"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In
a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of."
--Confucious
The newest premature attack on Obama is "bitter-gate."
I don't understand what the big deal is over the bitter comment. People
are bitter, and I'm extatic they are feeling that way, it tells
me they are finally coming to terms with what's happening to them. As
bank's foreclose on their homes and they discover their government did
nothing to control and watch-dog bad lending policies and high interest
rates, people have grown bitter. Their government, that is supposed to
represent the them, instead bails out the same bank that screwed them
over with a $30 billion loan. Adding insult to injury, they then implement trade agreements that send american jobs over seas for cheaper labor as unemployment rates are at an all time high. The government
already projects 28 million Americans will be on food stamps by years
end.
Global
Grinder Bigums76 points out that this new wave of food stamp
collectors aren't your stereotypical trailer park or project living
citizen. They are college grads and two income households. But,
between competitive wages, higher gas and food prices, and insane
interest rates on debts, everyone is applicable for food assistance.
Not everyone in small towns are bitter, obviously since 23% of the
country thinks Bush is doing a good job. What is wrong with voicing
the opposite opinion of millions who do feel disenfranchised?
"...they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who
aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as
a way to explain their frustrations." There is nothing misspoken about
that statement. I am tired of Obama defending and redefining what he
says because this country is either to dumb, gullible to rhetoric, or
in denial of the truth. Yes, some people cling to guns when times are
hard. Whether it's to rob a bank, a convenience store, or go hunting
to release their frustrations on wild life. A lot of them go on
shooting rampages and kill random people, their loved ones, or
themselves in a state of panic. Eight of the top ten murder cities in the
world are in the U.S. and those rates are getting higher and higher.
But not everyone turns to guns, some "cling" onto religion. Hillary
tried misconstruing what Obama said by stating: "The people of faith I
know don't 'cling' to religion because they're bitter. People embrace
faith not because they are materially poor, but because they are
spiritually rich." That may be true for the people of faith
that Hillary knows, but speaking for myself and many that I know, Jesus Christ
tends to only hear from us when times are hard. Good people who are
going through strife in their lives, won't turn to guns, but they might put
all their eggs in the religious basket. They've lost their faith in
the government and end up turning to religion for aid. That is
clinging, by definition. To be overly dependent of something or someone
is to be clinging. To be dependent solely on religion for things to
happen in your life without taking action of your own is to be clinging.
Now, as for the elitist comment, I'm confused. Isn't the president
supposed to be smarter then me? Isn't that why I'm putting him in
charge of my well being? Is Obama elitist because he attended an Ivy
League school? I would hope that that's a requirement when running for
office, and that he didn't get his Law degree or diploma off some
online course advertised in the back of Playboy or on the subway. Bush
went to an Ivy League school and inherited the country from his father,
but I guess since he can't read nor write, he's not elitist.
--Danielle Abreu