Frequently, I find people who are hanging onto truly superficial analysis of an argument. And they hang onto it tighter and tighter the more evidence is against it. Their arguments at the surface seem plausible... they seem to fit... but, any deeper analysis and the entire thing falls apart.
Today, many people are running around with sets of talking points that they use as a bludgeon. Beyond that bludgeon you will find little deeper than specious arguments.
When challenging a person for their specious argument - it is more likely that they will turn their attacks onto you.
When they are attacking heavily, anyone, be it Obama or Romney, or any politician - their attitude is set for attack. People who follow some leaders are likely to be more fervent than others. If they feel challenged they will not feel secure on their issues so they will attack you.
The challenge today in this Democracy is that massive quantities of people have been turned into political weapons like this.
What passes in their mind for analysis of a situation usually sums up the entire economy into a sentence. There simply is no depth.
This is dangerous to Democracy. How can we really talk problems and find solutions if people are just on attack?
Some would come out and actually be ready to attack you and cause damage to your real life.
Is there a way to avoid those people? Have conversations with those that are more reasonable?
Can one simply avoid topics that seem to draw those people out of the wood-works every time?
Martin Luther King did not try to convince the most heavily racist that civil rights should be granted. I remember learning that he tried to find the moderates. He only spoke with the people who would listen to reason.
Today - the goal of the Republican party is to cleanse itself of moderates. Dick Luger, Orin Hatch, and Senator Olympia Snowe, all fell prey to that.
Will the style of our Democracy continue to be based on brutal attacks where facts don't matter?
Is there a way for us to go deeper - beyond specious arguments? Does anyone really care?
Quadruple the investment in NASA immediately. Just quadruple the budget. We've been getting a 33% return on investment every year since NASA began.
I would dramatically increase funding for education programs.
I would change government procurement programs so that people are not discarding or spending things to keep their budgets the same next year.
For the housing market... I would meet with the heads of all mortgage lending institutions and explain to them that they can't go from giving mortgages to every person on the planet to making it incredibly difficult even for qualified buyers. I would apply Presidential pressure to loosen standards to a very moderate degree.
That is it. I do believe Obama is doing a great job.
Watch Del. Armstrong describe attacks on the stimulus using a children's story.
http://youtu.be/zhYR0IcmWdc
What is Armstrong for? He sees 15% unemployment in his state and the problem is growing.
Obama later remarked at how Republicans were at all the ribbon cuttings for stimulus projects.
They use these big projects to show what money they got for their state - so they can keep in office.
Every Republican who rejected the stimulus was then showing up for those ribbon cuttings as though they got the money for their state. So they got the rewards of showing help to the state... while blocking the stimulus to the best of their ability... while attacking the daylights out of the President for it.
Michelle Bachman was amongst the most vocal against the stimulus. Well, she personally wrote 16 letters asking for stimulus money to fund projects in her state. She voted against the stimulus.
I saw when the information about this came out. Here is a video someone put together talking about it. You can do a search for each item listed in the video.
Here is a video description: http://youtu.be/B8VXFwZ_T2w'
Here is one story: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/10/bachmann-asked-for-stimulus-money-days-after-calling-it-an-orgy-of-spending/
Here is the video of her calling at an "Orgy of Spending." In the end, Bachmann's district was one of the biggest receivers of stimulus dollars.
http://youtu.be/R9C6W4l92mk
To see where stimulus spending went. Go to www.recovery.gov.
There are pages of stories from the day this news broke. Google: Michele Bachmann Stimulus requests
She wanted and needed the stimulus money for her state, but She also had to make sure that Obama looked like a completely inept leader. They could not allow him this big of a legislative success.
But - wait! There is this one guy who wasn't in office and he wasn't running at the time.
What did he think?
Romney is very careful to not make people think Obama came up with something. He is careful to say, "Obama listened to his advisers."
Reality: Tax cuts have been shown to create a short term sugar rush and then the economy adjusts to that level of money. Infrastructure is an investment that lasts. The economy is built on our infrastructure. So it gives room for the economy to grow in the long haul.
Bottom line: Infrastructure targeted the million unemployed construction workers. When we spent the money construction companies were so desperate to keep some people and keep their business that they bid really low and finished really fast. When we bought roads with stimulus, we got nearly a three for one deal.
Republicans were playing a game regarding, "Well... studies show that infrastructure spending isn't as effective." Sure... under some conditions. What if you are trying to reduce unemployment for construction workers during a housing depression? Would hiring construction workers go at the heart of the problem?
Or... are all theoretical situations the same?
Innovation brought us to a tipping point. So we are here. A sufficient quantity of disruptive technology swept through the world to create great advancements and wreckage as a wave of change crossed the Earth. We see it in the social media triggered Arab Spring.
The internet shifted American jobs to India - we could connect instantly across the world. Computerized shipping allowed things to arrive just in time - warehouses stopped being used. A tsunami hit - that supply chain was just not right - and auto assembly lines and more had to stop.
An electronic reader called the Kindle swept America and Borders... bam - thousands of jobs gone because people don't quite use books like they used to. Robots replaced Americans on factory floors - now - robots are learning to repair each other on factory floors and replacing robot repair men.
We could print mortgages and handle via computer so anyone could do it. We lost the owner of the bank having a personal relationship with the borrower. The owner knowing the finances of the borrower and that of his parents! People could just enter it into forms on a computer. Then it was data. And people learned to sell that data - in bundles of homes - to Ireland and across the globe from the US.
Many people don't even realize our technology is so powerful that we are actually capable of destroying the Earth. Reaching... what biologists call, "carrying capacity." But, we are also capable of repairing it... sort of... we have almost gone too far - another tipping point.
