Greider: Obama Is Leading the Way Toward Economic Catastrophe

[eridani]

Granted, if he tried to do anything the Repubs would immediately block it.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/197337/obama-leading-way-towards-economic-catastrophe


Disregard the happy talk from the Obama White House. The stagnant global economy remains at the precipice of something worse unfolding—full-blown deflation. And the so-called recovery in the US economy remains shaky, despite good employment numbers. Here and abroad, the governing authorities seem to have forgotten the most basic nature of our situation. We live now in a globalized economy where one nation’s cold can lead to another country’s heart attack. Their ignorance is shocking, but also dangerous.

In fact, the US and other leading economies are beginning to mimic some of the same grave errors governments committed in the distant past, circa 1929, when spreading collapses of banks and financial markets morphed into the Great Depression. I am not predicting such a catastrophic outcome, not yet anyway. But the risk is present. The road to the Great Depression was paved with similarly myopic strategies. This president is not Herbert Hoover. But he might someday be remembered as Wrong-Way Obama.

The misdirection of government power suggests that many leaders don’t believe things were changed that much by the breakdown of 2007. They are still looking backwards, complacently doing the same stuff that failed sixty and eighty years ago.

First, the United States finds itself once again attempting to be the “locomotive” that pulls the rest of the world out of the ditch. America has done this successfully many times in prior decades to help allies get well. The problem is, the American economy is now much weaker and more wobbly itself, deeply indebted after thirty years of trade deficits and costly wars. There’s a lot less US excess to spread around.

[randys1]

1. Obama is the ONLY reason we are not in a total disaster now.

[eridani]

2. Weak tea--far short of what is needed. But then, the Repubs would block that stuff n/t

[elleng]

3. Yes they would and, imo,

we really need a new economy, world-wide, considering technology, communications, etc etc etc. I don't know who may have suggested a suitable model, so Prez O's 'weak tea' may be as much as we can expect now.

[eridani]

19. Infortunately you are right, I think. So that makes us well and truly fucked n/t

[elleng]

20. Truly,

for which understanding you get a

[woo me with science]

4. Oh, spare it. He has defended, entrenched, and EXPANDED all the most malignant aspects

Last edited Wed Feb 11, 2015, 01:17 AM - Edit history (1)

of the Bush corporate agenda *since Day One.* He has defended and accelerated the continued looting of the nation by oligarchs. Inequality is expanding. Careers are replaced by low-paying jobs. Virtually all new wealth is now going to the top One Percent.

It was a restructuring, not a recovery. And this administration has been complicit.

What you just repeated is corporate propaganda. And not just corporate propaganda, but absurd, blatantly and brazenly untrue corporate propaganda. It is the equivalent of Orwell's "2+2=5." It is flatly and glaringly inconsistent with reality.

It's gotta really suck when your *entire,* handpicked administration goes rogue and spends YEARS working aggressively, consistently, and proactively against all of your most cherished goals.

Ohhhh, 'But it's obstruction!' will be the predictable reply. But that's nonsense, too. In fact, Obama has been SO deeply and existentially obstructed that his administration's own record looks like this:

The record shows aggressive, proactive pursuit of a corporate agenda,
(This list does not show a president trying to enact a liberal agenda and being obstructed. No, it shows him aggressively and proactively implementing policies for the banks and corporations at the expense of the 99 percent.)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3202395

CUT THE CRAP! Your Month in Review from the most "progressive" administration ever.
Whoa! More proactive corporatism!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025006297

Just a Republican thing, huh? Assaulting the Constitution itself
("Good god. I can't stop!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5554112

Study: Obama's "Trade" Deal (TPP) Would Mean a Pay Cut for 90% of U.S. Workers
("A Republican is making me do it?!&quot
http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/2013/09/the-verdict-is-in-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-a-sweeping-free-trade-deal-under-negotiation-with-11-pacific-rim-coun.html

Obama’s Latest Betrayal of America and Americans in Favor of the Big Banks: TISA
("Oh, shit. Here I go again!&quot
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/26/1309671/--Obama-s-Latest-Betrayal-of-America-and-Americans-in-Favor-of-the-Big-Banks-TISA-by-Bill-Black

