Barack Obama's Father's Day speech over the weekend was terrific. The media has focused on what he said about absent black fathers, but there was another side to the speech and it spoke to the responsibility we all have as fathers and as a society. Within that explanation, Obama, in essence, explained what it means to be a liberal:
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Obama Explains the Core Concept of Liberalism
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 8)
1. Barack Obama's and Modern Day Liberalisms core concept is: Vote for Democratic Candidates and let Big Government develop programs of confiscatory taxation to make your personal irresponsibilities the financial responsibility of hard working, responsible, tax paying Americans.
Paul Sparcello at 11:31AM on Jun 17th 2008
2. Cenk,
The New Deal is a failure.
The Fair Deal is a failure.
The Great Society is a failure.
Sixty plus years of Government programs and over $6,000,000,000,000.00 of wealth transfer and what is Obama really saying: Big Government Programs have Failed. Please Support Bigger Government Programs.
Paul Sparcello at 11:38AM on Jun 17th 2008
3. Oh, and Paul?
Your unfettered Globalistic Capitalism has done so much GOOD for everyone?
Robert at 12:16PM on Jun 17th 2008
4. liberalism is what brought us the problems with deliquint fathers. liberalism is not the cure, it is the curse.
krr at 12:23PM on Jun 17th 2008
5. the EXTREMES in liberalism and conservatism, the class and race wars, feminism and the like is what's wrong with this country. what happened to BALANCE!?
Devynn at 12:44PM on Jun 17th 2008
6. I have an idea. Let's catch all them pesky liberals and make Soylent Green outa 'em. Then we can package it and send it to the welfare slackers in lieu of they government check. Solves so many problems!
An American taxpayer voting for Osama bin Obama is like a racehorse voting for Alpo as a retirement plan.
People Eating Tasty Animals and Soylent Green-- Join Now! Enroll the whole family.
Cliff Mansfield at 12:54PM on Jun 17th 2008
7. The presumptive National Security Advisor in a Barack Obama Marxist/Liberal administration, is one Richard Danzig. Mr Danzig told the Center for a New American Security: “Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security.”
That my friends explains the Core Concept of Liberalism!!!!!!!
Paul Sparcello at 12:58PM on Jun 17th 2008
8. Robert,
Capitalism is the only system of economics compatible with human dignity, prosperity, and liberty. To the extent we move away from that system, we empower the worst people in society to manage what they do not understand. Here is a prime example of a Liberal Democratic economic idiot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niJAkR_6tKQ
Paul Sparcello at 1:03PM on Jun 17th 2008
9. When will he tell us the core values of the CORRUPT CHICAGO POLITICAL MACHINE?
Inquiring minds want to know
OhReally at 1:28PM on Jun 17th 2008
10. Boy, Obama has advice on just about everything. The Messiah has spoken!
IRONBLUEEYES at 1:55PM on Jun 17th 2008
11. Taking responsibility for yourself and your family is a conservative principle.
Liberalism is based on the notion of getting out of responsibility. Liberals laugh at people who take responsibility seriously.
Where do you think the endless social programs come from? It's all a safety net to protect irresponsible people from the consequences of their actions (or inactions).
Let Obama talk.
Conservatives know that's all it is.
Talk.
Heath Griner at 2:16PM on Jun 17th 2008
12. 4. liberalism is what brought us the problems with deliquint fathers. liberalism is not the cure, it is the curse.
krr at 12:23PM on Jun 17th 2008
xxx
liberalism brought you the usa for openers. Liberals also created the social programs to combat matters like delinquent fathers.
Liberalism was an attempt by many to escape royalism and conservatism as it existed around Edmund Burke's time. The liberal protectionist act of the Boston Tea Party is one of the founding legends of this country. They refused to let the english tea company into america when american tea manufacturers were being taxed and the brit ei co was not. It was an attempt to control the colonies economically. So the tea went into the drink.
The constitution was liberal. The founders who revolted against tyranny were liberal. Non interference with your religion by government is liberal.
Emancipation of slaves and women's suffrage are liberal. In the mid nineteenth century, from just before Lincoln's time the republican party was liberal but all that changed a quarter century later with infiltration of the party by corporatism and democrats became liberal.
If you can vote and don't own property, thank a liberal. If you can vote and you're a woman or a black, thank a liberal. If you're retired and get a social security check, thank a liberal and thank the government agency that delivers it on time.
If you work a forty hour week and have a paid vacation, thank a liberal. If you take a prescription medication that has to pass government trials to prove it works and won't kill you, thank a liberal. If you drive on an interstate or federal highway, thank a liberal.
If you were educated on the GI bill or got an NDEA loan, thank a liberal. If you got an education in a public school, thank a liberal. If your water won't poison you, thank a liberal. If you have a right to a speedy trial at which your accusers must produce a body of evidence, thank a liberal.
Paul, since you don't pay taxes anyway, hard working tax paying americans don't include you. You're a grifter and try to live on the gray market.
Tax paying Americans deserve representation. In a corporatized government, privatized functions are no longer subject to recall by vote. If the same corporations can merge and fix prices and restrain trade with impunity as they've pretty much done these past thirty years they will grow larger, take over more functions of government and control government to benefit them instead of us. That's what's going on right now.
Liberalism as held by democrats at this time seeks more of a balance as dictated by the constitution. Some things are better privatized, some are not. We also know that small government is a myth. Conservative governments are always the largest ever. They are only small in accountability.
And most of us object strenuously to the trillions in distribution that have happened since the Reagan administration. We also object to our nation's drop in viability during the same period. We led in every quality of life category until Reagan. Since then, we're below europe and many asian countries in wealth, education, longevity, everything we once excelled in.
I notice that the qualities like empathy and familial responsibility that Obama mention are studiously avoided by those who oppose him.
It's pretty crazy, but they have to dissociate from almost anything that makes sense, and revert to talking points that aren't even close to ON point or they'd have absolutely nothing to say.
I want to talk about tax restructuring in 2009 and they want to claim roosevelt was a fascist or mickey mouse was a subversive leftist. Any ridiculous tripe to keep away from the occupation, mccains warmongering stance, the failed economy, constitutional distortion, republican gas prices that were supposed to go down if we became warmongers, windfall profits taxes and the entire sorry afterbirth that libertarianism and neoconservatism drags around behind it.
Republicans have become the issueless party. I see nothing here but attempts to rebadge incidents that occurred many elections ago if at all. Other than that, you get the terrorist fist jab and babymama foolishness.
My vote's worth more than that.
Clif Kuplen at 2:25PM on Jun 17th 2008
13. "It is my fervent hope that America is
ever in the forfront of liberality".
...George Washington
AKA The Father of our Country
BOB JOHNSON at 2:36PM on Jun 17th 2008
14. To those who support Obama his stand on issues are an afterthought. Every utterance is a profound almost messianic thunderbolt from above. Every blemish on his character or negative association is a distraction from the message. Every legitimate criticism is, at its core, racially motivated.
Eric at 2:56PM on Jun 17th 2008
15. Paul..
Boy,, You nailed it right on the head..
Cenk is a Moron .....and Needs To Move To Europe..
jim at 3:03PM on Jun 17th 2008