Outraged, what happened to the conneteer that supported Nader?  Howe did you turn into a McCarthyite truther who accuse people who attack Bush-Obama’s policies of being Terroriss or vicious racists.  Is that the only way you can defend Obama selling out and betraying the people who voted for him I’m sorry to see it.

Re: Samson

Your comment: “The first thing we have to do is to stop listening to the Democrats and their supporters.”

Really…... what’s the second thing?

Re: Eugene

I feel certain after reading the majority of the comments you get a sense of just what Pres. Obama is up against.  Do any of these supposed liberals sound LIBERAL to you?  I read a transcript of one of your shows and the comments were similar.  Odd.... for the most part LIBERALS, hell even CENTRISTS don’t spew this type of garbage.  Truthfully, anyone who’s been paying attention knows, one and one are NOT equaling two here.

There’s nothing wrong with standing for what you believe to be right.  Sincere people in this category are usually well prepared to debate the point of contention.  The Obama Haters are NOT IN THIS CATEGORY, I surmise that they have an agenda.  I also surmise that they are vicious, racist ideologues.

I’ve read several articles claiming that race is a weak argument… at least, politically.  I’ve said it before….. and I’ll say it again, I DISAGREE.  I’ve a great deal of “experience” regarding RACISTS….. I’ve witnessed every ploy and heard every excuse.  For me, those who claim that RACISM is a weak argument have been sheltered from it. 

Your quote:  “he’s a president, not a Hollywood action hero.”

Just one small disagreement, CURRENTLY “he’s” NOT “a president”(while technically true) more accurately “he’s” THE PRESIDENT, COMMANDER IN CHIEF…. LEADER OF THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TODAY.  Aside from that, yeah…. “he’s” not a Hollywood action hero.  I agree.

The underlying issue within the whole conundrum, is reestablishing the rule of law which inherently MEANS to abide by the rule of law.  Pres. Obama and many others, are working diligently to reestablish this premise against very CORRUPT, extremely widespread, very POWERFUL forces that ruthlessly engage in all types of deceptions and contentions in order to attain their agenda.

Good article.  All “drivel” aside…..lol.

Hope all of you (apparently former) Obama supporters and now discoverers of the word drivel, enjoy your next (GOP) president, because that is apparently what you’re now going to get.

It was very clever of Wall street and the plutocracy to help put Obama in office.  He puts a Black face on a White policy increasing the support of Europe and even getting a Nobel Peace Prize.  Meanwhile he splits the Prog vote as he goes to the right, the African-american population supporting him because he legitmates African-American power, and the Dem lemmings duped by his Inspiring rhetoric.

The Dems are already losing elections after his being only a year in office, and he hasn’t even escalated, even more, the Afpak war yet.  Which he will probably do under the guise of withdrawal, as in Iraq.  And without Israel mousetraping him yet into a war with Iran, a real possibility, as Ritter has argued.  The US is now putting a missile defense system in Israel to protect it if and when it attacks Iran.

I would guess the Gops will choose a military man in the next presidential election, as they chosse Ike during the Korean war.  Potraeus is the obvious choice, just as McClellan ran against Lincoln during the 1864 election during the Civil War.  He will probably win, since Obama is proving to be an ineffectual disaster spouting Inspsiring bullshit.  both Truman and Johnson’s poll numbers sank through the floor during the Korena and Vietnam war, and Obama appears going with the flow in the Afpak war and will suffer the same fate.

Given that the electoral system is broken, and as
TAO says, there is a complete disconnect between the power structure and the American population, the anti-war Progs must form a movment against the war.  But this can’t be done without forming a movment against the plutocraatic Mafia promoting it, which the US power structure has degenerated into.  For the anti-war movement to have strength, it must support a people’s economic policy. 

The question is therefore:  what should the economic policy of the anti-war movement be to initiate a viable force against US violence.

