An agenda of change
A guy I work with, a friend and Obama supporter told me I should give the man a chance to see what he's going to do. Well, Obama has posted his administration's agenda for his first term in office at Change.gov. I do not hold much hope that Obama's "change" will be good for America, but I wanted to take a look and decide for myself. Here's what I found (behind a very long cut):
Civil Rights
"Obama and Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section."
Violent crimes, for any reason, are deplorable and must not be tolerated, but I have been adamantly against "Hate Crime" legislation, as it criminalizes intent. It is what Orwell called "thought crime." Crime is crime. Hate is for philosophers. The men who beat Matthew Sheppard to death committed murder. The why only establishes motive for a jury to connect the actual crime to those who committed it. The fact that they disliked him because he was homosexual does not make it any more or less heinous.
His other plans regarding "Fair wages," etc. give me pause (any time the government talks of "fair" I have to wonder), but I don't have enough information on what those plans actually mean, so I'll not condemn or praise until I know.
"Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote."
Does this include returning all the money from ACORN and prosecuting them for the fraud they perpetrated in order to get him elected? Does this also include informing those voters fully about him, his ideology, the sources of campaign contributions, and associations. That information had been noticeably absent in the press throughout the campaign and is only now starting to surface after the election.
Defense
"Obama and Biden believe that we must build up our special operations forces, civil affairs, information operations, and other units and capabilities that remain in chronic short supply; invest in foreign language training, cultural awareness, and human intelligence and other needed counterinsurgency and stabilization skill sets; and create a more robust capacity to train, equip, and advise foreign security forces, so that local allies are better prepared to confront mutual threats."
Got it. The Army: Community Organizers with Guns. The military has but two purposes. Kill people and destroy things. That's pretty much it. Not pretty, but fundamentally true nonetheless. Leave the community outreach to the UN. Not our fighting men and women.
"Barack Obama and Joe Biden will restore the ethic of public service to the agenda of today's youth, whether it be serving their local communities in such roles as teachers or first responders, or serving in the military to keep our nation free and safe."
Lofty goal. How?
"An Obama-Biden administration will set a goal of creating a national CAC of 25,000 personnel. This corps of civilian volunteers with special skill, sets (doctors, lawyers, engineers, city planners, agriculture specialists, police, etc.) would be organized to provide each federal agency with a pool of volunteer experts willing to deploy in times of need at home and abroad."
In a speech on July 2, Obama said: "We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
Of all his proposed plans, I believe it's this one, coupled with his deification by his supporters and the press, that worries the ever living shit out of me. This is like something right out of Totalitarianism 101. God, I hope I am wrong and making a mountain out of a molehill.
One thing I'll note is missing from his "Defense" agenda is his talk of disarming our nuclear capability. With Iran trying wear daddy-pants, and Putin making another power grab in Russia, threatening the reinstatement of the KGB and thus instigating a new cold war, we could be fairly well screwed. But I don't want to be a negative-nelly.
Economy
"Tax Cuts for Wealthy Instead of Middle Class: The Bush tax cuts give those who earn over $1 million dollars a tax cut nearly 160 times greater than that received by middle-income Americans."
Okay I have to say something here: If I'd been making 32k/year when Clinton left office, my tax burden would have been over $8000. Under Bush I've actually brought in around 32 the last few years (2 jobs) and have paid 11-12% (@ $3300-3500). I am not wealthy, Mr. Obama. Rescinding Bush's tax cuts will hurt me. Maybe this was the "sacrifice" you mentioned in your acceptance speach.
Also, the top 10% of wage earners, according to IRS figures, pay 70% of all taxes
Here are the figures from the IRS for 2005 (the latest year reporting. The report linked goes back to '86 and you get the gist of how it trends.) The first cell below is total income tax collected in millions ($943,703,000).
Total Top Top Top Top Top 1 percent 5 percent 10 percent 25 percent 50 percent 934,703 368,132 557,759 657,085 803,772 906,028 39% 60% 70% 86% 97%
That leaves the bottom 50% of wage earners barely shouldering 3% of the burden. Who's needing tax cuts? I remember hearing the statement that the top 1% rule America. I say, why not? They're paying nearly 40% of the load. Looks to me that the middle class (25-50% of top wage earners) are paying 11%, what is that, just under 103 million? Wow. That middle class has been RAPED by George Bush.