Bombing Syria: The next step in the PNAC playbook, remember?
("They're Democratic peace bombs: TOTALLY different!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025520459

The "Justice" Department under Obama
("Please, Mr. Holder! Stop! Stop!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025587151
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025586874

After the financial looting of 2008, Obama twists arms for FURTHER deregulation of Wall Street
through Cromnibus
("Just because we deliberately opened the door even wider doesn't mean the robbers will come back!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025944988

Look at the OFFERS.
("God I hate when this happens!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022060108

Why the incessant repetition of a talking point that is so obviously, even brazenly, inconsisent with reality? Why pretend that this president has not been a diligent, highly effective corporate Trojan horse for Wall Street?

Because it's propaganda. A drumbeat of the absurd: "2+2=5." We are to overlook the obvious elephant in the room, the deluge of corporate money that drives these vicious, antidemocratic, looting, and warmongering policies in both parties. We are to ignore the agreement of the parties on virtually every single economic, war, and police state issue important to the One Percent:

Red vs. Blue = Oligarchy Theater for the masses.

Mass spying on Americans? Both parties support it.
Handing the internet to corporations? Both parties support it.
Austerity for the masses? Both parties support it.
Cutting social safety nets? Both parties support it.
Corporatists in the cabinet? Both parties support it.
Tolling our interstate highways? Both parties support it.
Corporate education policy? Both parties support it.
Bank bailouts? Both parties support it.
Ignoring the trillions stashed overseas? Both parties support it.
Trans-Pacific Job/Wage Killing Secret Agreement? Both parties support it.
TISA corporate overlord agreement? Both parties support it.
Drilling and fracking? Both parties support it.
Wars on medical marijuana instead of corrupt banks? Both parties support it.
Deregulation of the food industry? Both parties support it.
GMO's? Both parties support it.
Privatization of the TVA? Both parties support it.
Immunity for telecoms? Both parties support it.
"Looking forward" and letting war criminals off the hook? Both parties support it.
Deciding torturers are patriots? Both parties support it.
Militarized police and assaults on protesters? Both parties support it.
Indefinite detention? Both parties support it.
Drone wars and kill lists? Both parties support it.
Targeting of journalists and whistleblowers? Both parties support it.
Private prisons replacing public prisons? Both parties support it.
Unions? Both parties view them with contempt.
Trillion dollar increase in nuclear weapons. Both parties support it.
New war in Iraq. Both parties support it.
New war in Syria. Both parties support it.
Carpet bombing of captive population in Gaza. Both parties support it.
Selling off swaths of the Gulf of Mexico for drilling? Both parties support it.
Drilling along the Atlantic Coast? Both parties support it.

Neocons and neolibs sure have a lot in common. So much in common that they almost seem like the very same people:

When the DLC connections to the Koch Bros. became well known, they just rebranded the infiltration
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4165556

When you hear "Third Way", think INVESTMENT BANKERS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024127432

GOP Donors and K Street Fuel Third Way’s Advice for the Democratic Party
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101680116

The Rightwing Koch Brothers fund the DLC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

Same companies behind the GOP are behind the DLC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1481121

[ND-Dem]

8. +100. People want to believe in heroes. But the people is all there is.

[woo me with science]

24. I agree. Nothing will change by itself from within this corrupt system.

Wall Street owns both parties, all branches of government, the media...

Bernie Sanders has been telling us that we need a grass-roots political revolution, and he's right.

[leftstreet]

10. +1

[Octafish]

12. What would Goldman think of that?

"Summers looked at Stiglitz like Stiglitz was some kind of naive fool who'd read too many civics books."

http://www.gregpalast.com/larry-summers-goldman-sacked/

[woo me with science]

25. "Summers looked at Stiglitz like (he) was some kind of naive fool who'd read too many civics books."

What a perfect description of the mentality we are dealing with.

We are ruled by criminals. Literally.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

15. I'm wooed!

Thanks!

[laundry_queen]

18. I can't rec your post

but I can give you another heart (oh, look, I just did).

I agree with everything you've said.

[woo me with science]

26. Thanks for the heart.

That was really nice of you.

(And thanks to everyone else who gave hearts, too.)

[SammyWinstonJack]

22. +a million!

