Panic, So What?

You'd think that Americans would finally clue in to the fact that the bigger the government, the worse it will always screw up.

Comments

[J. R. Bruce]

Who believes Obama did not know that Air Force One was going to do a photo OP over New York before it happened. Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SacTownMan]

S-T-U-P-I-D!!!!

[Bob]

It's basically pretty dumb to take an isolated incident like the NYC flyover -- or even the Hurricane Katrina debacle -- and try to extrapolate a completely unfounded conclusion that government can't do anything useful. Never mind the fact that no Republican really has a clue how to get from the "big government" they claim to hate to their supposed ideal of small government. Do conservatives really want to scrap food safety inspection, public health programs, air traffic control, bridge inspectons, highway maintenance, the postal service, police, fire departments and all the other government services that unquestionably make our lives better and safer? Conservatives behave almost as if they were anti-social, they seem to have so little faith in the idea that good government is just an organized way for people to look out for each other and make each others' lives better.

The "big government" myth is just a boogeyman. Conservatives depend on the government just as much as anyone else, and would be far worse off if it went away, the occasional stupid gaffe or wasteful program notwithstanding. Think about that the next time you DON'T get sick and die from tainted food.

[SacTownMan]

"Think about that the next time you DON'T get sick and die from tainted food."

Why is your wife promising to give up cooking?

[Kurt]

Bob: "the occasional...wasteful program notwithstanding"

The wasteful programs are only occasional?? ROTFLMAO!

[Xerocky]

One aspect of this whole mess that hasn't really been talked about was reported by CBS news today:
"But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD,the Secret Service,the FBI and even the mayor's office and THREATENED FEDERAL SANCTIONS if the secret got out"

THREATENED FEDERAL SANCTIONS ??

So a low level Obama staffer is going around saying "do as I say, or no bailout money" ???

[Lala]

Even the Police Commissioner didn't know what was going on.

It's just another disgrace.

[North Dallas Thirty]

"Do conservatives really want to scrap food safety inspection, public health programs, air traffic control, bridge inspectons, highway maintenance, the postal service, police, fire departments and all the other government services that unquestionably make our lives better and safer?"

The fact that there is strong and thriving private competition to every one of these things that you mention shows quite nicely that government is not only not the only game in town, but in several cases produces a clearly-inferior product.

[Bob]

Private competition for food safety inspection and the Centers for Disease Control? Who on earth would THAT be? Private competition for the police? Do you guys ever consider how glib your responses to major crises can be?

The flu outbreak is a perfect example. It may not turn out to be worldwide catastrophe, but it will only be because of the efforts of the CDC that we will answer that question ASAP and with any certainty. And if it does turn out to be serious, it will only be agencies like the CDC, the Depts of Homeland Security and Health and Human Resources that could mount the kind of serious efforts that would be necessary to protect our population.

Leaving it up to "small govt" Republicans and their rhetoric gets you something more along the lines of Hurricane Katrina. And if law enforcement were left up to the guys who patrol the Target parking lot after hours, God help us all.

[jeena]

How can the stock market be going up with retail investor's money with all the negatives listed below? Many traders think the banks are buying their own stock with taxpayers money (TARP), and according to Barron's, last month had the highest amount of insider sales, so they are walking away with stocks profits from our money, but there is still no lending. If the bank insiders had faith in the banks, they would be holding on to their stock!

List all the negatives this market is ignoring..
1. GDP -6.1, worse than expected
2. First time in 35 years GDP contracts three straight aight quarters
3. Obvious "creative" accounting by all financials for last quarter..where is that other month GS?
4. Continued high unemployment that shows no signs of improving
5. Probable bankruptcy by Chrysler and GM
6. Unemployment leading to people relying on their credit cards just to survive which will lead to less spending and ultimate high credit card defaults hurting the financials
7. Auto bankruptcy hurting the debt holders, which are banks
8. possible worlwide flu pandemic stressing an already tenous economy
9. probable need to dilute some bank common stocks to raise equity...hurting common shareholders
10. poor political climate and probable tapped out governent for those companies needing more bailouts if needed.
11. continued poor housing market..is this really the bottom?
12. significant goverment ownership in all companies that were bailed out...AIG, Fannie, Freddie, GM, Chrysler, C....etc 13.) China will not buy our bonds

[Xerocky]

"last month had the highest amount of insider sales, so they are walking away with stocks profits from our money, but there is still no lending."

This is just how I see it, but until the banks start lending, Obama shouldn't say another godam word. If the banks and Geitner and the Fed aren't communicating, then why should Obama pretend that he has anything informative to say to us? (he didn't last night anyhow).

The cover of the most recent (and ultimately last) issue of Portfolio has a big picture of Timmy the tax cheat, and under that it begs him to "lead us". Obama never talks about the tough, real subjects that he was elected to take care of, instead he mocks the tea parties, as not being a serious real debate (after pretending to not know that they exist). Hyper inflation is important Mr. President. Get with the program.

[North Dallas Thirty]

Private competition for food safety inspection and the Centers for Disease Control? Who on earth would THAT be? Private competition for the police?

Yes. They're called, in reverse order, security forces, pharmaceutical/biotech companies, and industry groups.

Know what's actually treating the flu now, Bob? Drugs made by those eeeevil private companies that you and your fellow libocrats insist do nothing right. Know who's protecting your Obama Party now? Private security forces, like the ones the government hires.

As for government competence, the best commentary on it is the fact that the Obama children have never darkened the door of a government-run school; they've always had private education, which their leftist parents deny to other children.

[North Dallas Thirty]

"Leaving it up to "small govt" Republicans and their rhetoric gets you something more along the lines of Hurricane Katrina."

Funny, Republican-dominated Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, despite taking harder hits from Katrina, didn't seem to have a problem. Only Obama-Party controlled Louisiana and the Obama-controlled "chocolate city" of New Orleans seemed to have problems, mainly related to their Obama-controlled governments' failure to plan for, prepare for, or properly execute an immediate response to a disaster.

Wonder why that happened? After all, New Orleans is a fine example of Obama Party domination and control, with the vast majority of the population on government relief, just like Obama wants. It should be paradise on earth.