"Barack Obama and Joe Biden will enact a windfall profits tax on excessive oil company profits to give American families an immediate $1,000 emergency energy rebate to help families pay rising bills. This relief would be a down payment on the Obama-Biden long-term plan to provide middle-class families with at least $1,000 per year in permanent tax relief."
Okay 1) "windfall" profits are profits made without producing anything to earn them. The oil companies do not make "windfall" profits. They have a product. They sell it.
2) Corporations do not pay taxes. Period. Let me state this again. Companies do not pay any taxes. We pay taxes. When government decides to go after Big Oil, Big Auto, Big Tobacco, Big Software, Big whatever (never hear about Big Government) it's you and me paying for it. They charge more for the products they provide. Why do you think cigarettes are $5-7 a pack? It's called business costs. What costs a company incurs to bring a product to market get rolled into the cost of the item. Oil companies profit margin on gasoline at the pump is 8-9%. Anheiser Busch makes 12% on beer. When will the government go after Big Beer? Who gets to determine what constitutes "too much profit"?
3) Rebates are Caesar shutting up the plebs. I was against the Bush rebate for the same reason I'm against this. Rebates are not TAX CUTS.
4) This does not mention Obama's admitted plan to bankrupt Big Coal, an industry that provides just under half of the nation's energy nor does he mention here the curious statement that his environmental plans would "necessarily" cause energy costs to "sky-rocket." I suppose this is why we're going to need the bribe - er, rebate.
"The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans."
Most people are willing to pay taxes as long as it's fair. How bout a flat tax and cut back the IRS? Remove all exemptions and everyone pays 10-12%. The rich will pay more, the poor will pay less, but everyone pays. His plan pushes even more of the burden uphill. How much is enough? Top 1% paying 60% of the burden? 80%? I don't understand how this is "fairness."
"The legislation would provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US"
They have no idea what it costs to hire employees. Or, more likely, they don't care. Hiking a company's tax rate up and offering a paltry $3000 "credit" to not move jobs is ludicrous and manipulative. When a small business can't hire new people it's going to be Obama smugly condescending to us that the business owner must be a selfish bastard. Many companies have already started developing strategies, including the possibility of layoffs, to deal with the new tax burden. This "credit" is a joke and EVERY American needs to understand that increasing a company's tax burden will end jobs.
"Create a National Network of Public-Private Business Incubators: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will support entrepreneurship and spur job growth by creating a national network of public-private business incubators. Business incubators facilitate the critical work of entrepreneurs in creating start-up companies. Obama and Biden will invest $250 million per year to increase the number and size of incubators in disadvantaged communities throughout the country."
What the fuck does this even mean? I have never read such nonsensical horseshit (and I've read several Terry Goodkind novels). Public-private business incubators? Sounds fairly well like government controlled business to me (much like Paulson and Bush wanting to buy banks) and it all boils down to fundamental fascism.
"Obama cosponsored and is strong advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan effort to assure that workers can exercise their right to organize. He will continue to fight for EFCA's passage and sign it into law."
Okay, this one is good. Get a load of this: since unionizing began it has been long honored that the vote an employee gives to unionize, for or against, was secret. With a long history of death threats and beatings and property damage and general intimidation by unions to ensure their own existence (and funding - don't forget those dues), the secret ballot was one way to protect the employee from "overzealous" union members. Obama's taking that away from every American. "Free Choice" must be good, right? Do not be fooled. This ends the secret ballot. If you don't vote to unionize the union will know and they will have your name, home address, and a bit to say about your decision. Yet again, this will end jobs in the US.
"Raise the Minimum Wage: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will raise the minimum wage, index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit to make sure that full-time workers earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs."
Plain and simple: raising the minimum wage ends jobs provided by small businesses and prevents businesses from hiring unskilled labor. Lots of teens will be out on the street. Let me ask, what should the minimum wage be? I think it should be $3000/hour. I like that. Think of what I could do with that.... If you think that's ludicrous, you're an idiot, but you've also just argued against the idea of a minimum wage and probably didn't even know it. All you need to do is ask "why is that ludicrous?" and the answer is, well, the answer.
Minimum wage is not intended to be a living. It's the absolute minimum. It's unskilled labor. Someone trying to raise a family on minimum wage needs something other than a "living wage."