This is from Sam Smith over at Progressive Review

“A year ago, Sarah van Gelder of Yes Magazine gave us a clue as to what an independent progressive movement might look like - based on polls - of “an agenda that the majority of Americans support, whether they vote red, blue, green or something else.”

  * 67% favor public works projects to create jobs.
  * 55% favor expanding unemployment benefits.
  * 76% support tax cuts for lower- and middle-income people.
  * 80% support increasing the federal minimum wage.
  * 59% favor guaranteeing two weeks or more of paid vacation.
  * 75% want to limit rate increases on adjustable-rate mortgages.
  * 58% believe a court warrant should be required to listen to the telephone calls of people in the U.S.
  * 59% would like the next president to do more to protect civil liberties.
  * 79% favor mandatory controls on greenhouse gas emissions.
  * 90% favor higher auto fuel efficiency standards.
  * 75% favor clean electricity, even with higher rates.
  * 72% support more funding for mass transit.
  * 64% believe the government should provide national health insurance coverage for all Americans, even if it would raise taxes.
  * 55% favor one health insurance program covering all Americans, administered by the government, and paid for by taxpayers.
  * 81% oppose torture and support following the Geneva Conventions.
  * 76% say the U.S. should not play the role of global police.
  * 79% say the U.N. should be strengthened.
  * 63% want U.S. forces home from Iraq within a year.
  * 47% favor using diplomacy with Iran. 7% favor military action.
  * 67% believe we should use diplomatic and economic means to fight terrorism, rather than the military.
  * 86% say big companies have too much power in politics
  * 65% believe attacking social problems is a better cure for crime than more law enforcement.
  * 87% support rehabilitation rather than a punishment-only system.
  * 81% say job training is very important for reintegrating people leaving prison.
  * 79% say drug treatment is very important.
  * 56% believe NAFTA should be renegotiated.
  * 64% believe that on the whole, immigration is good for the country. “

——————————————-
What the Democrats will keep telling us is that we can’t have any of this. In fact, they’ll continually try to tell is its a political impossibility.  They’ll try to tell us there’s no support for any of our positions.

The first thing we have to do is to stop listening to the Democrats and their supporters.

We are the majority.  All we need to do is to organize ourselves and act.

Folktruther ... so, why aren’t you out building the movement ... instead of criticizing others who are trying.

Yes, of course we need to build a movement.  That’s the most blatant statement of the obvious I’ve read in a long time.

The question is, why aren’t we doing it today?

And, of course its very possible that we could build this over the next year for the 2010 elections.  That is of course if we ignore all the people who say it can’t be done.

johannes, November 3 at 4:55 pm #

TO Dave zx3

All non whites are your enemy, its the èpoque of settlement, we seme to have done so much harm to all the others, or they are just bloody jealous that they can’t beat us.

I do not believe what you say is true, but I am not sure what you say either.  I only took two years of French, sorry.

Non-whites are not my enemy.  My enemy knows no skin color.  My enemy is willing to brutalize and murder all races, creeds and colors.

This piece falls into the category of embarrassing, Pollyanna-ish gushing.  What we see here at the one year anniversary of Obama’s election ratifies the critiques of Nader and Chomsky - that we really have a one-party system, the party just has two factions.
Whether Obama meant better, or whether he simply meant to get elected, I don’t know, but early on he - perhaps thinking himself invincible - swallowed three or four poisonous pills… Bob Gates, Rahm Emanuel, Tim Geithner, Hillary Clinton… and the one who thought he would be the “horse whisperer” has become the whispered.  I see this as his defining mistake, since he shows no intention to address it in any way.  The pills were a mistake because, as Andrew Bacevich has pointed out, “Presidents don’t govern, administrations do.”

Eugene Robinson was thinking and writing and thinking and writing and during the exhausting excercise decided to share the following—

“...He’s brought us to the brink of truly meaningful reform much faster than anyone could have imagined a year ago…
...it looks clear that the principle that everyone is entitled to health insurance, a Democratic Party goal for at least six decades, is about to become law.”

Astounding.

Simply Astounding.