At a medical conference with 200 doctors - they were very concerned. One showed that 267 regulations to protect the environment were nixed by Republicans... watered down... and that every doctor in the room was already seeing spikes in breathing problems. People of all ages coming to them... ill. All those photos you saw from the show - at conferences I was
Massive shifts so fast across the entire economy. The ones who learn how to benefit from the tools of innovation will be ahead. People, businesses and countries.
During the great depression it was machines replacing women. Washing machines... the ice delivery man was being replaced by refrigerators... and all these things... but, one major parallel existed.
Appliances were paid for in monthly payments like cell phones and internet connections are today. Companies raised the prices to the limit of what the market could bear. That sponged up all the money - like it does today with cell phones. Look at how much you spend. That is your extra. The middle class gets tighter and tighter... and a house of cards falls.
The way forwards is to ride on top of the wave. Get ahead of the innovation curve. Replace the old and master the new technology to your advantage.
Why am I successful today? Why do I now run three businesses?
Innovation brought us to a tipping point. So we are here. A sufficient quantity of disruptive technology swept through the world to create great advancements and wreckage as a wave of change crossed the Earth. We see it in the social media triggered Arab Spring. The internet shifted American jobs to India - we could connect instantly across the world. Computerized shipping allowed things to arrive just in time - warehouses stopped being used. A tsunami hit - that supply chain was Just not right - and auto assembly lines and more had to stop. An electronic reader called the Kindle swept America and Borders... bam - thousands of jobs gone because people don't quite use books like they used to. Robots replaced Americans on factory floors - now - robots are learning to repair each other on factory floors and replacing robot repair men. I replaced my professional printer with a color laser printer in my office. Dell and HP took over the computer world... then laptops hit... then netbooks... then everyone in that was screwed because tablets took over. We could print mortgages and handle via computer so anyone could do it. We lost the owner of the bank having a personal relationship with the borrower. The owner knowing the finances of the borrower and that of his parents! People could just enter it into forms on a computer. Then it was data. And people learned to sell that data - in bundles of homes - to Ireland and across the globe from the US. Are you getting my point?
Massive shifts so fast across the entire economy. The ones who learn how to benefit from the tools of innovation will be ahead. People, businesses and countries.
Terrorists learned that they could create an explosion on a street corner and if a news camera was there it would horrify and disrupt the economy of the greatest nation on Earth and effect everyone across the globe. That is how they used live TV - that disruptive technology. To make bigger impacts they needed larger spectacle. So we got 9/11.
Then - their real goal was to trigger massive wars that would drain our bank accounts. When we trained the Taliban to drain Russia of it's resources - that is what we trained them to do. Keep the Russians there and drain their resources until the Soviet Union fell. Then they turned our own methods on us and Bush fell for it. Obama... uses drones... cheap in comparison and thwarts their capacity to destroy America financially.
During the great depression it was machines replacing women. Washing machines... the ice delivery man was being replaced by refrigerators... and all these things... but, one major parallel existed.
Appliances were paid for in monthly payments like cell phones and internet connections are today. Companies raised the prices to the limit of what the market could bear. That sponged up all the money - like it does today with cell phones. Look at how much you spend. That is your extra. The middle class gets tighter and tighter... and a house of cards falls.
The way forwards is to ride on top of the wave. Get ahead of the innovation curve. Replace the old and master the new technology to your advantage.
Why am I successful today? Why do I now run three businesses?
When I was 13 years old I was reading Michio Kaku and the visions of other futurists. I was studying innovation... and the adoption curve. I could name nearly all major innovators and what they created - how they got there. When I was 21 I created a new method of genetic mapping while a theater major using some of those mental tools.
With all the disruption coming... I studied sociology - the science of human interaction - knowing that people would still be here. And knowing that as technology became prevalent people would forget the human skills. So, I studied nonverbal communications, writing, comedy, magic, and dance - so I could relate to people on all levels.
I studied stress management to deal with change as it occurred and now I help other people handle the change.
Knowing that business would still exist I studied entrepreneurial business to know how to take advantage of opportunity as it arose.
How to market. How to reach people. With all the wreckage the change created I knew there would be opportunity.
Studying theater - carpentry - acting - and singing and all forms of communication I turned myself into an instrument of communication and expression - human expression - at the same time others were losing the human touch.
Then - when thrown into the mix of crisis - having already expected it... I deployed my plans to springboard off the crisis. While everyone else fell backwards - my goal became to run forwards. Invest heavily - work tirelessly - build.
And today... here I am. The economy we have today is the real economy. Before it was a massive credit driven sugar rush. Today, it is real. The technology we operate on - while changing fast every day - is beginning to stabilize in some realms.
Go look at the date of when facebook launched. Now imagine the world without it. That was the world just a few short years ago.
Ride the change. Move forwards fast. Stay on top of the wave of change like you are surfing.
America and the world will probably be ok. We just need to learn how to function in the world we have created.
Innovation - to the level of mass disruption. Consider that Obama beat the Clinton political machine - with his new political machine - over the internet. He has been working to shape up America to take advantage of all this innovation because he gets it. He sees where it is leading. He is working to ride the wave and stay on top of the curve... surfing the change... and steering us in the directions to take advantage of opportunities and hedge against potential pitfalls.
That is the world we live in. The reason why I am thriving in it. And that is why I support Obama.
For all against him regarding jobs numbers. I watched Republicans block 17 jobs bills to sabotage the President. So they now run around in the midst of a crisis - having written he story the way they wanted to - and they now scream "Where are the jobs Mister President." In their abundant character... they sought to sabotage the President of the United States during a crisis to assure their own power grab was successful. I watched it unfold live.