"They will expand the FMLA to cover more purposes as well, including allowing workers to take leave for elder care needs; allowing parents up to 24 hours of leave each year to participate in their children's academic activities; and expanding FMLA to cover leave for employees to address domestic violence."
Oh my god. So businesses now have to subsidize their employees entire lives. In-fucking-sane. You know, FMLA sounds nice and is great for those who use it, but I gotta say, it kind of sucks for those who have to pick up the slack for someone who's out for an extended period and can't be replaced. And to extend that to fucking graduations and school plays is absurd.
"Middle class families will see their taxes cut - and no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase. The typical middle class family will receive well over $1,000 in tax relief under the Obama plan, and will pay tax rates that are 20% lower than they faced under President Reagan. According to the Tax Policy Center, the Obama plan provides three times as much tax relief for middle class families as the McCain plan."
Okay, leaving aside that in the final days of the campaign his 250K dropped to 150K, I want to state again that Obama will rescind the Bush cuts or at least let them expire in 2010. On that day my tax rate will more than double. I am far from rich and don't make close to 150K much less 250. Obama has lied to America about this. It's not misleading. It's not ignorance. It's a lie. And what does it matter when the jobs the wealthiest Americans were needing done by the middle class evaporate to pay all their new taxes?
For all the left talks of preserving the middle class, every time leftist fiscal policies are enacted the middle class shrinks and sometimes disappears (Cuba, USSR, China, US under FDR, LBJ and Carter.) Conservatism (true conservatism, not the spineless, fickle "neo-conservatism" of Bush, McCain and all the Northeastern Republicans who were out of jobs November 5th) works every time it's tried. Free markets work when they are truly free of government tinkering.
We are marching toward socialistic fascism and I haven't seen anything from Obama that gives me any hope. Sadly all I see is change, but not a change I wanted. I see us becoming Cuba, with our own well-spoken deified tyrant.
I'm not an enraged right-winger. I'm not a debauched racist. I'm an American who loves his country and is sad. Not because John McCain lost, because God knows, we'd be facing the same damn issues. My only hope with McCain was in my 100% certitude that McCain loves America, for all the damage he'd do. I honestly do not believe Obama does. I have heard him call America a horrible place in so many words too many times in too many places to too many people.
Now that I'm all bummed out, I'm going to go watch Bruce Campbell beat up bad guys and make me smile. (Thank God for Netflix.)
Civil Rights
"Obama and Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section."
Violent crimes, for any reason, are deplorable and must not be tolerated, but I have been adamantly against "Hate Crime" legislation, as it criminalizes intent. It is what Orwell called "thought crime." Crime is crime. Hate is for philosophers. The men who beat Matthew Sheppard to death committed murder. The why only establishes motive for a jury to connect the actual crime to those who committed it. The fact that they disliked him because he was homosexual does not make it any more or less heinous.
His other plans regarding "Fair wages," etc. give me pause (any time the government talks of "fair" I have to wonder), but I don't have enough information on what those plans actually mean, so I'll not condemn or praise until I know.
"Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote."
Does this include returning all the money from ACORN and prosecuting them for the fraud they perpetrated in order to get him elected? Does this also include informing those voters fully about him, his ideology, the sources of campaign contributions, and associations. That information had been noticeably absent in the press throughout the campaign and is only now starting to surface after the election.
Defense
"Obama and Biden believe that we must build up our special operations forces, civil affairs, information operations, and other units and capabilities that remain in chronic short supply; invest in foreign language training, cultural awareness, and human intelligence and other needed counterinsurgency and stabilization skill sets; and create a more robust capacity to train, equip, and advise foreign security forces, so that local allies are better prepared to confront mutual threats."
Got it. The Army: Community Organizers with Guns. The military has but two purposes. Kill people and destroy things. That's pretty much it. Not pretty, but fundamentally true nonetheless. Leave the community outreach to the UN. Not our fighting men and women.
"Barack Obama and Joe Biden will restore the ethic of public service to the agenda of today's youth, whether it be serving their local communities in such roles as teachers or first responders, or serving in the military to keep our nation free and safe."
Lofty goal. How?
"An Obama-Biden administration will set a goal of creating a national CAC of 25,000 personnel. This corps of civilian volunteers with special skill, sets (doctors, lawyers, engineers, city planners, agriculture specialists, police, etc.) would be organized to provide each federal agency with a pool of volunteer experts willing to deploy in times of need at home and abroad."
