush!!! I wish there were 8 more years for him. – “one of your own” – go suck an egg.
I sincerely hope that Oleg is right in that we must experience the pain of failed socialist policies before we appreciate the freedom we once had.
Nice story, but it sounded to me like Bush was the goat.
Peace.
DS
#4. Ed . . . #5 Paul . . . Who’s the victim now? You’ve both been so slathered with “Freedom is on the march” and flagpins and yellow ribbons that you have lost touch with reality. Your thinking is nothing more than the recitation of Rupert Murdoch’s self-professed gaol of “getting Republicans elected.” You’re so quick to slam higher eduction but you can’t pry your eyes away from the flat screen long enough to think an original thought. You’re like geese being stuffed to make pate. Gross indeed.
You think you have a god-given right to drive a Crown Vic and eat at Outback every night and troll for internet porn. Well guess what, it’s not a right. Can you do it if you want to? Sure,go ahead. But that’s all you deserve is the choice. And if you choose to spend $200 a week on gas and cram your arteries with steak sauce and lose your wife and family to infidelity, so be it. Your choice. But you see, others of us make choices, too. And right now one of us is in the White House, and he’s making choices that the majority of Americans agree with. So sit down, shut the F up, and watch America’s Biggest Loser. you need a new role model after the last eight years.
How’s that for some self-serving lunatic ramblings, eh? What, you think you clowns have cornered the market?
David S. couldn’t be more right. The Bush I and Reagan presidencies created more wealthy people but in the process killed the middle class. Under Clinton, the middle class rebounded and finally had some money to burn. They then elected Bush because he promised that he would keep taxes low and let the middle class keep the money it amassed under Clinton. They didn’t realize how good they had it with Clinton. Eight years later, the middle class is screwed again, just as it was under Reagan and Bush I. It’s pretty plain to see who the goat is here.
I have to agree with most of Oleg’s assessment. But the thing I find most worrisome of all is that you can warn people of impending Socialism all day long, but there are many, many Americans that actually embrace the idea. That’s nearly impossible for me to wrap my head around, but unfortunately it appears to be true.
They’ve (mostly our young people) have bought into the “Capitalism is Evil” propaganda and not only welcome Socialism with open arms, they’re running straight towards it with visions of El Che tshirts, trendy neighborhood vegetable co-ops and open source software dancing in their heads. And while it’s easy to point fingers at our new politically vocal, yet naive, youth, we must take acknowledge the atmosphere that the older generations have created to foster such attitudes.
We need to stop looking for a Messiah to solve all our problems and take some personal responsibility (gasp!) for the state of our country. This attitude that ‘American = Easy & Pain Free Prosperity’ is bullshit. Bail outs are bullshit. We need to suck it up, hold ourselves and our elected officials accountable and work together to fix what we broke. But we’re exceedingly lazy and I fear things will get far worse before we get off our asses and actually do anything about it.
In the Obama Party (The new religious and political party for the Obama worshipers), the goat is their symbol.
Good article, Oleg. “Neutered house pet”–LOL! Unfortunately, though, that is what a huge slice of the population has become.
Here’s my projection of where things will be three years from now:
http://awolcivilization.com/?p=720
Trish says:They’ve (mostly our young people) have bought into the “Capitalism is Evil” propaganda and not only welcome Socialism with open arms, they’re running straight towards it with visions of El Che tshirts, trendy neighborhood vegetable co-ops and open source software dancing in their heads.
Trish, it’s the elder generations that got us into this mess. It’s youth that’s going to have to foot the bill for the your screw ups. We’re the ones who are going to create the medical miracles that keep you fogies alive a few years longer. We’re the ones who are going to be eating fresh “co-op” vegetables while you oldies get cancer from your own tainted food products. We’re the ones who are going to create the new technologies that will create new jobs and new American products to export, even if you can’t figure out how to operate them. Instead of being freaked out by us kids, and screaming about socialism, why don’t you just get out of our way and let us clean up the big mess you’ve made? We’re pretty sick and tired of it. Thanks.
# 14. Steve P. -
You’ve made a very indicative statement. But if you think you’re going into the future with it, you’re wrong. It belongs in the past – about 100 years into the past.