This is a crisis that will end as wreckage passes through the system and as we grapple with and master the new age of technology that we are operating in. Not a day before. We are extraordinarily lucky to be growing at the rate we are.
Romney is talented and in the past has taken many moderate positions. He is not promoting himself with those positions now and might not govern from moderate positions, but why am I against him?
You see... initially I was very interested in him.
I respect successful business leaders. I like Mormons. I have voted for Democrats and Republicans.
I don't care if a candidate is exciting and fun... I can tell the difference between choosing an entertainer and choosing a President. I don't care if he is cool.
This year around, in all Republicans with the exception of John Huntsman... and actually possibly Ron Paul (though I disagree with him on everything he seems consistent and has integrity) most of the Republicans have serious integrity issues.
While many candidates had personal integrity issues...
Romney has political integrity issues.
In my previous posts on this blog you will see what some of those are.
Later, I will compile those posts into a coherent article on the matter.
1) Gerrymandering by both parties - the process of shaping election districts to assure one party gets all the votes it needs to take the Congressional Seat - is the root of what keeps people in power.
2) Fox News is the mouth-piece. Not of bias, but of Persuasion.
When I took a course to learn how to be effective in creating a campaign to persuade kids to read... I learned all the methods Fox News uses.
I still have the two text books on it. When I watch Fox I see and can point out every method and direct you to the source studies that generated the methods.
3) Demonization. The goal is to create such a vile opinion of opponents that when one comes on TV a person can't even be in the room. As someone who might support the person they are against - you would not ever have this feeling. But, turn on a video of Obama in the room with someone who watches Fox News and they will leave the room.
4) Construction of reality. Fox News aims to create their own version of reality that is stronger and more expressed than what actually occurs in given situations. Many times it is just an outright fabrication.
5) Circling the wagons and group cohesiveness. They communicate something so heavily, with such cohesiveness, that people think it is true and want to jump on the bandwagon.
When I watch Fox News, I am horrified each time because every screen is actually using about 4-6 methods of social-psychology grade influence and persuasion methods.
I literally have two textbooks from a college course I took on the matter that are next to the keyboard as I write this.
I considered sources that could work against this... work to change this... or reveal it... and I considered... the Daily Show!
I found the producer who reviews the inconsistencies in the news by doing a search online.
He has 13 TIVOs worth of news that he flips through in the morning to write.
I was able to find him and send a short message to connect on Linked-in.
Here is what I sent.
Ramin,
The Daily Show offers solid critiques of the news... etc. I searched and found that you are the producer who focuses on that.
Fox News uses social-psychology research to influence. Would you like textbooks that will teach you what they use?
- Benjamin Corey Illusionist
Hopefully, I can get the information through to him and what is revealed on the daily show will become more interesting.
I sent this to him about eight minutes ago.
If they ever start covering this in an episode - I will post the video here in the comments.
Here is a second message that I sent him over Facebook: Ramin. I saw on Linked-in that we both studied Sociology. I found you there after a story that stated that you are the producer at the Daily Show who generates material to critique the news.
I am writing you because you guys are the only one's confronting Fox News. I want to arm you with the knowledge of the persuasion methods they are using that were studied by sociologists... and social-psychologists like myself.
Will you help me get this out? For a long time, I have wanted to break this story. I cannot find an avenue to do this.
I will provide the names of two text books so you can study up a bit. Then, turn on Fox News and watch. You are sharp enough and will see the methods immediately once the text books teach you that they exist. They are easy to spot.
I trained in them while learning the tools for effective public service announcements. Turns out it is what Fox News uses... and actually... cult leaders. That is where the "Drinking the kool-aid," reference that Republicans are using today comes from. (Google Jim Jones: Kool-Aid.) There are a limited number of these methods so people on all sides are using the same ones.
Would you be interested in having these tools?
Sincerely,
Benjamin Corey Feinblum
Message through to the Daily Show fan page
Hey Guys, I am a social-psychologist and am looking to out the methods Fox News is using within it's broadcast to go beyond bias to persuasion, influence, and social-compliance gaining. As you are the only ones challenging them... I would like to give you the actual methods they are using so that you can see them. Then, you will have a better way to target Fox. Would you be interested?
Example Impact of the Stimulus on Me and My Business.
Now there are those who say, "Construction jobs don't last... infrastructure doesn't help jobs."
To them I say, the stimulus funded route 200 - the inter-county connector near my house.
The stimulus was also $297,000,000,000 in tax cuts, which stimulated demand, which I did feel.
Here is the story of how one road impacted my personal economic choices and business choices.
1) I bought my house near the head of the planned route because I knew it would help my business.
2) The road was built faster than I expected and home values where I live are skyrocketing.
3) I took the road Friday a week before this article for two events I accepted in Baltimore. I had the same gig this Friday. For my Saturday event this week I took this road to Silver Spring.
4) For events in Northern Virginia I was having problems relying on the beltway. The stimulus funded two new lanes and now I can get to my events by relying on the amount of time Google says it will take.
5) The summer camp I started is over an hour away in Howard County. I drive there daily for the four weeks I run my camp. Because route 200 was completed and it cut 20 minutes off my trip I am now no longer exhausted by the drive. I added the fourth week of the camp this year because of that. I only had three weeks in previous years. For my second week of camp I now start much earlier and end later so that parents can drop kids off before work and pick them up after. I am testing it this year to see if with the new road it is easiest enough for me that I can have the energy to keep up with 30 kids for an eight hour day at my camp. It is a lot of responsibility. I decided that because I had nearly an hour less of driving time each day - that might be the freed up energy I could use to offer expanded hours.