Eugenie knows the difference between “mandated” & “entitled”.
Wonder why he got it mixed up here? Oh, and I’m glad to know that this was the 6 decade goal and not health care, finally. All that mis-understanding.

@  LostHills,

      “All that and a Nobel Peace Prize, too!”,

Yup, that’s how Copenhagen bought Obama.

Obama’s upcoming acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize and
the invisible strings attached to it, may prove to be an
enormously expensive exercise for all taxpayers on this
continent. The “Copenhagen” supporters on the Nobel
Committee, on the other hand, are counting on it.

http://pacificgatepost.com/2009/10/obama-nobel-is-not-
about-peace.html

....  and writers like E. Robinson think all is well at the top of
the political food chain.  Amazing.
—-

“All that and a Nobel Peace Prize, too!”

Careful with that axe, Eugene…....

Eugene Robinson is really just whistling past the graveyard here….while wishfully thinking out-loud, perhaps.  His unexpressed thesis, however, is that theamericanpeople better get behind Obama because he may be the “....last best HOPE!” for them….indeed, for all the world.  That’s about as close to messiah-ism as he dares get for now, though others are already a lot bolder about it.  Take the Nobel Committee….please!!

The thing is, the privateering U.S.S. U.S.A. is dead-in-the-water, and sinking fast.  Barack Obama’s “job” is to keep the lower-class passengers and crew in their place, while the officers and plutoligarchs get-away in the intentionally too-few “lifeboats.”

Maybe the man does have impulses running counter to this assignment, but saving his own loved ones will certainly over-ride them.  It is certainly not a pretty picture, but one common to great falls inevitably following upon episodes great pride.

No use beating-up on either Eugene Robinson or the president.  Each is only following the “groove” of his own “individual” character and choices.  No one among the captive peoples is doing anything else, here in these latter days.

Still, The Tiyoshpaye Way is here to get anyone out of their “rut.”

HokaHey!

Mr Robinson: You are obviously being paid by the DNC. This was the most ass-kissing piece of drivel I’ve read in quite some time.

Obama hasn’t changed a thing. I am one of the uninsured Americans, but I do not expect my government to give me health insurance.I don’t want my government to give me health insurance. Less government is what we need, not more, and especially not from Obama and his ilk.

I finally realized how bad things had gotten when I found myself agreeing on some things with Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.

I’m ashamed to say that I voted for Obama, hoping he would bring change. I now think that Obama’s presidency will destroy this country. He is nothing but a paid-for liar for the status quo.

“Can 10 to 15% of the America people stand up together and collectively demand Peace, health care, an end to torture, etc?”

  The short answer, Samson, is no.  That would be thirty to fortyfive million Americans and more than enough to change the world, but this requires sustained united political committment.  And there is not one million Americans, let alone thirty million, willing and captiable of providing it.

  We are talking about real historical power change now, not the usual drivel of voting for either the Gops or Dems or some marginal party.  If voting changed anything it would be illegal.  Power change requires political commitment of activists, cadre if you will, who are willing to devote their lives, or a portion of it, to bring about transformation.

One requirement for unity is believing in the same things and the same means for change.  We do not, and the vagueness of political language conceals and disguises our disagreements.  Cadre must unite and haive the tacit support of a larger group of supporters to effect change.  and the first thing that will happen is that such a grouping will create a division in the American population who will support oppressive power opposing change.

Before there can be a party, there must be a movement.  Such a realistic movment for historical change does not exist in the US.  It wouod pit, for example, the anti-war Progs against the pro-war Progs.  the people who actively favor equality over most affluent Americans who oppose it.  People who support communal values against those who support Western Idividualism.

these values divide people and worse, most Americans don’t really care about them one way or another.  Most Americans identify with the Idealistic rhetoric of plutocratic Mafia that rules us, and are afraid to challenge it

We have a long way to go historically before a people’s movement is possible, and although history is moving much faster now, it will take years. 

