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I'm glad I'm not US President: most jobs I've ever had, I've barely found the most convenient toilet to my desk and figured out how to get lunch after three weeks. This guy's already a complete failure.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 05:00:44 AM EST
But should we laud this particular decision?

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 05:43:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
That excuse is too convenient.

This case has been on the radar for quite a while. It has been highlighted as a potential 'do as you say' and 'finally, we have a chance to end this nightmare' milestone...and now it is a millstone. While not deserving the meter's needle-pin that you use to slay us with, his inaction is indicative; is he is or is he ain't gonna slice away all the cancers that created the most successful presidency ever?

Is one of the hallmarks of the 1,000 Bush Accomplishments going to be that he was so over the top, that tyranny still remains excused after he has left? I am of two minds whether such tyranny was merely blowback, mere unintended consequences of paying back the GreedyBastards who paid for his coronations, of actual evil. Is tyranny an implied consequece of endless expansion for his friends in the war toys industry, endless angst for his friends in the drug industry, endless big brother sensationalism for his friends in the media, endless opportunities for the criminal banking/insurance industry? The stated goal of the neo groups was bankrupting the government financially...was it required to bankrupt the moral base to accomplish that goal?

My belief is that your guy Obama can't be a complete failure until he fails to perform miracles in each and every category required for creating a new democracy from the ashes he was handed.

His keywords have got to be Constant Vigilance. He can't let one thing go un-noticed since even perfection has such a large chance of failure. For we have seen that the American people are not studious and enduring types, and are easily swayed into becoming terrorists while crying about how mistreated they are. If the failures add up, if there is enough angst and apathy, it will be complete failure for that dream of a government for, by and of.

Sorry my response wasn't as clever and terse as yours. I just couldn't figure out how to say: If you have to bat 100 to survive, if you have to excise all the cancers and all the effects of them, is it complete failure to leave any behind?

Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.

Frank Delaney ~ Ireland

by siegestate (siegestate or beyondwarispeace.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 07:11:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]
My guy Obama? You're very funny: I'm the one that's long been saying I expected normal rational US semi-evil from him on foreign policy.

I'm not excusing anything: it just seems that the internet left have slightly less impulse control and tolerance for delayed gratification than my 10 month old son.

I also think that Tomalsky might be onto something:

OK, what I'm about to say isn't true of everyone, of course. But there is a general thing: liberals are happy being unhappy. Or worrying. We're (I very much include myself) big worriers. With reason: history teaches that the tide of change doesn't always flow in our direction, especially in recent years. I know a lot of people who couldn't quite believe that America could elect a man like Barack Obama, and still didn't quite believe it after it happened.

In addition, there is a general tendency to accentuate the negative. Partisans of both sides focus on what has been lost in compromise, but there is a crucial difference in the quality of complaint. Conservatives tend to look upon compromise and shout: "Betrayal!" Liberals have more often tended to sigh: "Well, I figured as much." The blogosphere has given liberalism an often necessary jolt of the former disposition, but it's still the general reflex of the liberal mind (again, including my own) to assume the worst and nod knowingly as it inevitably happens.

Now, I don't know what the court decision tells us about the position the US administration is adopting: it may be that they haven't exactly decided how to handle the issue and are simply taking the most conservative position while they figure it out - it doesn't seem obvious to me that time is of the essence here. It may also be that people's worst fears will be realised. We'll see.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 07:31:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]
You are not wrong. I am just pissed.

Also, my Irish friends all have the predilection of saying things like, "You man in charge there..." whether he is my man or not, just seemed appropriate given your message.

As you say, we'll see. But I think it is indicative of the normative behavior. They'll get rid of the headline mockable and defend the indefensible easier-to-defend.

I do disagree with Tomalsky though; the tide of Progressive does flow in our direction. There are many fewer kings or queens of consequence, many rich are asking to be taxed, and 'freedom from' is gradually being replaced by actual plain ol' 'freedom'.

Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.

Frank Delaney ~ Ireland

by siegestate (siegestate or beyondwarispeace.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 09:04:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Correction: "Your man in charge there..."

Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.

Frank Delaney ~ Ireland

by siegestate (siegestate or beyondwarispeace.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 09:06:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
um, i think it's probably more like 'man in discharge'

:)

~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 11:03:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job

WASHINGTON--African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."



In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 07:56:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Truly one of the greatest headlines ever.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 09:16:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
that one: Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over', which will be hard to top.


"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."

Bush swore to do "everything in [his] power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.

During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"

On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.



In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 02:45:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
We always reserve the worst jobs for African-Americans.
by Lupin on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 12:43:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
he's like the casino manager, forgiving buddies' debts, and passing out free chips to get the game going again...

more drinks and peanuts!

~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 at 11:10:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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