[Mojorabbit]

27. + a kabillion. nt

[randys1]

35. If I wanted to read a HATE Obama or HATE Democratic party thread, I know plenty of rightwing boards

where I could do that.

[SidDithers]

6. +1...

But the perpetually outraged won't agree with you.

Sid

[woo me with science]

7. Predictable. Ad hominem and a nasty emoticon.

This is all the corporate posting brigade has.

Propaganda and smear. It's all that remains to try to defend the Third Way record.

[SidDithers]

9. Pot. Kettle...

You bring it every day, pally.

Sid

[woo me with science]

14. No, that's false,

but the attempted accusation is entirely consistent with your MO of smear.

No, I actually don't make a habit of going around the boards posting empty, mocking emoticons in lieu of argument. I know it, you know it, DU knows it, and a simple review of our posts demonstrates it.

You have that well-established pattern. I don't.

I post extensively about the administration's record, as I just did *again* above in this thread, and I also point out the behavior of those who will not engage on the actual record but instead reliably use smear and diversion as reply.

[emulatorloo]

13. You're projecting

[woo me with science]

16. Predictable as rain. Empty backup.

Do you have a comment on the proactive, sustained, predatory corporate agenda of this administration, the record of which I extensively linked above?

Of course you don't. You serve as backup for the predictable, empty smear response. It's the ugly, familiar MO of the corporate posting brigade...and the only remaining defense for the self-evidently predatory Third Way record of policy.

This is the pattern now. Always the same group, always the same tactics.

I won't be responding to the smear and diversion further, because at this point the clear goal is to divert from the important information posted. I'll just put the links again here so they aren't buried:

The record shows aggressive, proactive pursuit of a corporate agenda,
(This list does not show a president trying to enact a liberal agenda and being obstructed. No, it shows him aggressively and proactively implementing policies for the banks and corporations at the expense of the 99 percent.)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3202395

CUT THE CRAP! Your Month in Review from the most "progressive" administration ever.
Whoa! More proactive corporatism!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025006297

Just a Republican thing, huh? Assaulting the Constitution itself
("Good god. I can't stop!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5554112

Study: Obama's "Trade" Deal (TPP) Would Mean a Pay Cut for 90% of U.S. Workers
("A Republican is making me do it?!&quot
http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/2013/09/the-verdict-is-in-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-a-sweeping-free-trade-deal-under-negotiation-with-11-pacific-rim-coun.html

Obama’s Latest Betrayal of America and Americans in Favor of the Big Banks: TISA
("Oh, shit. Here I go again!&quot
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/26/1309671/--Obama-s-Latest-Betrayal-of-America-and-Americans-in-Favor-of-the-Big-Banks-TISA-by-Bill-Black

Bombing Syria: The next step in the PNAC playbook, remember?
("They're Democratic peace bombs: TOTALLY different!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025520459

The "Justice" Department under Obama
("Please, Mr. Holder! Stop! Stop!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025587151
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025586874

Look at the OFFERS.
("God I hate when this happens!&quot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022060108

Mass spying on Americans? Both parties support it.
Handing the internet to corporations? Both parties support it.
Austerity for the masses? Both parties support it.
Cutting social safety nets? Both parties support it.
Corporatists in the cabinet? Both parties support it.
Tolling our interstate highways? Both parties support it.
Corporate education policy? Both parties support it.
Bank bailouts? Both parties support it.
Ignoring the trillions stashed overseas? Both parties support it.
Trans-Pacific Job/Wage Killing Secret Agreement? Both parties support it.
TISA corporate overlord agreement? Both parties support it.
Drilling and fracking? Both parties support it.
Wars on medical marijuana instead of corrupt banks? Both parties support it.
Deregulation of the food industry? Both parties support it.
GMO's? Both parties support it.
Privatization of the TVA? Both parties support it.
Immunity for telecoms? Both parties support it.
"Looking forward" and letting war criminals off the hook? Both parties support it.
Deciding torturers are patriots? Both parties support it.
Militarized police and assaults on protesters? Both parties support it.
Indefinite detention? Both parties support it.
Drone wars and kill lists? Both parties support it.
Targeting of journalists and whistleblowers? Both parties support it.
Private prisons replacing public prisons? Both parties support it.
Unions? Both parties view them with contempt.
Trillion dollar increase in nuclear weapons. Both parties support it.
New war in Iraq. Both parties support it.
New war in Syria. Both parties support it.
Carpet bombing of captive population in Gaza. Both parties support it.
Selling off swaths of the Gulf of Mexico for drilling? Both parties support it.
Drilling along the Atlantic Coast? Both parties support it.