We are currently in the stage of Creative Distruction, the distruction of the Hope of the Dems in the Change You Can Believe In.

Obviously, the first slogan should have been ....

PEACE NOW! ... OR NO SECOND TERM!

  LOL

The second doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.  But it does make the point that we don’t have to wait until 2012 to act.

Its one year until the Congressional elections.  I believe we have the power to change things.  The way to do this is to pull our support from the Democrats.  If 10-15 pct of the people were to do this, the Democrats would be in the position of either having to cut a deal with us, or to be almost sure losers in almost every election.

Can 10 to 15% of the America people stand up together and collectively demand Peace, health care, an end to torture, etc?

Organize!

Organize independent campaigns in the general elections.  Don’t waste your time with the rigged game that’s a party primary.  And the real power lies in the general elections.

Strong independent campaigns that were challenging the Democrats on issues like health care, torture and detention, domestic spying, and our continuing and expanding wars would put the fear of God into the Democrats.  Or at least the fear of losing their seat in Congress.

It doesn’t take a huge shift to move the projections to the point where the Democrats are losing their majority in the House.  Strong, independent campaigns in the 50 or so CLOSEST House races would make the point very clearly.

Wanna make the Democrats listen to the left. That’s how to do it.  Show the Democrats that they are sure losers when the left abandons them.  And Democrats without power are very unattractive to money, so that would put a plug in the torrents of money that’s been flowing to the Dems since 2006.

PEACE NOW! ..... OR NOW SECOND TERM!

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE NOW! .... OR THE DEMOCRATS ARE BACK IN THE MINORITY IN 2011!

Obama always said we’d have to force him kicking and screaming into doing anything progressive.  This is how we could do just that.

Perhaps a better title would have been “A record you can have faith in”, given the extraordinary dearth of facts and evidence to support the claims made in this article. This piece is simply atrocious. I cannot say that there is “a disconnect” between this writer’s views and reality, for in truth the two are actually
diametric.

Obama has done nothing to end torture, deescalate our illegal foreign adventures, curb the absolute control over congress and the White House by Sachs & co., or prosecute (or even investigate!) the crimes of his predecessor that his teleprompter was so vehement about during his campaign.

I’ve never felt more betrayed and fooled by any politician in the past. Even Bush was at least what he appeared to be from the start. It’s really saying something that Obama is worse, as I could not previously have imagine being less impressed by any president that I was by Bush II. Obama can’t even lay to rest the more extreme and fanatical sounding criticisms against him by providing birth documents. Instead he just seals all the records, insanely lending credence to his detractor’s claims.

Mr. Robinson, with all due respect, I hope you have a great deal of difficulty getting a good night’s sleep, for you have betrayed all of us who seek the facts behind the facade. Thereby, you have betrayed your own future.

Among family, friends and colleagues I’m known as a pessimist, but ... I am not willing to consign the efforts of tens of thousands of people all over the world whom I know are working 24/7 on creative, life-affirming projects that are making real differences in solving some of the toughest problems around—at home and abroad.  Criticizing has its value and is vitally necessary, but constant nay-saying undermines people’s morale and weakens them to the point where they crawl in a hole and hide.  I refuse the idea that all is lost, we are doomed, etc. etc.  The problems are terrifying, but the human spirit is divine—if I may say so without sending many of you off to the scream factory.

Dear Mr. Robinson,

I have come to believe that there is truly a disconnect between everyone in Washington and the everyday people of the United States.  Allow me to explain.

The banking bailout was and continues to be absolutely atrocious.  His two choices for the top finincial positions were irresponsible appointments.  Timothy Geitner and Summers are two people that have Goldmna Sachs interst at heart above anything else.  If you believe anything that comes out of their mouths I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.  This is blatant Washington cronyism at its worst.  One negative and counting.

