I'm starting to think that there is nothing President Obama, or any other politician, can do to fix

[Writer]

the economy. Listening to political experts try to unravel the complicated hell we're in through ideological lenses is extremely underwhelming and depressing. What does politics have to offer to fix this problem? I don't think anyone outside of the Academy of Economists has an answer.

My feeling is that this scenario belies politics. Obama can try, but I don't think there is much he can do to resuscitate this dying patient.

[MichiganVote]

1. We're not dead, just sick. Wish somebody would throw this kind of $ at me when I'm sick.

[billyoc]

2. It's never too late to stop doing the wrong thing.

[ORDagnabbit]

3. spend 47 minutes and watch this vid...you'll more than most

www.moneyasdebt.net

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8

[Festusss]

26. Great educational video. Thanks!

[spanone]

4. hey, give him at least another 6 weeks, eh?

[Catamount]

5. I think he was elected to be the scapegoat.....

I know that we the people actually elected him--but maybe "they" allowed it by not cheating as much as they usually do.

What better when, the shit hits the fan, than to blame it all on a Democratic ,black man---and in the event that President Obama's plan actually works --there's nothing lost (except may be the next election).

Run the country into the ground and blame it all on us--when we try to deal with it.

Oh My God!

[Top Cat]

6. We have to stay calm...

[Catamount]

9. I'll try--thanks...

you're right--but I really really hat R L!

[avaistheone1]

14. Maybe so. It's Obama's recession according to the right wing nutjobs.

[Beacool]

21. Oh please................

All these conspiracy theories are not helpful. Obama wanted the job, well, he got it. It's his economy now and we are in a s**t load of trouble. The reality is that no one is sure what will work. They keep throwing things against the wall and hoping that something sticks. So far, nothing has........

:-(

[sufrommich]

34. Not only are they not helpful, they're insulting. I think there's a

certain amount of Democrats out there suffering from shell shock or something. Hey,maybe we won because we've got better ideas and that the majority in this country are starting to see the light! Naw, that can't be , it's obviously an evil trick being played on us by the republicans.

[Beacool]

38. Goodness knows that he wasn't my candidate during the primaries.

But he got the job and he's trying his best to do it as well as he can. Whether he succeeds or not will depend on too many factors to make a prediction at the moment. Though the one thing that I'm sure of is that his success or failure will not be dependent on his race or a conspiracy.

;-)

[sufrommich]

32. Oh for God sake, the republicans aren't all powerful and fought

the election of Obama with everything they had, to the point of hysteria.Nobody "let him win",he won because more people had faith in him than McCain and the republicans .

[Uben]

7. Eventually, the country will heal itself

...either that, or we are royally screwn!

[salguine]

8. The problem isn't what they CAN do, it's what they WILL do. Everyone knows

the best ways to help get the economy back on track, in terms of what we need to be do and what we need to stop doing. Everyone also knows those solutions will freeze out and alienate the big-money special interests that bankroll their reelection campaigns, and right now they're trying to figure out how to have their cake and eat it too. And, in the meantime, while they dick around trying to think of a way to save the economy without prying their lips off the asses of the WalMarts and the ExxonMobils and the Pfizers and the Merrill-Lynches of the world, things slide further and further down the shitter.

[psychopomp]

40. Could you elaborate

I am interested in what you think these best ways that everyone knows are; I haven't heard any kind of consensus. Maybe I am listening to the wrong people.

[DCBob]

10. It is a colossal mess which we are all somewhat responsible.

This was inevitable. Our economy of recent years was based on a fantasy. The best we can do is ride it out and slowly work our way back to stability. It will take many months and more likely a few years. And even then it will not be the same. In fact we can't and don't want to go back to the way it was. That system was unsustainable. The world's economy was built on a fragile hyper-consumerism that was destined to fail. Just too many dependencies. A pull back to something more stable and sustainable will be good for everyone in the long run. We just have to ride it out until we can reach some semblance of stability.