In a speech on July 2, Obama said: "We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
Of all his proposed plans, I believe it's this one, coupled with his deification by his supporters and the press, that worries the ever living shit out of me. This is like something right out of Totalitarianism 101. God, I hope I am wrong and making a mountain out of a molehill.
One thing I'll note is missing from his "Defense" agenda is his talk of disarming our nuclear capability. With Iran trying wear daddy-pants, and Putin making another power grab in Russia, threatening the reinstatement of the KGB and thus instigating a new cold war, we could be fairly well screwed. But I don't want to be a negative-nelly.
Economy
"Tax Cuts for Wealthy Instead of Middle Class: The Bush tax cuts give those who earn over $1 million dollars a tax cut nearly 160 times greater than that received by middle-income Americans."
Okay I have to say something here: If I'd been making 32k/year when Clinton left office, my tax burden would have been over $8000. Under Bush I've actually brought in around 32 the last few years (2 jobs) and have paid 11-12% (@ $3300-3500). I am not wealthy, Mr. Obama. Rescinding Bush's tax cuts will hurt me. Maybe this was the "sacrifice" you mentioned in your acceptance speach.
Also, the top 10% of wage earners, according to IRS figures, pay 70% of all taxes
Here are the figures from the IRS for 2005 (the latest year reporting. The report linked goes back to '86 and you get the gist of how it trends.) The first cell below is total income tax collected in millions ($943,703,000).
Total Top Top Top Top Top 1 percent 5 percent 10 percent 25 percent 50 percent 934,703 368,132 557,759 657,085 803,772 906,028 39% 60% 70% 86% 97%
That leaves the bottom 50% of wage earners barely shouldering 3% of the burden. Who's needing tax cuts? I remember hearing the statement that the top 1% rule America. I say, why not? They're paying nearly 40% of the load. Looks to me that the middle class (25-50% of top wage earners) are paying 11%, what is that, just under 103 million? Wow. That middle class has been RAPED by George Bush.
"Barack Obama and Joe Biden will enact a windfall profits tax on excessive oil company profits to give American families an immediate $1,000 emergency energy rebate to help families pay rising bills. This relief would be a down payment on the Obama-Biden long-term plan to provide middle-class families with at least $1,000 per year in permanent tax relief."
Okay 1) "windfall" profits are profits made without producing anything to earn them. The oil companies do not make "windfall" profits. They have a product. They sell it.
2) Corporations do not pay taxes. Period. Let me state this again. Companies do not pay any taxes. We pay taxes. When government decides to go after Big Oil, Big Auto, Big Tobacco, Big Software, Big whatever (never hear about Big Government) it's you and me paying for it. They charge more for the products they provide. Why do you think cigarettes are $5-7 a pack? It's called business costs. What costs a company incurs to bring a product to market get rolled into the cost of the item. Oil companies profit margin on gasoline at the pump is 8-9%. Anheiser Busch makes 12% on beer. When will the government go after Big Beer? Who gets to determine what constitutes "too much profit"?
3) Rebates are Caesar shutting up the plebs. I was against the Bush rebate for the same reason I'm against this. Rebates are not TAX CUTS.
4) This does not mention Obama's admitted plan to bankrupt Big Coal, an industry that provides just under half of the nation's energy nor does he mention here the curious statement that his environmental plans would "necessarily" cause energy costs to "sky-rocket." I suppose this is why we're going to need the bribe - er, rebate.
"The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans."
Most people are willing to pay taxes as long as it's fair. How bout a flat tax and cut back the IRS? Remove all exemptions and everyone pays 10-12%. The rich will pay more, the poor will pay less, but everyone pays. His plan pushes even more of the burden uphill. How much is enough? Top 1% paying 60% of the burden? 80%? I don't understand how this is "fairness."
"The legislation would provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US"
They have no idea what it costs to hire employees. Or, more likely, they don't care. Hiking a company's tax rate up and offering a paltry $3000 "credit" to not move jobs is ludicrous and manipulative. When a small business can't hire new people it's going to be Obama smugly condescending to us that the business owner must be a selfish bastard. Many companies have already started developing strategies, including the possibility of layoffs, to deal with the new tax burden. This "credit" is a joke and EVERY American needs to understand that increasing a company's tax burden will end jobs.