When the DLC connections to the Koch Bros. became well known, they just rebranded the infiltration
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4165556

When you hear "Third Way", think INVESTMENT BANKERS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024127432

GOP Donors and K Street Fuel Third Way’s Advice for the Democratic Party
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101680116

The Rightwing Koch Brothers fund the DLC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

Same companies behind the GOP are behind the DLC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1481121

[woo me with science]

5. Huge K&R. The truth is that

this administration has aggressively and proactively defended, entrenched, and expanded the corporate agenda since Day One. The One Percent have profited beyond their wildest dreams, and the president will be handsomely rewarded for his service.

Gridlocked democracy is an illusion. We have had a corporate coup in this country, by the global corporate elite. We live under united oligarchy that is pretending to be a democracy, but that is, in reality, dismantling the democratic foundations of this nation and replacing them with corporate authoritarianism. And our nation is added to the list of of those being transformed into a feudal state for corporate profit.

And we are *still* looking down the barrel of the malignant, antidemocratic TPP, thanks to its champions Obama, Hillary, and Paul Ryan.

It wasn't an accident.

[leftstreet]

11. DURec

[woo me with science]

28. This headline is accurate. We are now staring down the barrel of

We are now staring down the barrel of:

1. Obama's and Hillary's and Paul Ryan's TPP.

2. A massive expansion of war/nuclear weapons.

3. And Cromnibus. Obama just twisted arms and whipped votes to deregulate Wall Street even more....ensuring that the banks can do all over again, and worse, what they did to us in 2008.

These policies are chosen and fought for. They do not happen by accident.

And Hillary, or the Republican alternative, will be waiting in the wings to continue where Obama left off...

Nothing. Nothing is more important than building a grass roots political revolution against this oligarchy/corporatocracy. Nothing is more important than stopping Hillary or another corporate predator in a Democrat costume from being shoved down our throats as the Democratic nominee in 2016.

This nation cannot endure it.

[woo me with science]

29. kick.

[CrispyQ]

30. I hardly know anyone who is doing better than they were in '08.

But then, I don't rub elbows with the 1%.

[Arkana]

31. *raises hand*

I have a decent job, and my sister had health insurance during the time she was unemployed thanks to the ACA's under-26 provision.

Just because you "don't know anyone" doesn't mean it didn't happen. The plural of anecdote is not "data".

[Bobbie Jo]

32. Right here

My husband is Union pipefitter/welder, and was out of work for most of 2008. I lost a profitable business of 10 years - also in 2008. We subsequently lost our home in the same year.

The last 3 years have been INFINITELY better, he's working consistently and I found a really good job. In fact, my position was actually created as a result of an Obama Administation initiative through HHS.

Pleased to make your acquaintance.

[Avalux]

33. Obama can't stop the machine.

There is no way in hell Obama could have reversed the trajectory of our economy when he took office in 2008; the machine was set into motion long before that. He may have slowed the inevitable during his presidency, but there isn't anything he can do. It's bigger than him and his presidential powers.

Our economy cannot sustain itself and will eventually collapse, and that isn't Obama's fault. He isn't a dictator.

[The2ndWheel]

37. Even if he was it wouldn't change anything

[jwirr]

38. I agree. The inequality and the global economy with its outsourcing were established and up and

running long before the 2008 crash. And the corporations no longer recognize national borders. The banksters insisted they are too big to fail and they are probably right. The SCOTUS was handed over the Rs in 2000.

Yes he had a little majority for a short time but the Rs had already decided to make him fail at their meeting on his inaugural day. I think they let the ACA go through because they saw it as a means to his downfall.

That he has accomplished anything is surprising. And I am not totally defending him - I think he is wrong on TPP. In the last few months since the 2014 election he has been able to get more done on his own that he was the last 6 years. And they want to impeach him for it.

[Octafish]

36. Kick to piss off Koch Brothers

and the Banksters.