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Putting the "Dream" into "Dreaminess"
The unconsciousness and non-skepticism of Barack Obama's admirers in the mainstream media continues to astound. Here's Time's Joe Klein:
But now Obama went further, using a parable from the Sermon on the Mount — the need for a house built on rock rather than on sand — to describe a future that was nothing less than an overhaul of the nature of American capitalism. "It is simply not sustainable," he said, "to have an economy where, in one year, 40% of our corporate profits came from a financial sector that was based on inflated home prices, maxed-out credit cards, overleveraged banks and overvalued assets."
That was the house built on sand. His house built on rock had five pillars — new rules for Wall Street, new initiatives in education, alternative energy and health care, and eventually budget savings that would bring down the national debt — which did sound a bit prosaic. Democratic politicians have been promising one or another, if not all, of the above since Franklin Roosevelt reinvented American government in the 1930s. But Obama was making his case in the midst of a national crisis, at a moment when it seemed possible that he might enact much of what he was seeking. And he was talking about far more than a new set of policies: he was implying a new set of national values. [...]
The combination of candor and vision and the patient explanation of complex issues was Obama at his best — and more than any other moment of his first 100 days in office, it summed up the purpose of his presidency: a radical change of course not just from his predecessor, not just from the 30-year Reagan era but also from the quick-fix, sugar-rush, attention-deficit society of the postmodern age. [...]
The most important thing we now know about Barack Obama, after nearly 100 days in office, is that he means to confront that way of life directly and profoundly, to exchange sand for rock if he can.
Read the speech that has Klein so hot and unbothered here. Typical for the genre, Klein provides no detail whatsoever, let alone analysis, of those alleged "new initiatives in education, alternative energy and health care, and eventually budget savings that would bring down the national debt."
|4.23.09 @ 12:00PM|#
His house built on rock had five pillars -
Oh Christ. The "Obama is a secret Muslim" crowd is going to freak
the hell out at that line.
High Every Body|4.23.09 @ 12:08PM|#
JP,
It goes right along with "12 years of Reagan - Bush" from the
Clinton years.
|4.23.09 @ 12:08PM|#
JP,
Clinton was just a shill for Big Reagan, don't you know. Just ask
anyone who thinks capitalsm needs to be overhauled.
|4.23.09 @ 12:08PM|#
I picture Klein writing this with much the same look on his face as the girl who cried watching Sanjaya on American Idol.
|4.23.09 @ 12:11PM|#
Don't these people realize that they're exactly the fucking same
as people like Kathryn Jean Lopez slobbering over Bush in his
flight suit?
Honestly, it is just sickening. They cannot be mocked hard
enough.
|4.23.09 @ 12:16PM|#
Typical for the genre, Klein provides no detail whatsoever,
let alone analysis, of those alleged "new initiatives in education,
alternative energy and health care, and eventually budget savings
that would bring down the national debt."
What will it take to cure these fucking dopes of their credulous
adoration?
When will they begin asking "How?"
|4.23.09 @ 12:30PM|#
So how does Obama's asshole taste Mr. Klein? As wonderful as you thought it would be?
|4.23.09 @ 12:31PM|#
Pillars of wisdom? Who is this guy, Lawrence of Obamia?
Of course Islam has five and Lawrence had seven, but who's
counting?
|4.23.09 @ 12:33PM|#
The media at large has become absolutely useless as the "fourth
branch" or whatever bullshit term they use about themselves these
days. No, no, please, do whatever you want! Sure, bring back
totally discredited economic policies--we're on board!
Present company excepted, of course.
|4.23.09 @ 12:33PM|#
"...if he can."
Why don't people really notice this sort of massive, massive
caveat? What if Obama is not actually able to perform all of these
ridiculously superhuman feats? What will we be left with?
The Extispicator|4.23.09 @ 12:33PM|#
If you can't tell "how" Obama will accomplish all this, you
haven't read the column closely enough.
1) New Initiatives in Education - didn't you read about his
"patient explanation of complex issues"?
2) Alternative Energy - we will simply harness the stored sexual
tension builing up in Klien and other Obamaphiles.
3) Health Care - Who needs to see a doctor when held in an
orgasmically-enraptured state watching our god-like leader turn
sand into rock?
All the answers are in there, if you just look.
Abdul|4.23.09 @ 12:58PM|#
new initiatives in education, alternative energy and health
care, and eventually budget savings that would bring down the
national debt
Does Klein realize that the pillars of new initiatives involve
massive spending outlays that are leaning really, really hard
against that one pillar of eventual savings?
When Jesus used the analogy, at least it made sense. Maybe it's
because our Lord had that carpentry background.
|4.23.09 @ 1:10PM|#
Matt,
It is called state run media. Honestly, if the US had state run
media like the old Pravda, would the stories read any different or
be any more rah rah than what Klein is writing? I don't think so.