[MadMaddie]

11. My friend for the last 30 years we have lived in a society that

has moved so fast and made so many changes that we (Americans) looked the other way when things were too good to be true. We knew the housing prices were insane, the dot.com bust, we knew that paychecks were not keeping up, we knew that many were getting rich beyond their wildest dreams but a lot of it was just paper....

We are a society that does not know how to slow down voluntarily and this economic crisis has forced us to slow down.

Now to your point, when Roosevelt created the New Deal it did not happen overnight. It took several years to build Hoover Dam, it took years to build the roads and bridges that connect the coasts of America. It took years to grow the middle class.

So I say to you and others, it will take more than 6 weeks for a recovery. It will take more than 6 months for a recovery.We will see gradual improvement. We may be into President Obama's second year before we see marked improvent.

The reason why it will take so long? We have to start at the foundation of America and rebuild. Rebuild America's towns, cities, states and country. We have to instill in the population that getting rich quick is not the way to be successful in this country. We have to instill in the population that being courteous and truthful is more honorable than lying and swiftboating.

We are asking President Obama and his administration to fix 30 years of sickness and it won't take weeks or months. We are asking him to rebuild our confidence in a truth and the USA and not by swaggering across a Navy deck with "Mission Accomplished".

Hang in there...

[DianeK]

33. I agree with you

Those that say that they are throwing things against the wall to see what sticks are so wrong. And if they believe that, well who can blame them for being very nervous about all of this? No, President Obama has a very well thought out plan. This is real reform and it will take time but he has asked us to trust him and we did with our vote. We now have to follow through with patience.

[Thrill]

12. The Rich, Financial Networks, and Wall Street are at War with Obama

No sense listening to these political pundits

[defendandprotect]

23. Nothing new in that . . .. past presidents have commented on this power which

challenges the sitting president ---

even more, often runs the presidency.

[liberalmuse]

13. We need a huge change in the way we've been doing things...

I turn on the tv and see the same old stupid shit, telling Americans to buy, buy, buy as if our economy weren't in freefall. We're just going to learn that you can live a high quality of life without stupid, disposable junk or a bank account full of money. We're going to have to help each other, and lift each other up. President Obama is a really good person to help us through this. It's going to hurt, but things are never going to be the same again. You can't live for 30 years going for short term gains over long term stability. No more of this Reagan shit or making a killing at the stock market. It's done. Even if this stimulus stuff doesn't work, there is still hope, and creativity. It's been allowed to lie dormant for too long, but all those people who've been overlooked as being 'out there' or as having ideas that just aren't feasible while people were raking in the easy money are going to be the very people we will be turning to for creative solutions. There's a HUGE well that we've yet to tap here. We just need to let go of the old shit that didn't work, and didn't make us happy, and get ready for something new.

[Jennicut]

15. Yeah, I am tired of being told to spend money I don't have. Its just not there right now.

We are headed for the dreaded D-word I am afraid and we have to be brave and face it. We got through tough times before and we can do so now but we need to really understand that in these days of instant gratification this will take a long time to get better. 30 years of bad economic policies is hard to overcome in one month. Screw the pundits, they know nothing and have no answers or solutions.

[Beacool]

24. According to some economists we are already there.

Not the big "D", but the little "d". They say that we won't know how long it will last until years later when it can be studied.

:(

[salguine]

17. Until we break the stranglehold that

corporate America has on Congress, nothing Obama—or anybody—does will work worth a shit.

[defendandprotect]

22. Supposedly we were breaking that mold with Obama . . . !!!

Huge sums were raised by Obama via internet --- common folks ==

all with no leverage over him now!!

[salguine]

28. Maybe about 500,000 people in the street in front of the White House eight weeks

into his administration might help him see things more clearly.

[defendandprotect]

39. There are a lot of marches planned for March, I believe . .. .

We keep increasing the numbers -- but I think we need to see a decrease in the

restrictions. Did you see the Naomi Wolf video discussing that -- re civil

disobedience -- think it was the other day, but not sure if it was posted at DU/???

Also -- the marches always occur when no one is in DC -- legislators and officials

are away.

I think we have to structure something more immense -- like down the eastern seaboard?

And/or along the California coasts?

Single Payer is a top priority for the nation, the public --- and should also be for

Obama, IMO.