Baltimore used to be a top market for me, but traffic was unbearable and it took too long to get there. So, my business pulled out of the Baltimore market and focused on Northern Virginia. With the completion of route 200 I have already expanded my summer camps and began promoting for and accepting bookings in Baltimore again. What used to be 1/2 of my business market that I dropped is now back in play for me. With the new road improvements, I am now fully promoting in Baltimore, DC, and Virginia. This is just me. This is the impact of one road on my business decisions. I am hiring people and businesses for help faster than I can even afford right now because I know there is a new wave of opportunity that re-opened for my business. New demand for my services.
Bottom line: The investment in route 200 and the expanded lanes on 495 were a direct investment in my business. I guarantee I am not the only one who benefited. I see other cars on that road every time I'm on it. To people who argue that infrastructure spending doesn't help the economy. Next time you drive somewhere... don't take the infrastructure.
Shortened sharing link: http://tinyurl.com/6usyhh3 I was interviewed on the Jeff and Mike Show after they read this story. Here is the podcast. http://thejeffandmikeshow.podomatic.com/entry/2012-05-21T20_05_40-07_00
(This story is being updated as time goes by. Here is Barney Frank talking about what I'm referring to in this article. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/NewsGlide/#!&news_1560705_barney-frank-economy-doma-gay-marriage)
(Update. The filibuster is the tool that was used to block everything. NoLabels.org and I are in discussion. I may be a digital leader rallying support for filibuster reform through the organization of 500,000 people. Working on #3 http://www.nolabels.org/work )
(Update Friday June 1, 2012: Eric Cantor was at the lead in filibustering and blocking all jobs bills in the House of Representatives. He was the lead writer of this script. In some cases he single handedly blocked jobs legislation that consisted entirely of tax cuts. Here is is today... on message... proposing now the change in leadership because all of the jobs measures he blocked... seemed to not help the economy. http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000093640
Here is news coverage from the time including a clip from Obama as Rep Cantor blocked all jobs measures. http://youtu.be/mDXMWUP0h_g )
What if the Republican party did not want to go down as the party that destroyed the economy and then have the Democrats create a robust economic recovery? What if they remembered that last time that occurred they were out of the majority for almost 40 years?
The stakes are too high for the expression of their ideology to continue. They must not allow a recovery under a Democratic administration.
Now before you think I am here to bash Republicans... and before you think I believe Democrats can do no wrong... understand I am an independent and have voted more times for Republicans, or a split-party ticket... specific Dems... specific Republicans than I have for Democrats.
The Republican party moved far away from moderation. They have moved very far to the right. A right wing ideology that I can no longer support. Democrats are carrying the values of fiscal responsibility, strong and effective military leadership, and investment in our future in ways that Republicans used to be. Because my values remained the same I am supporting the party that puts them into practice.
Now: Is the top political priority of Republicans to see that America has a robust recovery?
This is a speech from two years ago. While this top Republican was working on his top priority. What was Obama's top priority?
Watch this video of the Republican leader in the Senate. The most powerful Republican in America today.
Mitch McConnell leads the selection of the Republican party agenda... their platform.
http://youtu.be/W-A09a_gHJc
Well, the man who sets the mission of the Republican party says... economic recovery was not the top political priority. Getting rid of Obama was the top priority.
How do you do that?
1) Keep employment from rising too fast.
2) Prevent consumer confidence in the economy from getting too high.
Republican's mission now is to hurt Obama's Job approval by assuring Americans have the LOWEST views of the economy possible. This is regardless of what the economy is because they want Obama's job. Convincing people the economy is worse than it is also slows the economy. People become afraid to spend. Notice again. It says, "Americans views of the economy," is what Obama's approval rating is tracking. Not what the actual economy is doing."
Here is a sample of the distinction between views and reality.
Look at economic confidence in early 2009 as the stimulus passed. Obama broke the economic free fall then. People never returned to crisis level confidence once he was President. As confidence dropped, Republicans were running around the country saying, "The stimulus will fail. It will never work. It will fail." Well, stimulus is used to create the feeling that things are going better. Stimulus gets the psychology right while plugging holes in the ship, until Americans take over the job. Republicans did not want the psychology right. By keeping confidence down, they had a landslide victory in 2010 and hope for a repeat now.
How do you keep employment from rising?
1) Keep business leaders from being confident in the economy by making Obama seem like a wild radical who is here to destroy everything.
2) Keep consumer confidence low so they do not power the economy forwards.
3) Prevent any measure that would improve the jobs situation from being passed. Bottom line: Republicans have now blocked 17 jobs bills while Obama is President.
What is Obama's top political priority?
I turn to this September 8th, 2011 special Joint Section of Congress. A message that he brought to all of America. This enhanced version provides numbers and charts Obama is following on the right side. Obama's top priority was job creation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What was he trying to pass?
With the highest transparency of any administration in history - by choice and because internet makes it possible. Obama posted the entire measure. It remains online now.
The Congressional Budget Office stated that this would create about 3,000,000 jobs within a year. They also stated that Obama cut enough programs that did not meet his priority of creating jobs to pay for this. Obama cut enough that this jobs bill would not add to the deficit. The new jobs, however, would have greatly reduced the deficit. All those people would be paying taxes. All they purchased would also contribute to tax revenue.
The majority of the American Jobs Act was targeted tax cuts (including the payroll tax cut that was not passed until much later.) http://www.americanjobsact.com/
Decisions: All government spending and decisions are important to someone.