Renouncing torture is easy to say but his actions don’t back up what he says.  This is one area where Obama is especially deficient.  How can you renounce torture but say that rendition is going to continue.  The concept of rendition is abhorrent and
to continue that while renouncing torture is laughable.  Even worse than that is the policy of keeping innocent people incarcerated forever without the hope of a trial because one can.  If anyone had told me that Obama would continue this policy I would have NEVER voted for him. I have no words to describe my feelings for this policy.  Second negative and counting

I will wait and see on Iraq.  I won’t believe it until I see it.  On Afghanistan it is simple.  Think back to the sixties and seventies and Vietnam.  I know it sounds pretty simplistic but it works.  We had no business being over there and we have no business being in Afghanistan.  I have pretty much lost all hope that our government will ever do the right thing when it comes to dealing with foreign people as well as our own.  Third negative and we are not done.

The big one:  Health Care Reform.  This is the one where everyone is starting to show their true colors and unfortunately you are right there with them.  Your statement “he’s brought us to the brink of truly meaningful reform ” makes me want to scream and that is only after I have finished crying.  We must be looking at two different reform packages because the one I am looking at is nothing more than a gift to the insurance and drug industries.  I thought this whole health care reform was about covering EVERYONE-universal coverage-and making that coverage affordable.  Every reform package I have seen still leaves a large portion of people uninsured.  The House touts that their plan will cover 96% of the population.  That still leaves almost 15 million people without insurance.  I guess those people don’t matter.  The White House made a deal early on that they wouldn’t negotiate drug prices ensuring continued ridiculous profits for the drug industry at the expense of the American public.  The insurance companies are receiving a mandate that everyone will have to buy insurance.  Can you say KACHING (sp).  Who cares if you have to insure a few people with pre-existing conditions.  They can still charge everyone any amount they want to.  If it wasn’t affordable before what makes anyone think that it will be affordable now if competition or cost controls are not enacted.  The Public Option I won’t even touch.  It is too laughable to even discuss.  I could go on about this supposed health care reform but what’s the point.This whole health care reform is one of the biggest scams that I can remember taking place.  Granted I am only 55 years old but even at that age I have been around the blocks a few times.  I will say this.  If you haven’t read T.R. Reid’s book The Healing Of America you should.  It might give you a different perspective on this reform package.  Fourth negative and overall a failing grade.

What happened to the change and transparency I heard so much about.  I am so disenchanted with Obama and with reporters like yourself that continue to tout Obama’s accomplishments that I will not vote Democrat again.  I will vote third party (as in throw my vote away) or not at all and I know I am not the only one that feels this way.

Eugene is just licking the boots of power here. Obama hasn’t changed anything. Israel is still getting special privileges as it continues the occupation, the US will open SEVEN military bases in Colombia, we will be in Afghanistan possibly for decades to come, Obama has approved to new mega embassies for Islamabad and Kabul similar to the Vatican-size behemoth we have in Baghdad, Iran is being threatened with crushing sanctions, the Cuban embargo continues etc., etc., etc.

TO Dave zx3

All non whites are your enemy, its the èpoque of settlement, we seme to have done so much harm to all the others, or they are just bloody jealous that they can’t beat us.

gerard, November 3 at 2:59 pm #

“Sparring on Truthdig is okay, but probably not as effective as to go as groups and visit the local offices of Congresspersons and Senators face to face, on specific issues, or to call them on the phone, or to organize neighborhoods, alternative street demonstrations, etc.  Don’t laugh.  When enough intelligent, determined people get involved, it works, but not until”

Gerard, they (the powers that be) have turned us all into a bunch of raving lunatics.  You can hardly get two people to agree on anything anymore, and all we do is shout each other down, with TD a good example. 

It should be no secret, we have all heard the strategy of “divide and conquer”.  My only real problem is in determining the real enemy.  It has all become so blurry in recent years, as though some process is speeding up to a conclusion, and the end result will be the dismantling of America, and it will all happen before I get to know who to blame. 

Recently a mid-sized corporation in my town, which I worked for for years, finished a process of laying off aboug 80% of the workers due to lack of orders/business.  Upon driving by the other day, I see the Chinese Flag flying out front.  Apparently the Chinese have bought controlling interest.

