A mess too big to fix?

[kentuck]

Have you wondered whether or not we have inherited a mess from George W Bush and the Republicans that is too big to fix? They finally succeeded in their bathtub philosophy?

After an entire life of screwing up everything he touched, George W Bush finally realized his dream. He created a mess that is too big to clean up.

Forever, the Republicans seemed to operate on the premises that our government could never fail economically. All that we had to do was relieve businesses of regulations and let the free market work. As far back as Reagan, and perhaps further, Republicans believed that government was the problem, not the solution. They could spend and borrow and steal to their heart's content and our government would still survive. Or so they believed.

Is it too pessimistic to think our problems are beyond repair? With the Military Industrial Complex taking more and more of our national wealth every year, we are supposed to believe that we are stronger and safer. But, are we?

With the taxpayers spending trillions of dollars in attempts to fix our banking system, can anyone deny there are very serious problems with our government and our economic system? How much longer can we continue to bail out corporations like GM and AIG before we accept the inevitable? It cannot be fixed.

When Bush and Cheney left office, they left a war in Iraq with an unknown ending. They left a war in Afghanistan that was spreading to Pakistan and was expanding in scope. They left our banks and stock market in shambles. They left a job market that was almost non-existent. Their laissez-faire attitude about government in general, had left us high and dry.

This was the mess into which Barack Obama stepped on January 20th, 2009. Despite all our high hopes and confidence in the abilities of our new President, the problems still look over-whelming. Can it be fixed? How many years will it take and what form of government will we have when it is all over? In four years, will the people gamble and put the same people back in charge that brought us to our knees?

[stray cat]

1. GM and the US may share the same fate - not creative and competitive enough to suceed

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. The mess is huge, and all messes are fixable, but there are many factors working against it...

Such as a hair trigger, short attention span media and public (as a whole)
Apathy from a long period of not having to sacrifice anything (read: spoiled) - again, as a whole, of course there are large pockets of people who have been neglected
Religious fanaticism
Comfortable congresscritters with all sorts of hands in their pockets buying votes

What we DO have is a great president (in theory) - he can't do it alone, but he has what it takes. Let's see if this messed up country can turn things around....

It is going to take great patience, I believe, and the final outcome is filled with risk and doubt!

[ShortnFiery]

3. We need to figuratively put the Military Industrial Complex BEASTIE on a diet.

I don't know but it may be too late to reign in the warmongers who seemingly OWN our legislators.

The TOOLS from the Pentagon who are testifying today are THE SAME bloated and corrupt generals who served under "dubya."

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss!

[BlooInBloo]

4. Damn the-world-is-ending-ers.

[kentuck]

5. It's a constant struggle with the head-in-the-sanders...

Reality, what a concept!

[BlooInBloo]

12. No fear - sooner or later the world WILL end, and you'll be right. What a glorious day that will be.

[kentuck]

14. Yes. No one is immortal.

Someday we all must die. You are correct.

[Octafish]

6. Seems like their plan.

Poppy ran a post-election defeat concept program when he left Bill Clinton a militarily under-manned "humanitarian mission" in Somalia and a budget sinking in red ink.

Nice family, the Bushes.

[Voltaire]

7. I think its too big to fix

I believe that because I believe that the people and the media and the government of this nation are not mature enough to fix it. We are trying to fix our various economic problems with updated versions of the same old shit we have tried for two-hundred years. Yet folks still genuflect at the wonder of the free-enterprise system that has gotten us here. We still pay attention to ignorant cretins like Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Hannity rather than ignore them with extreme contempt. We cannot handle the truth that there are many people in power who do not want the infrastructure fixed, who do not want our children to be educated, who do not want us to have affordable healthcare, who are perfectly happy spouting bromides about how great we are and ignoring who we really are. . .as rapacious a nation as any ever formed on this planet. Yeah, I think its too big to fix because we would rather talk than act. We would rather spend time arguing whether or not an eminently qualified judge is, indeed qualified or merely an affirmative action twofer token. We would rather watch American Idol. We would rather try to fix a disasterous capitalist system rather than explore new economic models because we have conflated capitalism and democracy, so much so that many of our undereducated brethren can hardly tell the difference. And not realizing that in not knowing the difference, we are doomed to failure. I think its too big to fix because we cannot settle what the meaning of the Second Amendment of the Constitution is, so we continue to romanticize the use of the gun as a method of conflict resolution. I think its too big to fix because in so many ways we cannot handle truth; cannot call a spade a spade or a political party a crime organization or a banker a robber. . .all because somebody's feelings might get hurt.

