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How do you feel about Obama's comments re: everyone has help?
I thought a lot about his comments last night. What do you think? (For the record, the bolded piece is what has steam blowing out of my ears)
"There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me because they want to give something back," the president said. "If you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. You didn't get there on your own. I'm always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something -- there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.
"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen," he said. "The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet."
Re: How do you feel about Obama's comments re: everyone has help?
*nods head emphatically*
The statements remind me of what my mom often says to me "Remember, you are where you are because we paid for you to go to college."
And my reponse is always the same "You paid for your son to go to college, what is HE doing now?" (Answer: they paid for him to go to OU for five years and he is still a freshman)
A lot more goes into it than just the infrastructure. I am assuming this infrastructure is available to EVERYONE correct? Some use to it become successful and some...well, as boymom says, are lazy assholios. So if that is constant, then how can you criticize those that have used it to their advantage? And is it really fair for the government to take credit for that? What about those that aren't successful that had the same infrastructure available to them?
I think it was a bad choice of words and probably taken out of context, I hope. Eventually someone has to realize that continuing to spend poorly and making a certain group of people pay for it isn't going to work. We have the programs we have because people do need them. So, reform them and make them actually work. It is so frustrating to me that everything is always democrat versus republican and NOTHING EVER GETS DONE while in the process hard work and sacrifices are often discounted. GRRRRR.
I think the presumption that everyone has these opportunities available is the root of the problem, honestly. I think that comments like the ones Obama made here* are in response to the attitude that anyone who just bothers to try can and will find great financial / professional success (which just isn't true, period). I know I've encountered the implication that anyone who isn't as successful is a lazy assholio which is pretty unfounded as well. So yeah, there's some context involved.
* if you want to be angry at Obama, be angry that he essentially poorly ripped off an Elizabeth Warren quote.
Have you read the entire speech? I guess I assumed everyone has.
Yes, actually, I did. I am not surprised we disagree here, but I don't think we need to insult each other's intelligence to do so.
Um, what? Excuse me?
I agree with him. Probably could've defined himself better, but I agree with the sentiment. People should define their own version of success and failure. And everyone has the opportunity to acheive their own version of that. People just have to stop expecting other people to hand it to them. And if someone helped you (and that's a general you, no one specifically) get where you are, why not help someone else get to where they want to be. I know right this minute, I'm supporting Bill Gates, Pampers, Stripes, and General Mills just because I'm surfing the internet while my un-potty-trained 2 year old drinks my coke when he thinks I'm not looking in between bites of cereal!
What do you mean that's the wrong side? Tastes great to me!