In Obama’s State of the Union, Troublesome Passages for Progressives

[Karmadillo]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/25-12

Published on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 by The Progressive
In Obama’s State of the Union, Troublesome Passages for Progressives
by Matthew Rothschild

<edit>

First, mentioning John Boehner, Obama said he was still open to a grand compromise on Social Security and Medicare, which would make Americans have to work longer and get less benefits from Medicare and Medicaid. We don’t need a Democrat to hack away at these crucial social programs.

Second, he took a gratuitous swipe at universal single-payer health care. Sounding like Ronald Reagan, he said, “I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed: That Government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more.” As an illustration, he said, “That’s why our health care law relies on a reformed private market, not a Government program.” Huh? He used to say he was for single-payer universal health care. Then, when he was running for President the first time, he said, “If I were starting from scratch," I’d be for single-payer universal health care. Now he disparages it to score cheap political points.

Third, he was belligerent on Iran, saying (to raucous applause) that he would take “no options off the table,” which is easily decipherable code for saying he’d threaten to blow Iran off the map if it got one nuclear weapon, even though the United States has thousands and Israel has hundreds.

Fourth, he said that America is a “Pacific power,” reiterating the theme of his new strategic doctrine, which is aimed recklessly at China.

more...

[quinnox]

1. K&R

and the fact this is written by a Rothschild should get it extra heft.

But seriously, I like the article and it is cool to see someone from the world famous Rothschild family on "our side".

[hfojvt]

5. this Rothschild is editor of The Progressive magazine

Not sure if he is related to the more famous Rothschilds. Perhaps, but not necessarily, any more than I am related to the Koch brothers, my (fake) uncle Ed, or Albert Einstein (mother's name Pauline Koch, of course), not to mention Bobby.

[quinnox]

6. I think he is - edited - but it might not be so

There is a book on Amazon that "Matt Rothschild" wrote and seems to be a bio about what it is like growing up in a amazingly wealthy and famous family like the Rothschilds, so it probably is the same guy.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sibOkzKGL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg



Edited: hmm, now I'm not so sure, the picture it shows on another website of who wrote this book, it is hard to be sure it is the same guy, it might not be him after all.

Now I must say I don't know, if anyone knows then I will stand corrected.

[JoePhilly]

2. This manufactured outrage widget took a long time to hit the shop room floor.

So sad ...

[msongs]

3. Actually despite your statement, other people have different views than yours. hard to believe eh? n

[JoePhilly]

4. Really?? People on a discussion site have different views????? Alert the media!!!!!

[rudycantfail]

17. Dont even bother giving a shit.

Post #2 is one of the most common manufactured widgets on DU's floor.

[hfojvt]

7. I had some of the same complaints

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=220350

and am really kinda puzzled at all the applause here.

[El Supremo]

8. I took note of that.

We can do better. But in the mean time....

[T S Justly]

9. K&R (nt)

[sad sally]

10. Then there was the statement about corporate taxes:

"Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it."

Is this the argument for yet more corporate tax cuts? Make it patriotic - come on, "it makes no sense and everyone knows it." Aren't these the "people" who avoid paying taxes at all costs? And we should give them more tax breaks - both federal and state?

To gauge how much Fortune 500 companies are paying in corporate income taxes, the study looked at the 265 of them that are both profitable and disclose their state tax payments. It found that 68 reported paying no state corporate taxes in at least one year between 2008 and 2010. All together, the study found that the companies reported $1.33 trillion in domestic profits from 2008 to 2010, but paid states only about half of what they would have if they had paid at the average corporate income tax rate of all states — reducing their state taxes by some $42.7 billion

[ibegurpard]

11. And full steam ahead on education deform

[jaxx]

12. I thought it was a great speech.

Tough and humane. But then, I'm a Liberal.

[MrSlayer]

13. The Iran line was just grandstanding bullshit.

I have no doubt that we are not going to go to war with Iran if Obama stays president. The other two are concerning though. No one wants to wreck Social Security except for Wall Street people and Republicans so that's not promising. And apparently they failed to realize that a lot of people were against the healthcare law because it did not go far enough. Because it wasn't Universal Health care. So I don't know who he was trying to reassure there.

Overall though the speech was great.

[XemaSab]

14. The article left out the depressing energy non-plan

[Bonobo]

15. You mean the part where fracking was described as part of a "clean energy" policy? nt

[XemaSab]

16. That and offshore drilling

[tk2kewl]

18. 2 more that had me fuming

Education as job training rather than a worthy intellectual pursuit.

And yea for fracking.

(Short on details because I hate typing with my thumbs)