It was typical Obama, taking credit for what should be condemned.
He's a fraud, a crime boss, a war criminal multiple times over, a
moral coward, and serial liar.
His State of the Union address was beginning-to-end doublespeak,
duplicity, coverup, and denial of failed policies complicit with
Wall Street crooks, war profiteers, and other corporate favorites
while popular needs go begging.
Not according to fawning New York Times writers, however.
Suppressing truth and full disclosure, Helene Cooper headlined,
Obama Speech Makes Pitch for Economic Fairness," saying:
Obama "pledged on Tuesday night to use government power to balance
the scale between America's rich and the rest of the
public....toward an economy 'built to last' and what he called
irresponsible policies of the past that caused economic collapse."
Fact check
Throughout his tenure, Obama transferred trillions of dollars to
Wall Street, other corporate favorites, and America's rich already
with too much. In the process, he deepened a Main Street Depression.
As a result, half of US households are impoverished or bordering on
it. Hunger and homelessness grow. Nothing's done to help.
Unaddressed human need is incalculable.
Over 25 million remain unemployed. Job creation is nil except for
low wage/no benefit temp or part-time ones. Inequality in America is
unprecedented. Obama supports austerity when massive stimulus is
needed. Rich elites never had it so good at the expense of ordinary
people left out.
Obama's Failed State isn’t fit to live in for growing millions.
Nonetheless, an accompanying Times editorial headlined, "The State
of the Union in 2012," saying:
"A year ago....we applauded" Obama's plan to "put millions of
struggling people to work (and his support for) wrestl(ing) down the
deficit (by requiring) the wealthy (to pay) a fairer share of
taxes."
Applause continued, ignoring Obama's duplicitous Tuesday address and
agenda.
Fact check
It includes imperial wars, tax cuts for the rich, corporate
handouts, and austerity for ordinary people losing out.
His America perpetuates permanent wars, disproportionate wealth
extremes, spiraling debt, and unaddressed human need.
He ignores growing millions unemployed and impoverished. He cut
Medicare for seniors and America's disabled as well as Medicaid for
poor and disadvantaged recipients. He left growing millions of
students debt entrapped, many for life.
He's destroying Middle America. His latest proposal involves looting
pension funds to enrich mortgage lenders. Yet he's packaging fraud
as a boon to ordinary people. It's typical Obama - say one thing, do
another.
Nonetheless, major media scoundrels applaud. As a result, they're
part of the problem, not the solution.
The editorial highlighted Obama's "achievements" and plans. It
ignored his destructive agenda. It was typical Times, backing rogue
politics.
Obama's address wreaked of failed state duplicity, coverup and
denial. Throughout his tenure, rhetoric and gimmickry substituted
for constructive policies. Tuesday was no different.
He left festering social and economic distress unaddressed, as well
as the American dream in shambles. Expect continued business as
usual to assure harder than ever times ahead.
He lied saying "The state of our union is getting stronger....In the
last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million
jobs."
Progressive Radio News Hour regular, economist Jack Rasmus said
Obama's "stimulus" programs consisted largely of corporate and
personal super-rich tax cuts. As a result, they failed.
Corporations hoarded cuts and other subsidies. Job creation
investments weren't made. Business benefitted. Ordinary people lost
out. Economic recovery failed. Ongoing policies assure continued
failure packaged as success.
According to Rasmus, Obama's agenda "failed because (it) relied on
the private market sector to generate a sustained recovery, instead
of on the government directly taking the lead to create jobs, rescue
homeowners and resurrect housing, and stabilize state-local
government finances long run."
He "bailed out banks that (don't) lend, rescued corporations that
(don't) create jobs, and (inadequately) subsidized state and local
governments for a brief period and then cut them loose to fend
fiscally for themselves."
His agenda was and remains devastating for ordinary Americans. At
the same time, corporations and rich ones flourish. His "built to
last" economy favors them alone. He lied saying he wants to assure
"everyone gets a fair shot." His notion of "American values" rewards
the rich at the expense of everyone else.
He took credit for letting auto giants destroy jobs, slash worker
pay and benefits, ban strike actions, and let corrupt union bosses
serve as corporate enforcers. He said what Detroit did "can happen
in other industries."
In fact, Detroit's "success" is bankruptcy and ruin. Motown became
ghost town. In death throes, it symbolizes America's decline. In
disrepair and decline, it's dying with shocking unemployment,
poverty and unaddressed human need levels.
What Obama did to Detroit, he offers other cities packaged as
populism. He took direct aim at destroying decades of painful labor
struggles. They included taking to the streets, going on strike,
holding boycotts, battling rogue bosses, police and National Guard
forces, as well as paying with their blood and lives before real
gains were won.
Now they're lost, including a living wage, decent benefits, and the
right to bargain collectively on equal terms with management. Obama
deplores the idea and fights it.
What grassroots struggles achieved, he and other rogue leaders
destroyed. All this in a nation claiming to be government of, by and
for the people, most of whom are working class ones struggling to
get by. What Reagan era politics began, Obama raised to new levels.
Praising "America's Armed Forces," he also assured permanent war.
They "exceed all expectations," he said. "Imagine what we could
accomplish if we followed their example." Perhaps he has destroying
humanity in mind to assure unchallenged US hegemony.
Ron Paul Responds to Obama's Address
Obama "once again showed that he does not represent the fundamental
change this country needs. Instead of offering solutions to the
problems our country faces, (he) deliver(ed) a campaign
speech....typical (of) Washington political gamesmanship that (got)
us exactly nowhere close to improving the lives of the American
people."
His policies assure "continue economic stagnation" and decline. He
"claims to want an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone
does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules."
"Yet he remains committed to the same old system of debt, deficits,
bailouts and cronyism that created our economic troubles."
"Of course, (he) refuses to even mention the role the Federal
Reserve plays in creating an economic system where some are denied a
fair shot or even to support my efforts at bringing transparency" to
an opaque, secretive process.
"In the area of foreign policy and civil liberties, (Obama's)
rhetoric" belies his agenda. It's "hardly 'change we can believe
in.' " No wonder more and more Americans, especially young people,
(reject his) phony alternatives (and those of) establishment
Republicans.."
A Final Comment
Throughout his tenure, Obama waged multiple imperial wars, plans
others, looted the nation's wealth, wrecked the economy, consigned
growing millions to impoverishment without jobs, and
institutionalized tyranny to target dissenters challenging political
corruption, corporate crooks, or abuse of power lawlessness.
He also destroyed hard won labor rights, wants education commodified
as another business profit center, and wages war on whistleblowers,
dissenters, Muslims, Latino immigrants, and environmental and animal
rights activists called terrorists.
He wrecked America, governs lawlessly, and threatens worse ahead.
Imagine the unpalatable options facing voters in November between a
lawless/crime boss/militarist/pro-war/anti-populist/morally corrupt
president, and a rogue's gallery of alternatives looking more like a
police lineup than legitimate candidates.
They assure continued pro-business/pro-war/anti-populist policies.
They threaten Middle America's survival and perhaps humanity if
they're not stopped.
Imagine a president taking credit for what should be condemned.
Imagine an aroused public refusing to let him.
It's happening with legs but needs to grow. What OWS began, millions
need to join and support. That's how great struggles are won. This
one's the mother of them all.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network
Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon.
All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/. |