Prioritizing decisions are not between something unimportant and something unimportant.
It is that today, something is Priority 1 and something else is Priority 2 (though it may be incredibly important). For example, defense is the largest expenditure of the federal government. If we want to trigger jobs, we may have to trim defense. In that case we know that increased jobs, will provide increased revenue, and then we can increase defense spending later if needed. In these decisions we always take one priority over another.
It is hard to cut things because of how important they are to the people who rely on them.
But, when replacing it with something like the high priority focus of job creation, other things that are painful to let go... can be decided against so that a law is paid for by cuts. Obama has been following what is called, "Pay-go." Pay as you go. For more spending that you want to do, find an equivalent amount of cuts.
A leader can steer. He is like a rudder in the context that the world provides at the time. The quality of a leader is how well he steers and navigates the challenges. A key component is the forward vision. The ability to see likely problems in the future and steer past them.
All decisions by a leader mean nothing if a group of people have simply decided to block everything that the leader wants to do.
Timing note: The context of this being the focus was two-fold.
1) We need more jobs
2) Two years ago Obama saw that decisions Europe was making would lead them to recession.
- He was right. They are now in recession.
3) This and expanded trade through the "Asian Trade block" was his plan to counter-balance the impact of Europe falling back into recession. Obama felt that the economic recovery was fragile and he had to counter-balance things that would derail the recovery.
4) Obama was not allowed the counter-balance. Where are jobs numbers today?
Summary of Story: 1) Republicans state their mission to make Obama a one term President 2) With job growth sluggish and Europe (one of our largest trading partners) about to fall into recession - Obama works to counter balance with the American Jobs Act - Obama addresses a joint session of Congress. 3) Republicans block it by filibustering the ability to even bring the measure to the Senate or house floor for debate. For hours they stood on the Senate floor naming buildings... etc. To kill time until the filibuster worked and the bill would not be allowed to be debated on the floor.
Here is Obama during that time.
4) Obama breaks the law into tiny bits. Republicans pass only one part for veterans and reject all other elements of the American Jobs Act including tax cuts. 5) Europe, falls into a double-dip recession and that drops activity between us and our jobs growth and gdp growth slows a bit. 6) Republicans pass the payroll tax cut and JOBS bill. Two main components of the American Jobs Act timed so that their real impact will be felt mostly after the elections. 7) Republicans attack Obama for not creating jobs. Perfectly choreographed to see that Obama is a one term President. Nobody could have pulled it off better.
This next section is my most refined outlined attempt at trying to communicate this.
Why am I here? I am an illusionist. I create illusions for entertainment. This kind of illusion that destroys America and causes mass suffering and people losing their homes while Republicans make sure they struggle just long enough to get Obama out of office is the wrong kind of illusion.
In other words. I'm an illusionist, a magician, who came to DC to keep them honest!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beginning
1) Republicans state their mission to make Obama a one term President. Here is Mitch McConnell the Republican leader in the Senate in 2010 after the elections.
2) Here is a video entitled Sabotage. I found that someone professionally produced something as I was reviewing video on this topic. They took that clip from Mitch McConnell that I posted above and put it in the context of Republican's actions after he said it.
Now these things can sound like conspiracy theory right?
Well watch Romney praising Obama for taking measures from his hugely successful health care plan in Massachusetts.
How related are Romneycare and Obamacare? The same team of people created both. Obama was using the states as a laboratory for Democracy. Massachusetts has 98% coverage, more affordable care, and most people like their insurance. So he copied it. Here are the leaders of the team that created both plans... finding themselves a little bit upset with Romney.
Here is Romney running against Obamacare. A CNN story. Now... is this sabotage? Is this sabotaging something even when it was Romney's own creation, tremendously effective, and could lead 40 million more people to gain health care coverage in a very short span of time for cheaper rates? The head of the team that created both plans again appears here.
So... are my thoughts about sabotage some conspiracy theory? Or, is this a pattern that Republicans are carrying out. Romney even attacking Obama on a health care plan Romney created and wanted to take national.
3) Obama sees that Europe one of our largest trading partners is about to fall into recession, which could damage our fragile economic recovery. Obama also feels job creation is not fast enough and wants to accelerate it.
Obama works to counter-balance that threat and accelerate jobs by:
a. Creating a new Asian-Pacific Trade Block that excludes China to increase trade in other places as Europe falters. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45279703/ns/politics-white_house/t/asia-pacific-leaders-free-trade-vital-recovery/#.T6c59Osu00k
b. Proposing the American Jobs Act, which the Congressional Budget Office stated would create 3,000,000 jobs by the end of 2012.
- Here is the act in full. http://www.americanjobsact.com/
- Here is Obama proposing this at a special joint session of Congress on September 8th 2011. This is an enhanced version with the numbers and graphs posted with the speech.
Middle: The Actions
4) Republican Senators block the American Jobs Act by filibustering the vote that would open debate on the floor. Debating would give more exposure to Americans and news people of what was in the bill. The more Americans knew, the more they would want. So, Republicans obstructed opening debate on the floor. They wouldn't even talk about it.
Republicans are filibustering to obstruct all that Democrats want. The vote comes up and they begin naming buildings, reading poetry, and more... filling the time endlessly to prevent voting on measures.
Democrats majority is one seat. Republicans do not have to cooperate or compromise on anything they don't want because 60 votes, a so called "super-majority," are required to end a filibuster. Democrats don't have it. So anything Republicans don't like they filibuster. No need to negotiate or behave in a bi-partisan fashion... just filibuster and obstruct.