Joe Klein might as well be on the government payroll. At least then
he would be being honest about who his masters are.
Harpoon|4.23.09 @ 1:11PM|#
Klein would be able to see reality better if he took as nose out of Obama's ass.
mark|4.23.09 @ 1:14PM|#
The most important thing we now know about Barack Obama,
after nearly 100 days in office, is that he means to confront that
way of life directly and profoundly, to exchange sand for rock if
he can.
Now I get it: Build the pillars first, then worry about the
rock!
|4.23.09 @ 1:17PM|#
Apparently the Reagan era is open-ended. Look for those 30 years to be extended by 4-8 more after Obama's policies fail. The legacy of 80's greed is hard to overcome, you know.
Mad Max|4.23.09 @ 1:30PM|#
From the actual speech:
'To begin with, economists on both the left and the right agree
that the last thing a government should do in the middle of a
recession is to cut back on spending. You see, when this recession
began, many families sat around the kitchen table and tried to
figure out where they could cut back. And so have many businesses.
And this is a completely reasonable and understandable reaction.
But if everybody -- if everybody -- if every family in America, if
every business in America cuts back all at once, then no one is
spending any money, which means there are no customers, which means
there are more layoffs, which means the economy gets even worse.
That's why the government has to step in and temporarily boost
spending in order to stimulate demand. That's exactly what we're
doing right now.'
It is obvious what must be done. Some Americans, in the spirit of
self-sacrificing patriotism, must set aside their narrow selfish
interest in saving and spend like inebriated naval personnel on
shore leave.
I volunteer to be part of that heroic, sacrificial effort. I will
buy lots of stuff I can't afford, simply on impulse. I will
stimulate the economy at the cost of my own narrow, individual
interest. I'll start with buying lots of booze on credit, thus
helping the hospitality industry and the American barley
farmer.
'Tis a far, far better thing that I do . . .
Paul|4.23.09 @ 1:30PM|#
Why is it whenever James Lipton is around, Joe Klein is conspicuously absent? Coincidence? I think not!
Alan Vanneman|4.23.09 @ 1:31PM|#
Yes, Joe Klein, you un-self-aware ass-hole. Stop towing the lion. Some of us like quick fixes and sugar highs! Just gimme my RC and a Moon Pie and I don't need no alternative energy!
|4.23.09 @ 1:33PM|#
I'm flashing on Reagan alright... except Joe Klein is digging through a pile of shit expecting to find a unicorn.
Paul|4.23.09 @ 1:39PM|#
except Joe Klein is digging through a pile of shit expecting
to find a unicorn.
Who needs a unicorn, when you've got Obama for President?
ChrisO|4.23.09 @ 2:06PM|#
Does Time actually qualify as Big Media anymore? The
last issue I saw looked about as thick as a neighborhood
newsletter.
I predict that when the media turns on Obama, it will get very
ugly.
|4.23.09 @ 2:07PM|#
Klein apparantly has True Believer syndrome. Which I believe he wrote about in Primary Colors. Only he drank the Obama kool-aid where he passsed up the Clinton kool-aid.
Mike M.|4.23.09 @ 2:15PM|#
"the 30-year Reagan era"
Because the 25 years of mostly uninterrupted growth, prosperity,
and innovation from around '82 to '07 (which spanned both
Republican and Democratic administrations and Congresses) was by
far the worst period in our nation's history. Possibly the history
of the entire world, even.
|4.23.09 @ 2:16PM|#
I forget the context, but during the campaign Klein wrote a rant about how bad it was for a reporter or a writer to write things anonomously. No kidding. This the guy who wrote Primary Colors and then denied it and encouraged many of his friends to back him up and say he didn't write it only to later to make liars out of them by admitting he really was the writter. I think lying crapweasal would be the proper term for Klein.
JB|4.23.09 @ 3:03PM|#
These zombies are so deluded. Thankfully most Americans have seen zombie movies and know how to deal with them.
Jennifer|4.23.09 @ 4:05PM|#
"It is simply not sustainable," he said, "to have an economy
where, in one year, 40% of our corporate profits came from a
financial sector that was based on inflated home prices, maxed-out
credit cards, overleveraged banks and overvalued
assets."