"Create a National Network of Public-Private Business Incubators: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will support entrepreneurship and spur job growth by creating a national network of public-private business incubators. Business incubators facilitate the critical work of entrepreneurs in creating start-up companies. Obama and Biden will invest $250 million per year to increase the number and size of incubators in disadvantaged communities throughout the country."
What the fuck does this even mean? I have never read such nonsensical horseshit (and I've read several Terry Goodkind novels). Public-private business incubators? Sounds fairly well like government controlled business to me (much like Paulson and Bush wanting to buy banks) and it all boils down to fundamental fascism.
"Obama cosponsored and is strong advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan effort to assure that workers can exercise their right to organize. He will continue to fight for EFCA's passage and sign it into law."
Okay, this one is good. Get a load of this: since unionizing began it has been long honored that the vote an employee gives to unionize, for or against, was secret. With a long history of death threats and beatings and property damage and general intimidation by unions to ensure their own existence (and funding - don't forget those dues), the secret ballot was one way to protect the employee from "overzealous" union members. Obama's taking that away from every American. "Free Choice" must be good, right? Do not be fooled. This ends the secret ballot. If you don't vote to unionize the union will know and they will have your name, home address, and a bit to say about your decision. Yet again, this will end jobs in the US.
"Raise the Minimum Wage: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will raise the minimum wage, index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit to make sure that full-time workers earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs."
Plain and simple: raising the minimum wage ends jobs provided by small businesses and prevents businesses from hiring unskilled labor. Lots of teens will be out on the street. Let me ask, what should the minimum wage be? I think it should be $3000/hour. I like that. Think of what I could do with that.... If you think that's ludicrous, you're an idiot, but you've also just argued against the idea of a minimum wage and probably didn't even know it. All you need to do is ask "why is that ludicrous?" and the answer is, well, the answer.
Minimum wage is not intended to be a living. It's the absolute minimum. It's unskilled labor. Someone trying to raise a family on minimum wage needs something other than a "living wage."
"They will expand the FMLA to cover more purposes as well, including allowing workers to take leave for elder care needs; allowing parents up to 24 hours of leave each year to participate in their children's academic activities; and expanding FMLA to cover leave for employees to address domestic violence."
Oh my god. So businesses now have to subsidize their employees entire lives. In-fucking-sane. You know, FMLA sounds nice and is great for those who use it, but I gotta say, it kind of sucks for those who have to pick up the slack for someone who's out for an extended period and can't be replaced. And to extend that to fucking graduations and school plays is absurd.
"Middle class families will see their taxes cut - and no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase. The typical middle class family will receive well over $1,000 in tax relief under the Obama plan, and will pay tax rates that are 20% lower than they faced under President Reagan. According to the Tax Policy Center, the Obama plan provides three times as much tax relief for middle class families as the McCain plan."
Okay, leaving aside that in the final days of the campaign his 250K dropped to 150K, I want to state again that Obama will rescind the Bush cuts or at least let them expire in 2010. On that day my tax rate will more than double. I am far from rich and don't make close to 150K much less 250. Obama has lied to America about this. It's not misleading. It's not ignorance. It's a lie. And what does it matter when the jobs the wealthiest Americans were needing done by the middle class evaporate to pay all their new taxes?
For all the left talks of preserving the middle class, every time leftist fiscal policies are enacted the middle class shrinks and sometimes disappears (Cuba, USSR, China, US under FDR, LBJ and Carter.) Conservatism (true conservatism, not the spineless, fickle "neo-conservatism" of Bush, McCain and all the Northeastern Republicans who were out of jobs November 5th) works every time it's tried. Free markets work when they are truly free of government tinkering.
We are marching toward socialistic fascism and I haven't seen anything from Obama that gives me any hope. Sadly all I see is change, but not a change I wanted. I see us becoming Cuba, with our own well-spoken deified tyrant.
I'm not an enraged right-winger. I'm not a debauched racist. I'm an American who loves his country and is sad. Not because John McCain lost, because God knows, we'd be facing the same damn issues. My only hope with McCain was in my 100% certitude that McCain loves America, for all the damage he'd do. I honestly do not believe Obama does. I have heard him call America a horrible place in so many words too many times in too many places to too many people.
Now that I'm all bummed out, I'm going to go watch Bruce Campbell beat up bad guys and make me smile. (Thank God for Netflix.)