07-16-2012, 02:47 PM
Playing devil's advocate, Obama's right. In the context of his speech he wasn't saying people owe the government and he wasn't targeting people like Mr Duchess (duke?) for building successful business, he was saying that nothing occurs in a vacuum. This country was started by wealthy businessmen who recognized they could not succeed if all their profits went overseas to a foreign leader who didn't listen. Cue anti-government rants here.
BUT
Those same wealthy businessmen quickly recognized they could not succeed without the infrastructure to create more wealth and success for themselves and their neighbors. If one wins, everyone wins. THAT is what we've forgotten as a nation.
Do you think they dug the Erie Canal because they wanted a place to store their yachts? It was a joint venture for commerce. It is when our biggest and most successful businesses forget that concept of philanthropy, and the fact that they were helped along, that we fail as a society. The last time businesses got huge and greedy was in the roaring twenties with all the monopolies and grasping rich bastards. Guess what happened next? Same fucking thing that's going on now.
So yeah, Obama's right. Unless our biggest and richest businesses recognize that they will have to pony up for the success of the nation, there won't be any success. Doesn't matter who the president is.
BUT
Those same wealthy businessmen quickly recognized they could not succeed without the infrastructure to create more wealth and success for themselves and their neighbors. If one wins, everyone wins. THAT is what we've forgotten as a nation.
Do you think they dug the Erie Canal because they wanted a place to store their yachts? It was a joint venture for commerce. It is when our biggest and most successful businesses forget that concept of philanthropy, and the fact that they were helped along, that we fail as a society. The last time businesses got huge and greedy was in the roaring twenties with all the monopolies and grasping rich bastards. Guess what happened next? Same fucking thing that's going on now.
So yeah, Obama's right. Unless our biggest and richest businesses recognize that they will have to pony up for the success of the nation, there won't be any success. Doesn't matter who the president is.