That’s exactly what the starry-eyed romantics were saying, singing, and writing poems about in 1917 after the Russian Revolution. Later in their lives, their idealistic grand visions that were not based on the reality of human nature, brought them either to alcoholism, or to the gulag, or to the positions of gulag supervisors. Case in point – Vladimir Mayakovsky, one of my favorite poets, who unfortunately fell in love with communism and wrote hymns to it. By 1930 he opened his eyes to reality and shot himself (although the rumor still lives that he was murdered by Stalin’s henchmen because he showed signs of disillusionment).
At that time, American romantic, starry-eyed revolutionaries visited that “dream come true” land – and wrote articles titled “I have seen the future and it works!” But they only saw what matched their fantasies and discarded the rest.
They thought they were cleverly defying the “conservative old fogies” at home – but in fact they were whitewashing a tyranny, legitimizing theft, insulting the suffering of millions of people, and dancing on the graves of the gulag victims.
The link between good intentions and hell has already been scientifically established. Do you need an official General Surgeon’s warning on it so you can stop being so reckless?
Steven P
David S has never been right on anything. You talk grandly, I’ve worked for what I have and worked hard. Your new utopia is not going to work.
Your messiah is robbing Peter to pay Paul. When that won’t work anymore, he’ll just print more money. That’s called inflation. Please take your academic ass to a class in economics and learn something. Find out how this economy works then lecture us.
Steve P and David S both espouse the same, old, Marxist claptrap. They also, not coincidentally, espouse the same contempt for religion. Good little Komrades, both.
“Instead of being freaked out by us kids, and screaming about socialism, why don’t you just get out of our way and let us clean up the big mess you’ve made?”
– - – - – -
Do a few things – make a few decisions – exercise some superior judgment – adhere to a stronger, cleaner, more life-serving morality – and do this while being a net gain to the daily needs of humanity for food and water and shelter and power – and you might get some reaction other than “yeah, if your video game ever breaks, maybe you WILL turn out to have abilities and characteristics that we can admire.
But aside from making loud noises about what you’re owed, or about what you would rather we did to serve your desires, your ilk hasn’t been all that impressive. Aren’t you the guys still trying to force us to stop arguing with your “consensus” of concerned marketers?
@16. Oscar the Grump:
Well, I can’t say I agree with this sentiment…
(I love you, too, Oscar.)
Are you really sure you want a lecture on how the economy works? It might be painful to your preconceptions…
Peace.
DS
Hope? Or Despair?
Holder Takes the Gloves Off and Calls Americans “Cowards”
Eric Holder, America’s new Attorney General, may prove to be the worst political pick since Caligula designated his horse, Incitatus, a Roman senator. The chief difference is that Caligula’s horse had far more class.
Disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich’s choice to fill Barack Obama’s Illinois senate seat, Roland Burris, merits consideration as the supreme loser as well. Seems ol’ Roland had such contempt for the United States Senate that he thought nothing of perjuring himself to secure it.
Then, again, having contempt for the American people, as Eric Holder does, has to take precedence over contempt for the Senate so Holder should still get the prize and Burris should be designated as runner-up.
Speaking to a Justice Department group observing Black History Month, the new AG said, “Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards:” http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96E53483&show_article=1.
Confirmed 75-21 by an obsequious United States Senate, Holder went on to say that, “the workplace is largely integrated but Americans still self-segregate on the weekends and in their private lives.”
If my take is correct, the new AG feels that government dictates concerning whom companies employ is woefully inadequate. Holder is suggesting that people should be invited to golf outings, family bbq’s, christenings, and graduations simply because they are people, regardless of whether we would appreciate their presence.
Now isn’t that just special! Barely two weeks in office,…
(Read the rest of this article at http://genelalor.com/.)
Seeing the hammer and sickle in the mirror? Yesterday I met our son’s college adviser who was wearing a bright red tie with logos of – you got it, the hammer and sickle.
One of your own.. I make it a practice to not to respond to individual posters but here is my exception for 2009.
As a 56 yr. old fogey, I would respectfully ask you to do the following:
- print out your email and place it in a folder to open in 2030
- raise your family
- start a business with your employees families as one of your responsibiities
- bury your Mom and Dad or people that you love and will miss
- Read Atlas Shrugged
- open this folder and read your petty, non informed rantings from a different time
- GET RID OF THE GOAT!
- get on your knees to thank god for all of the quiet giants who kept the fire alivefor you to live in this wonderful, imperfect country called America
The economy seems to be saying to every one of us in America that until we get rid of Obama and the Democrats, there will be no recovery.
People are voting with their money.
Obamafia taking over.