I suggested last year that President Obama adopt “my work here is done” as a campaign slogan.
Admittedly, that was merely an excuse to share this rather amusing poster (and you can see the same hands-on-hips pose, by the way, in this clever Michael Ramirez cartoon).
But I want to make a serious point.
For those of us who want the prosperity and liberty made possible by smaller government and free markets, it would be ideal if the President actually did think his work was done. If that was the case, presumably he wouldn’t propose new schemes to expand the size and scope of the public sector.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Indeed, he bragged about providing handouts, subsidies, and bailouts for housing in his recent pivot-to-the-economy speech and he specifically stated “We’re not done yet.”
As I said in this interview on FBN, that phrase could replace “I’m from Washington and I’m here to help you” as the most frightening sentence in the English language.
Obama’s phrase is particularly distressing since he wants more intervention in housing markets – yet it was misguided government intervention that caused the housing bubble and financial crisis in the first place!
Simply stated, you don’t solve the problems caused by the Fed’s easy-money policy with more government. And you don’t solve the problems caused by corrupt Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac subsidies with more government.
The right approach is to get government out of housing altogether. That means getting rid of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It means privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It even means eliminating preferences for housing in the tax code as part of a shift to a simple and fair system like the flat tax.
Once we achieve all these goals, then we can say “we’re done”…and move on to our other objectives, like dealing with the damage caused by government in the health sector, the education sector, the financial markets sector, etc, etc…
P.S. Some people doubtlessly will complain that bad things will happen if the government no longer is involved in housing, but I think we’ll survive just fine without bureaucrats screwing over poor people and mandating “emotional support” animals in college dorms.
Threatens America with what? Prosperity?
Oh, look here: ObamaCare working well in Maryland!
Dan, did you serve in the miltary?
Whose?
[…] President Obama Threatens America: “We’re Not Done Yet” […]
To Ed Darrell,
Yes! This is definitely good news about Obamacare, from your link:
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Insurance premiums in Maryland won’t go up as much as anticipated under ObamaCare — although they’ll still go up for some consumers, state regulators said.
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I am looking forward to insurance rates in all of the states to go up, but not as much as first anticipated. That is typical of success under socialism.
Mr. Garland, rising prices are a sign of success in capitalism, especially for monopolists. Back to remedial economics for you.
Mr. Darrell, At least you admit Obamacare is about having a monopoly.
No, I don’t think ObamaCare has much to do with monopoly. ObamaCare is private enterprise all the way, probably without enough regulation. Oligopoly, perhaps — with more than 100 different private insurance companies offering insurance plans, many through state exchanges. 780,000 private physicians offer care in the U.S. — with that number expected to rise to 793,000 in 2013. (Many are leaving “independent” practice, but they’re staying in the private sector). There are 5,724 hospitals in the U.S., of which 208 are operated by the federal government.
Monopoly? I’m afraid that word doesn’t mean what you think it means.
PROSPERITY?! What universe are YOU living in? Headline: 4 in 5 in USA face near-poverty, no work! You call THAT prosperity? Wake up!
Do we need to get everybody to wear colored hats so you can tell what’s going on, Scott? Yeah, Obama’s working for prosperity. Damnably difficult with the House GOP and Senate GOP working to hold Americans in poverty. But for Obama, we’d have effectively 5 of 5 Americans threatened with poverty, and 3 of 5 living it now.
You gotta pay check? Remember, it was Obama that saved the economy from total collapse in 2009. You’re welcome.
You’re deaf, dumb, AND blind, Mr. Darrell…and obviously delusional…
While you guys busy yourselves arguing the “merits” of the Affordable Care Act, the end game of a national database containing complete personal info on every American and eventual submission by threat of exposure is in full swing. Healthcare is the EXCUSE. Control and power is the PURPOSE. BOTH “sides” better wake up. BTW – THIS is now on permanent record with my name attached (and yours too)…
I completely agree with ‘David’! It’s all part of the bigger picture. That is made more apparent by how absolutely clueless the public is on the ramifications of obamacare. You can include the President himself in that bunch!
HIPAA protects your medical information, and precludes the abuse you worry about David. Been in place since 1996. Again, you’re welcome.
We might do well to take the lessons in protecting privacy learned from HIPAA implementation, and apply that to the NSA.
Frankly, I doubt NSA is going to get very far knowing about your astigmatism and sore knees. But they don’t get that information without a warrant, and not to the FISA court.
In the meantime, ObamaCare must be scaring you guys no end. It’s working, and promises to improve health care and lower costs.
[…] President Obama Threatens America: “We’re Not Done Yet” […]