I am not a conspiracy nut, but who has allowed the Chinese to own, or at least control, the most important seagate in the west, Panama?  Who allows the Chinese military to have bases in Mexico and run recon patrols up through the US southwest?  Who has decided to let the Chinese be a principal financier of our national debt? 

Is China going to be our new daddy?  If so, let me know so I can learn Chinese and read up on the philosphies of Mao.  Maybe Anita Dunn could tutor me.

I pick on China, but do not believe they are the real enemy.  Trouble is, I don’t know who the real enemy is.  Reading TD, you get the idea that everyone is the enemy. 

I just keep thinking, “divide and conquer”.  And whomever they are they are pulling it off very well.
Actually I do know who “they” are, I just don’t want 50 angry TD’ers jumping all over me.

....and the other day President Obama was lecturing Mr Karzai of Afghanistan and saying “...words alone can not accomplish anything it has to be followed by deeds”. I have the following advice for Mr. Karzai.
First he should appoint his brother as Economic advisor and treasury secretary. (this would be like Mr Summer and Geithner in one person).
Second appointment Abdullah Abdullah to secretary of state (like Mrs Clinton, never mind that she is the most hoggish secretary next to Ms Rice and her colleagues).
Third appointment will be to gather all those drug trafficker tribal leaders who for $$$ showed us most of the people incarcerated in Guantanamo as justice ministers. Mr. Karzai needs one for every province.
Fourth call back President Obama and tell him you did as he did when he got elected. I am sure he will be delighted.

ER where have been in the past 9 months???
Comments like yours embolden Democratic right wing douchebags. You are wrong on every accounts. Things that you think he has done have always had caveats. Never bold, never a leader, ER read Arianna column in Huff Post. Hopefully that will enlighten you and you apologists colleagues.

It is sad to figure that at least half of these raging comments are probably coming from disillusioned “liberals” who sound like they just got back from a “tea party.” A couple (probably from the right wing) even resort to cheap racial slurs.
  I’m disappointed that change has been too slow and too slight, but I also know that this fact points out how deeply corporate power is entrenched, and probably nobody could do any better under those circumstances.
  The clearest message to us all is “Get the lobbyists and huge campaign contributors out of the political process.”  Energy, war, big medicine and big Ag are doing more harm than good, and the gamble of Wall Street is a systemic risk we can no longer afford if we are to remain anything like a democracy. 
  This is the people’s job through Congress or otherwise, fully as much as the President’s responsibility.
  Sparring on Truthdig is okay, but probably not as effective as to go as groups and visit the local offices of Congresspersons and Senators face to face, on specific issues, or to call them on the phone, or to organize neighborhoods, alternative street demonstrations, etc.  Don’t laugh.  When enough intelligent, determined people get involved, it works, but not until.

It is important to understand that it is not merely Robinson purveying this disgusting drivel, it is the Washington Post and truthdig, the Prog media. they are cater to the DUPE, Democrats Under Presidential Enchanment.  The Dems whose minds are clouded by Hope rather than the Faith of the Gops.

Note also what Robinson does not mention at all in the Change You Can Believe In.  War.  Obama campaigned as a Peace candidate, although he stated in the fine print that he would continue the Afghan war, but he is continuing all of them and, like Bush, is threatening another quagmire in Iran.  None of this is even aluded to by Robinson, who is simply serving as truth hack for power.  As is truthdig.

Today, progressive and voices on the left have absolutely zero political power.  We aren’t even allowed into the room to discuss single-payer health care or the end to these wars. 

The way to change that is to stop voting Democrat.  Any Democrat who sees a strong, progressive, anti-war, pro-health care, independent campaign building in their district would quickly start to be very worried about their re-election.

If you want to get the Democrats to listen to you, threaten their chances for re-election.  Which means don’t accept this sort of BS from Democrats.  And it means getting out and organizing strong campaigns behind candidates who truly do believe in what we believe and who will truly follow through on this when sent to Washington.