A majority of the American Jobs Act is tax cuts. Republicans have historically been for tax cuts and they still say they are for tax cuts.
c. Here is Senator Carl Levin a Democratic Senator talking about the filibuster as it took place.
5) Democrats break the jobs bill into parts. They try to pass each part of the 441 billion dollar jobs bill one bit at a time. 11 billion of that passes. One section. Republicans found their conscience when the section on helping veterans find jobs as they return from war came up.
Obama created a system to match employers who require military trained people to the vets as the come home. Many companies need their skills, but veterans couldn't find them. So, Obama worked to fix the problem. That is all that passed.
(Until later of course... Republicans began passing jobs bills made from parts of the American Jobs Act, but timed so the impacts would be felt after the election. Major components were passed, under bills with new names, with complete bi-partisan support.)
Republicans simply could not have a bill become law that would create 3,000,000 jobs in an election year.
What would their message be? Hire Republicans! Our economic theory didn't work. We destroyed the entire American economy and much of the global economy. Sure Democrats fixed it, GDP is growing rapidly, and Americans added millions of jobs back to the economy... but, VOTE REPUBLICAN IN 2012!
If that happens; How do you find a campaign message to gain power? Republicans were in the Congressional minority for nearly 40 years until the 1990s. After blowing up the economy they were rightfully afraid history would repeat itself.
Patriotism. Remember, Republicans running around America talking about how they were better patriots than Democrats? Well, Republicans put economic recovery on hold, had people sitting unemployed, losing work, living with out health insurance, living on the brink, families, people losing homes, because passing a jobs bill would cost them power.
What does former Republican Senator Alan Simpson say about their patriotism? Well, he was on the deficit commission trying to work with Republicans who allowed no compromise. Have a listen to what he had to say. Republicans now... vs. Republicans then. Are they the same people?
I voted Republican many times. I voted for Bush's first term. By the time Kerry came around, I was volunteering in the Kerry campaign national headquarters. At that time, I saw the Bush approach was going to exasperate some major problems. I told people I was watching things very closely and Bush was going to do some serious damage.
And as I am today, I put my feet into action behind what I believed in. People hated me at the time because I was so passionately against Bush and for Kerry. They didn't know I had voted for Bush and that as a CEO and business leader I was watching and horribly afraid of what he was putting together for America. How did that turn out? Was Bush's second term good for America? What happened to the American economy as a result of the Bush policies that Republicans want to go back to?
Did you know that Romney has hired some of the most prominent Republican economic advisers to help him with his plans? Did you know he just hired several of Bush's top economic advisers? Is that what you want? Search google for stories on it.
So Republicans obstructed all but one element of the American Jobs act except for one and then the Republican candidate for President brings on the Bush economic team. Recipe for success?
Here is someone who has in previous cases has voiced heavy and direct opposition to many of Obama's policies. What does he see in media coverage of this?
Is this another person who came to the same conclusion as I?
End: The Results
6) Europe falls into double-dip recession as Obama predicted and had worked to counter-balance.
Here is Economist Robert Reich talking about how the double-dip recession that now exists in Europe could spill over to the United States. Obama saw this and was trying to counter-balance and was obstructed over a year ago. http://www.moneynews.com/StreetTalk/Reich-Europe-Double-Dip/2012/04/27/id/437276
- As the European double-dip recession occurs and China's economy slows the US economy has lower GDP and job growth INSTEAD of having the American Jobs Act fully in place creating jobs and insulating us from the problem.
How did the Republicans approach: Block the American Jobs Act help the American economy?
- What about the auto-industry? Republicans were against lending them money and forcing those businesses to restructure like Obama did. They all voted against it. Well... we had lackluster growth this first quarter of 2012, but of the 2.2% GDP growth 1.12 % was directly from the auto-industry. Chrysler having a 300% growth in profits. And GM having massive growth as the number one auto company in the world again. Republicans think GDP growth and job growth is too slow. Axe off 2 million jobs from the auto industry and all parts suppliers and supporting businesses that we almost lost. Then axe off the 1.12% growth in GDP that came from the auto industry this quarter and where would we be? Would we have more jobs? Would our economy be growing faster under the Republicans approach? None supported loaning the money to the auto industry. Are we better off with it, or without it? http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/04/27/472704/auto-industry-economic-growth/
- The JOBS act. Goal: To allow crowd-sourcing and other means for small businesses and entrepreneurs to get their start-up capital. My restaurant took over a year and a half to start-up once we got the funding. My camp took nine months from contract to being open for two weeks. My magic business took five years to reach this one level higher I am going for. This is the right bill. The right law. But, again - timed so the impacts happen after the election. http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/04/05/jobs-act-to-jumpstart-the-job-market/
8) Republicans run around America screaming. Where are the jobs Mister President? Where are the jobs?
Conclusion: Republicans blocked more than 17 attempts at passing jobs bills. Then, they passed jobs bills that will have impacts after the elections. Now they run around attacking Obama because jobs numbers are low. When you hear them attacking Obama on jobs numbers now... just remember. They didn't want Obama to succeed. So America had to fail a little while longer... Until Republicans were able to take power.
Conclusion 2: Not only are Republicans aiming to keep the economy from recovering, but they also want to talk it down as much as possible. Remember the dismal March jobs report? Did you know that 441,000 underemployed workers - who worked only part time and wanted full time, or who were working in a job way below their skills - moved to full time positions? March added 154,000 jobs and 441,000 moved to full time and or better jobs that used their skills (the sixth largest drop in underemployment in history). So March... 595,000 jobs worth of slack came out of the economy. All while job turnover is very low. People are not getting laid off heavily any more. And we are in a zone of layoffs that signals health in the economy.