[laugle]

16. If he can thaw out the frozen credit market's,

and get banks to start lending again, that will go a long way to ending the housing market slump.

Once people can get mortgages again, they will begin buying homes again(and all that goes with it), at a great price and low interest rate.

Once the housing market is humming again, confidence will return and the stock market will rebound............

It's going to take time, but I think things will be looking up by the end of the year!

That's it in a nutshell, hopefully, the stimulus package will also be putting people back to work!

I hope that Barack will focus like a laser on the housing market, as that's what got us into this mess, and it's revival, will get us out....

I know it's complicated, but there are certainly things that Barack can do to insure success.....time will tell if he's up to the job.

[Spider Jerusalem]

18. Pointed questions:

First, what makes you think academic economists have the answer?

Second, what makes you think 'fixing' the economy is a desirable goal (assuming 'fixing' the economy means returning to the same wasteful and long-term unsustainable economic habits of a short while ago)?

Third, if the net effect of the proposed and pending government projects is to provide employment and stimulate spending, then it is something in the right direction, and certainly more effective than doing nothing whatever; what would you have the government do in this situation? Should FDR have not tried?

[Ernesto]

19. Don't let the MSM run your life

Sesationalism... It's just what they do.

[defendandprotect]

20. We can fix the economy -- we can't fix Global Warming . . .

Remove age limitations from Medicare --- poof! medical coverage for everyone!

The economy will require re-regulation of capitalism -- and IMO re-regulating it out

of existence and substituting economic democracy -- democratic socialism.

Nationalize oil companies --- Nationalize any failing banks ---

Take over car companies and employees and start buidling electric cars ---

and converting cars to hybrids!

Cancel student loans over 10 years ---

Reign in credit card companies ---

Basically, return to New Deal --- break up mega-companies ---

End any notion of a corporation as anything but a business arrangement for profit.

Supervise corporations religiously and shut them down when they are not performing

up to standards.

End the MIIC -- miitary industrial intelligence complex.

Free medical research and medical education from influence of drug companies and

"pro-life."

End contributions of taxpayer dollars to anything that is "religion."

End patriarchal war on nature, women and children by ending patriarchy.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

25. China is fixing theirs

they just threw a stimulus at their economy

[cottonseed]

27. You can always count on Americans to do the right thing -

after they've tried everything else.


Might be one of these instances...

[MrSlayer]

29. That's what happens when you pull a bust-out.

The only thing left to do is burn it down and collect the insurance. Except in this case, there is no insurance. The BushCo gangsters busted this country out completely, they took it all. We may indeed be done and over.

[BlooInBloo]

30. Dude. "Game over" threads are so 2008.

[polichick]

31. The government's job is REGULATION - not propping up with our money.

[Enthusiast]

35. REGULATION!

There is a reason for regulation. You can't remove regulation and expect no abuses. But, that is what happened. How do we fix it and give a much needed boost in confidence? Reregulate! This should be top priority. They can start with the Glass-Steagel Act.

[wyldwolf]

36. well, not in the first 100 days anyway

[Vinca]

37. If Obama had a magic wand he could fix it in 6 weeks.

He doesn't and it's going to take time. The right wing media is planting the seed that Obama isn't able to improve the economy because the job isn't done yet. Don't fall for it. The economy always turns around. Even if nothing was done it would eventually turn around. The Republicans know this and have to make hay while the economy is still horrible. Wait and see. When the next election rolls around, people will be talking about what a good job Obama did with the economy.

[defendandprotect]

41. White House ... contact link here . . .

While I think you're wrong about the nature of this --- it's simple

corruption, in fact -- I think everyone should be telling the White

House what their feelings are about this. Re-regulation is required.

De-regulation is how we got here -- it permitted the criminal behavior

that the New Deal corrected to go forward again. The legislators

responsible for this are those bought by corporations to do their

bidding. We need to stop the selling of government and government officials!

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

PS: Also agree you're watching too much TV/pundits.

C-span will give you a better idea of what's going on ....USHR/SENATE...

now and again you'll hit an honest legislator who will tell you the truth!