“By Jaded Prole, November 3 at 11:11 am #

“the principle that everyone is entitled to health insurance . . .”

WRONG, everyone is entitled to Health Care. “

Democrat BS tries to spin it like we’ve all just been dying to pay more money to health insurance companies, when what we really want is care when we are suffering.

I use to think Eugene was just dumb and really uninformed.  After reading this article I’m sure he’s just another paid lobbyist for the Obama administration.
No one with the least bit of awareness would believe that Obama has accomplished anything in his first year other than extending and enhancing Bush doctrine and his own Corporate sponsored agenda.  He even had the Freedom Of Information Act ( a Democratic crown jewel) rewritten by none other than Lieberman and Lindsey to prevent the release of the torturer photos! 
  Re Insurance Care: The reason Obama has been able to get a “health Care” (INSURANCE!) bill to fruition is because the bill does nothing for giving affordable health care to the people.  It is all about increasing the market for the group of insurance companies who donated 15 million to his election campaign.  NO Eugene, The only word that describes adequately the accomplishments of the the Obama administration is PATHETIC and that goes for your article as well!

When a president surrounds himself with Blue Dogs and New Democrat Coalition plutocrats, he will only talk the talk, distracting us while his friends pick our pockets. - fwdpost.com

The lengths the Democrats will go to in order to pretend to themselves that they haven’t really elected Republicans is absolutely amazing to behold.

Lets take a look at Obama’s record.  On the economy, Obama and the Democrats rushed to give more money to Wall Street.  What was the single most important thing that Obama and the Democrats feel they had to do? What did they tackle first?  What did they push through using their new offices and majorities in Congress?

More money for Wall Street.  Sure, they dressed it up as a ‘stimulus plan’, and sure, they tacked on a few dollars here and there for other people outside of Wall Street.  But the big core of that package was the Democrats giving hundreds of billions of dollars to Wall Street.  That’s what was the important thing that the Democrats had to push through quickly as soon as their rears hit their new seats after the election.

Compare that to the way things that might benefit the rest of us have been handled.  They move slowly or not at all.  Support for auto workers was slow and had to be begged for.  Card Check for labor organizing was symbolically proposed then allowed to die with no support from the Democrats.  And ‘health care’ legislation has been entirely turned over to bought and paid for employees of the big health corporations (like Sen. Baucus), in order to ensure maximum profits at the expense of the rest of us.

But the line that seems incredulous to me is Mr. Robinson’s claim that Obama has ‘categorically renounced torture’.  The facts refuse to bear this out.  The US still tortures.  We just ‘rendition’ the victims into someone else’s official custody first.  Gitmo is still open.  The other awful US prisons around the world, like Bagram, are expanding and getting worse. 

And most importantly, all of those who tortured under the previous administration are being given a legal free pass for their crimes.  Which of course sends the loud and clear message that torture is really ok in the US.  After all, the people who’ve committed that crime aren’t even suffering the inconvenience of someone who gets a parking ticket.

There is a key reason behind articles like this one.  The Democrats are scared that some of their voters might be realizing that they haven’t gotten any of the ‘change’ that they wanted when they elected the Democrats.  What scares the Democrats is that these voters might walk away from the party.  That’s because Democrat election majorities are built on fools who vote Democrat expecting something far different from what the Democrats actually do when in office.

These progressive voters hold enormous power.  The Democrats can not win elections without tricking them into voting Democrat.  In between election, people like Mr. Robinson crank out these propaganda pieces to try to convince them that they weren’t just suckers for voting for the part that expands wars, continues torture and abuse, and which clearly serves the interests of wall street and the insurance companies.