Conclusion 3: Obama's approval rating is tracking in parallel with economic confidence. Economic confidence is not [how the economy actually is]. Economic confidence is [people's view of how the economy is]. If you watch Republicans they are running around the country trying to convince people the economy is worse than it actually is. Spinning all numbers so they look worse. They are doing everything they can to cheer on any failure in the economy prior to the election and make everything look worse than it is. Take a look at this. http://www.gallup.com/poll/153335/obama-job-approval-tied-economic-confidence-2012.aspx
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This is an older version of me trying to communicate this message. I'm trying different ways to express it most clearly.
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The story: Setting: Republicans lost the Presidency and Congress and Needed to Do Anything They Could to Regain Power.
Beginning: Obama sees that our job growth is not fast enough and that Europe our largest trading partner may slide back into recession and knock our recovery off track. He responds by creating a trade deal with a new Asian Trade Block that did not include China. This would increase trade as Europe slid into recession. The American Jobs Act would then launch job growth into the stratosphere by adding 3,000,000 jobs in 2012. An election year... unfortunately. So in the abundant patriotism of Republicans that we hear so much about... they decided they would not get power back if that many jobs were added in an election year. So, in their abundant patriotism they put party first.
Middle: Republicans blocked the American Jobs act. Then Obama tried to break it up in pieces and pass small pieces of it... tax cuts of all kinds... each side of the possible methods that could increase growth. Every single one, blocked... blocked... blocked. NO said the Republicans... No jobs bills. Then! One slipped by that they signed. The jobs bill portion for veterans.
Source: Here is one of hundreds of stories that came out at the time. This one is from Economists View.
It states that Republicans whittled down the $447 billion jobs bill that balanced government cuts and tax revenue to pay for it to an $11 billion dollar jobs bill.
Did Republicans blocking all jobs bills help create jobs?
Source: This story talks about Senators and the jobs that will not be created in their states. Remember, Democrats have a slim majority in the Senate. But, as Republicans have been filibustering all legislation (talking on the floor of the Senate, naming buildings after fireman, reading poetry for hours on end) and it requires 60 votes to stop a filibuster - Republicans were able to block nearly every Democrat action. http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/senate-filibusters-american-jobs-act
Source: Here is another story from the day this happened in the Senate. You can search for stories all around that time. Everywhere this was being written about. But, we all forget. Here is another story of the same issue: Republicans filibustering so that the jobs bill can't come to the floor. http://www.politicsplus.org/blog/2011/10/12/republicans-block-american-jobs-act/
Why did they pass that? It funded the creation of a jobs bank so that veterans could come back and be found by companies that needed the special skills that the military trained them for. So, Republicans found one jobs bill that even they couldn't stomach blocking. Most of the ideas had been proposals of Republicans before... but, now... because Obama came up with it and an election was coming the answer was No.
So the Republican jobs plan was essentially to block all jobs plans.
What was the next part? They began to pass them named different things... with overwhelming bipartisan support. The JOBS Act passed... some trade agreements were allowed to pass that would increase exports. But, when? Timed so that after implementation and development of the programs all jobs would be created after the elections.
Source: Here is a story from when the JOBS Act passed. April 5th 2012.
This was one portion of the American Jobs Act that Republicans were completely against before. Now, Americans began to catch on the Republicans were blocking all the jobs bills... so they began to sign on to things called JOBS Act. With all the letters in the word JOBS capitalized so that they looked good. http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/04/05/jobs-act-to-jumpstart-the-job-market/
What do I mean by timing?
I own a portion of a restaurant that I started. I also run my own summer camp and magic businesses. All are growing rapidly even today and even during the recession. My magic business doubled during the recession. My summer camp doubled for this coming summer. My restaurant is about to move from 2200 square feet of rented space to 14,000 square feet we own. People work for all of these businesses. Some hired this month. So, I understand business, job creation, and success.
The restaurant took six months for the permitting. Two months for architectural. Two months for investor funding to enter the business and legal to be completed for that and then construction for another run of months. (I was the Chief Financial Officer of the corporation and managed all bank accounts for the entire business at this time. I wrote the checks for every permit, architect, and construction person.)
After more than a year, the business was opened and served it's first customer. And this was a fast opening for a business.
So, the JOBS Act passes in April 8 months before the election. It will take a year for jobs to be added because of what it takes to start a business.
My summer camp when it opened was all contracted by October 2009 and then opened in August for a very short summer the first year, with only one worker. I think I was open for two weeks. Four years later it is four weeks with about three people working each week. That is how long job creation takes.
So, these things all take time to work. Businesses take time to build.
Republicans blocked every piece of jobs legislation until they were certain the positive impacts would be felt after the election.
Note: Medieval Madness is now the highest rated restaurant in Northern Virginia on Yelp and every seat has been full for about 13 months. I know business.
What next?
Well, the payroll tax cut, which was also part of the American Jobs Act, that was blocked... would stimulate hiring by helping what business leaders said was preventing hiring. Business leaders were saying, "Lack of demand for our products is why we are not hiring." So the payroll tax cut leaves more money in 160,000,000 more Americans hands to stimulate demand.
Republicans tried to block it and then said we need cuts equal to the expenditure.
After that, Republicans shot for a "Small Business Tax Cut," which was really just a tax cut for millionaires.
How can I tell?
Small businesses can file a "Schedule C." It is a nice long complicated form I have to fill out with every number from my business. All transactions from the entire year are categorized and placed into this form.