No shit. So why the desperate attempt to keep those inflated hom
prices from falling? Why struggle so hard to extend credit (a
euphemism for debt) to those already in deeper hock than they can
afford?
|4.23.09 @ 4:05PM|#
alan if you think what obama is doing is a slow fix then please explain. How is increasing our countreis debt to 80% of GDP over the next few years going to slowly fix things for anyone but the Fed's primary dealers and a bunch of corrupt politically powerful corporate welfare recipients?
|4.23.09 @ 4:10PM|#
he said, "to have an economy where, in one year, 40% of our
corporate profits came from a financial sector"
that is why I propose we give trillions of dollars to some of the
biggest firms in the financial sector(don't worry the kids will pay
for it)...and then we can have MSNBC and some of the other MSM
outlets shout hallalejuah when the financial sector announces
surprisingly high "earnings" and that will prove that things are
getting better.
|4.23.09 @ 4:15PM|#
We need a website that celebrates the death of MSM. It could have a pledge section where people agree nto to buy Newsweek, Time, WSJ, NYT, Washington Post, Boston Globe etc. It should show clips like the founding bloggers guys put up demonstrating the complete hackery of CNN. A section on the Iraq war propaganda. A section on the Ron Paul campaign. A section on Obama worship and the bailout propaganda that took place last Septmeber and October.
|4.23.09 @ 4:33PM|#
"Because the 25 years of mostly uninterrupted growth,
prosperity, and innovation from around '82 to '07 (which spanned
both Republican and Democratic administrations and Congresses) was
by far the worst period in our nation's history. Possibly the
history of the entire world, even."
Mike M., yeah buddy. That sure did turn out swell too now didn't
it.
Paul|4.23.09 @ 4:59PM|#
No shit. So why the desperate attempt to keep those inflated
hom prices from falling? Why struggle so hard to extend credit (a
euphemism for debt) to those already in deeper hock than they can
afford?
I was going to point this out, but since you commented on it,
Jennifer, I'll add:
Doesn't this sort of prove a kind of pathology about the Bush
administration, and subsequently the Obama administration's (and
their supporters-- looking at you, Joe Klein) blind faith in
bailouts?
|4.23.09 @ 5:09PM|#
Paul, or maybe a lack of faith in an enfettered market to do anything but run off the tracks even farther.
Paul|4.23.09 @ 5:18PM|#
Paul, or maybe a lack of faith in an enfettered market to do
anything but run off the tracks even farther.
What [un]fettered market? And what exactly do you mean
"going off the tracks"?
Oh wait, I think I know what you probably mean.
An overvalued, overinflated market for derivatives and home prices
(derivatives derived from said housing market-- hence the name
'derivatives') where the government and said regulators failed to
see anything unusual about it, but the "free market" discovered and
made a major price correction? The market that uncovered ponzi
schemes, overpriced homes, overvalued financial instruments, bad
borrowers and questionable debt?
Oh, right, that was "going off the tracks". Or wait, that means
that before the prices collapsed, it was "on the tracks". Meaning
that Obama's policies are designed to put it back "on the tracks".
So we can further infer that these bailouts are going to restore
the values of these instruments and houses to their previous
inflated value?
I guess Obama's Hope and Change mean that he's going to take
Paulson's definition of "market failure" at face value. Market
failure meaning any decline in prices.
Check. Got ya.
|4.23.09 @ 5:30PM|#
Paul, most voters, imo, (including me) don't know jack about the
real workings of the economy. Folks on both sides of the aisle are
scared of the markets. There are a lot of factors in the different
failures, both private and government. The govt. did a swell job of
scaring the bejeezus outta the voters and that fear is what I was
talking about.
We average, rather ignorant, and gullible voters, would rather the
bandaid get pulled off so slow that it is pain-free and everything
all better by the time it's done. We believe that the dirty, greedy
capitalists caused the mess and the gubmint is the most trustworthy
to fix it.
mark|4.23.09 @ 5:35PM|#
For how many years will we be dealing with zombie banks? And
zombie car companies? And zombie state governments?
Or should I not be holding my breath?
BakedPenguin|4.23.09 @ 6:40PM|#
Is Joe related to Naomi? Or married to her? Or both? Because I'm thinking that would explain a lot.
B|4.23.09 @ 9:37PM|#
Of course Klein provides no analysis. If he did, he would be forced to admit that this president hasn't accomplished a fucking thing outside of spending trillions of dollars. For anyone who thought Bush was so bad someone like him would only come around once in a lifetime, well Obama is already proving you wrong.
|4.23.09 @ 11:25PM|#
The combination of candor and vision and the patient
explanation of complex issues was Obama at his best
I didn't think it was possible for one man to simultaneously rim
and suck, but I gotta hand it to Joe Klein.
Mike Laursen|4.24.09 @ 1:42AM|#
To begin with, economists on both the left and the right
agree that the last thing a government should do in the middle of a
recession is to cut back on spending.
No way. Obama did not actually say that. Nobody could get up and
spout such utter bullshit with a straight face, could they?
Mike Laursen|4.24.09 @ 1:44AM|#
We need a website that celebrates the death of MSM. It could
have a pledge section where people agree nto to buy Newsweek, Time,
WSJ, NYT, Washington Post, Boston Globe etc...
That is a fooking great idea! Please make it happen.
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