I like Eugene Robinson’s writing, however, his sycophantic support of President Obama’s economic policies and economic team member choices condemn America to twenty years of economic misery in favor of the conservative status quo and politically connected Wall Street liars, crooks and cheats; to learn why, please read below: 

Summary of the talk by Eric L. Prentis to be given to the Houston Investors Association on Saturday, November 14, 2009. http://houstoninvestors.com/wp/?p=593

“The Credit Crisis and Its Effect on the Stock Market”

Economic theory plays an important role in first causing and then perpetuating the worst credit crisis since the Great Depression. The Efficient Market Theory (EMT) defines markets as being in equilibrium and if unexpected events cause disequilibrium, it is only temporary, i.e., markets are self-adjusting. Asset prices “fully reflect” all available information, properly represent each asset’s intrinsic value, and as a result, prices are always accurate signals for correct resource allocation. Additionally, stock prices move randomly, therefore, markets cannot be beaten.

US economic leaders (i.e., Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke, Lawrence Summers, Director of President Obama’s National Economic Council, Treasury Secretary Geithner and Christina Romer, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers) believe the EMT best describes how markets function, accordingly, they think the stock market is a large casino where asset bubbles cannot arise, but if minor bubbles do occur they can be easily contained. Economists’, and the politicians they advise, faith in all-knowing markets leads Congress to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999 which protected us from the banking excesses of the Great Depression. Likewise, The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 is enacted, forbidding the US government from regulating swap derivatives, and in addition, state and local laws regulating gambling bucket-shops, instituted to correct the excesses of the credit crisis panic of 1907, are revoked. 

The Technology Bubble in 2000, as well as many bubbles throughout history (i.e., John Law’s Mississippi Scheme, the South Sea Bubble and Holland’s Tulip Mania), and now the Real Estate Bubble, where home prices nationally have declined approximately 30% since June of 2006, with an additional 15% drop in prices expected, along with the US government’s use of anywhere from $3-to-$24 trillion taxpayer dollars and Federal debt guarantees to stabilize the financial markets are valid examples that major asset bubbles do occur, that markets are not self-equilibrating and that market prices cannot always be trusted for accurate resource allocation. Furthermore, I scientifically prove that the stock market can be beaten by 146% over 81 years at two-thirds the risk, please click the link to read my paper “An empirical test of efficient markets: A heuristic predictive model.” http://www.theastuteinvestor.net/f/An_Empirical_Test_Eff_Mkt_PDF.pdf

The EMT is irrefutably erroneous, making the US government’s use of multiple stimulus packages, keeping too-big-to-fail zombie banks alive, setting a zero-to-0.25 percent rock-bottom federal funds interest rate, not re-regulating the financial markets and using more-and-more government debt to mask the credit crisis improper and even dangerous. Tragically, the US is mimicking the policies the Japanese used when attempting to solve their real estate bubble, resulting in Japan’s 20-year secular bear market, i.e., as of 10/2/09, the Nikkei Index is at 9,732, down 75% from its high of 38,916 on 12/29/89, consequently, I expect a US secular bear market extending until 2027.

Everyone who is disappointed in Obama need to remember what he said when
he was running for president.  He said “Yes we can” not “Yes we will”. 

There are lots of things Obama “can” do for this country to make it better, but
the question is “will” he?

The german stated below was from a song of the Hitler Youth.  Here is a rough
translation to the stanza that quote refers to.  (I don’t speak German either so I
Googled it).

We shall march onwards,
even if everything crashes down in pieces;
for today Germany hears us,
and tomorrow, the whole world.

The ‘Uncle Tom’ reference set me off.. but in fact Robinson is playing the apologist (and not helping) and Obama increasingly disappoints. Have a great day.

What a pathetic article. I know that Eugene Robinson is appalled by war, racism and economic injustice, but I am afraid that all the years he has put in at the Washington Post has turned him into an abject propagandist for the status quo.

Dihey,,,,

I speak fluent English and Ebonics but my German is a little rusty… What does that sentence mean translated into English????  Is it something from “My Struggle”?

“the principle that everyone is entitled to health insurance . . .”

WRONG, everyone is entitled to Health Care.

Wanting to change the world is megalomania. Remember: “Heute Deutschland, morgen die ganze Welt”?