Other businesses, LLC's, S-Corps, and C-Corps... the only other kinds of small businesses file different paperwork.
Well, did the Republicans bill say, "People filing taxes through an LLC or small business... or taking deductions on a Schedule C can take this tax cut." Nope. They just shot for a pay range of individuals. Millionaires. And tried to give them a tax cut.
Note: While Republicans said Democrats had to slash government to pay for the payroll tax... when it was there bill... they all the sudden didn't think the costs of their bill had to be offset by spending cuts.
In fact, Republicans at the time were pretty much against the payroll tax, but felt they couldn't win by blocking a tax cut for 160 million Americans.
End of the Story: Obama was right. Europe has slipped back into recession. One of our largest trading partners in the world is in dire straits. This destroys economic activity between Europe and us. The Asian Trade Block is working, trade is increasing there. But, all the jobs bills were blocked. Now, Republicans are running around saying, "Where are your jobs Mister President... where are your Jobs! We thought you were going to create jobs!"
All proven methods of job creation were blocked by the Republicans for political purposes. So much was blocked that Obama has found it more effective to act by executive order.
To lend credibility to my statements. Three of my favorite senators retired because of this. Olympia Snowe... the Republican who believed that health care was in crisis and that the solutions provided by Democrats were excellent - and thus voted for it and the Affordable Care Act passed. She left Congress after decades of service furious with how the partisanship blocked all things that were good for America. Snowe as a Senator for 30 years.
Here She is in 2009 stating that all the values that made the Republican party are gone.
50 seconds in She states that Republicans need to return to the basic traditions of the Republican party. Basically, the party She is leaving... is not the Republican party Snow knew. They were no longer the party of fiscal responsibility. They moved too strongly to the right wing ideology...
Bottom Line: Republicans moved away from principles that I and other moderates liked Republican leaders for. They moved away from those to a solid right wing ideology and stuck to that regardless of the reality that elements of the ideology would not apply help solve problems in the current situation. So far to the right that Republican leaders couldn't stand it and had to leave.
At 1:15 into the video Snowe states these are not red or blue issues these are American issues.
http://youtu.be/zW-PdkoubNk
When She retired She stated that Republicans has decided that all moderate Republicans were not welcome anymore. Also, that partisanship was so intense she could not bear another six years of it and thus would not seek another term.
And Senator Evan Bayh. A very warm and brilliant man I met once who believed he could accomplish more by leaving Congress. He decided after Republicans who co-sponsored the legislation to cut the deficit said no. And after the American Jobs Act was blocked. He was upset with both sides, which is how it should be. Neither Republicans or Democrats are free of blame. I remain an independent because once within a party one gets in the stream of all party communications and moves tremendously further in that direction than would occur naturally. Labeling yourself causes you to act more like what you have labeled yourself as.
Note: with the jobs act. Remember that Republicans filibustered the vote that would even allow it to come to the floor for debate. So, they couldn't even talk about agreements or disagreements. Republicans did not want to give the American Jobs Act air time in debate because once Americans saw what was in it during those Senate debates (where clips are aired on the news) they would want it and Republicans then couldn't prevent job creation.
Conclusion: The forest and the trees. The broader view. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watch Barrack Obama at the Republican House Caucus. Watch him as he addresses every single talking point and rebuts them - that Republicans have been attacking him on. This was in 2010. Obama and the House Caucus alone. He states to Republicans. Your plan for health care improvement is right here. The main action idea in the plan is to, "Improve the amount of people covered and lower the costs of health care," but there is no idea or method for achieving that in this plan. Your plan is that you think health care should be cheaper?
Watch this. Fox News had planned to cover it fully. When they realized how damaging it was to everything that they are pushing... they cut it off very quickly. Obama was working extremely hard on saying, "Give me all your best ideas - I want to work with you." Watch how it turns out. This is Obama working as hard as possible to get Republicans to work with him.
What has passed?
Republicans tried to find ways to block the Payroll Tax Cut extension. The payroll tax cut was a major part of the American Jobs act that they did not allow to pass until recently. Republicans found it politically impossible to block a tax cut for 160 million people while trying hard to gain more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. (Nothing against millionaires and billionaires... I want to be one. I just don't think they needed a tax cut more than 160 million Americans.)
The payroll tax cut put more money directly in the hands of consumers.
Note: The American Jobs Act was a multi-pronged approach. Like a chair requires four legs to stand up.
The only part of it passed was the payroll tax cut. The other parts were not passed.
So, what part of the recovery is currently working?
Here is a report from the 27th of April.
Conclusion
Republicans fought tooth and nail, not only against tax cuts, but against everything else that is known to provide a boost to the economy. Because they passed other things than Jobs Bills... and Jobs Bills were the main thing that they blocked... I can only assume they were against creating jobs as fast as possible. The only motivation? They wanted one job and would do whatever it took to get it - Obama's!
Conclusion 2
I have been watching the timing of what has been ALLOWED to pass. Jobs measures are now passing with bi-partisan support because the impacts take time to be felt.
The timing seems set to what would create maximum job growth right after the election.
So, if Obama is elected a second term - we will see a spike in job growth and supporters will say... "See we believed in him and it happened."
If Romney is elected people will say, "Finally, see we have a President who understands jobs and things are already better."
Remember, all decisions are made with economic advisers. Both Romney and Obama will hire the best economic minds who are focused on job creation and put the best plans forward that those minds can come up with. So... where the stimulus was an everything and the kitchen sink approach for jobs creation... there is a limited range of options economists can propose. The American Jobs Act was designed to be the medicine for the problems that the patient - the American economy - had at that time. Obama didn't come up with it himself.