Obama is a good and gifted man. We are lucky to have him for president. But I think its too big to fix, because we are not as good and as gifted a people to help him help us.

[kentuck]

10. Capitalism has become the main component of our democracy...

When the two are not necessarily compatible. Even China has capitalism. It has little to do with democracy. We have been brainwashed by the capitalists to believe that it is a necessity to give businesses every advantage over the people.

[Voltaire]

25. Indeed. . .

It is The Greatest BULLSHIT Story Ever Told.

Of course we get The Greatest Story Ever Told crammed down our throats to cover up The Greatest BULLSHIT Story Ever Told, 24/7. We shall get our rewards in heaven I suppose. . .

I want to believe things will get better. But I see no evidence.

[BeFree]

8. Heh

I was told by someone in the 9/11 dungeon that I was obsessed with the crimes that Bushco got away with. Good to see I'm not alone.

[The2ndWheel]

9. It would be easy if it were just Bush and the Republicans

The mess isn't from the last 8 years. It's not from the last 30 years. It's the current culmination of the history, complexity, and momentum of thousands of years.

Plus, we never really fix problems anyway. Our solutions are always the cause of the next problem.

[NightWatcher]

11. the bushco pirates were looting the US Ship Of State for 30+ years

as they saw the writing on the wall in 2006, they set it on fire and tried to sink the cannons. In September they knew it was over and started to accept the fact that we were sunk. In December, they jumped off the sinking ship just as Obama was arriving on the scene.

This mess wasnt an accident, but a plan that took decades to happen.

If we dont fix the mess, we'll fall into financial anarchy with the rich being the only ones who survive.

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. The DESIRE to fix this huge mess isn't there. Eliminate the GREED and we might have a

shot.

[Voltaire]

26. So much for a shot. .

nt

[lunatica]

15. We've had hairline fractures from the beginning

What would any of us fix? The status quo? The military industrial complex? Corporatism? Capitalism gone bad?

Maybe we can start going into new territory and expand some of the good things and let the past be what it is. Let's change things, not fix old worn out failed strategies.

[kentuck]

17. Maybe we should put more emphasis on "promote the general welfare"?

And start with health-care for all our people. We shouldn't wish for it - we should demand it.

[lunatica]

29. Exactly what I was thinking!

But unfortunately I think we must witness the death of the monster that exists now. It's going to be a very protracted and bloody and violent think I'm afraid. It may take a generation or two.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. At best, the decline in living standards will take place slowly.

The idea that the country will "recover" to it's former status is an illusion. It can't. We're broke and getting more broke. We're still spending enormous sums of either borrowed or printed money without foundation.

It's ridiculous. We give billions to banks who then claim that they're making a profit because we gave them the profits. The politicians and Wall Street Wizards rejoice and claim recovery and demand more money to keep the "recovery" going. Which the politicians happily supply them by borrowing, or printing, more money.

In the meantime, more and more people lose their jobs because nobody has the money to buy anything. Nobody can borrow money because the banks wont' loan it to them unless they already have a lot of money.

The dollar itself is only stable because the Chinese loan us enough to keep it afloat because they have so many of them that they want to keep it strong until they can spend them.

"House of Cards" is an understatement.

[MadHound]

18. It can be fixed, but certainly not with the half measures and cautious approach that Obama is using

We need bold moves to pull us out of this mess, things like single payer UHC, strict regulation of the financial sector, getting us the hell out of both Iraq and Afghanistan, NOW, increased spending on things like infrastructure and education, and so much more.

Obama's approach to these solutions is cautious, trying to please as many as possible, and always with an eye towards the next election. If he continues to proceed in this manner, we're going to continue to be screwed.

[kentuck]

19. But is it politically possible...?

The President alone cannot decree that there will be a single payer system. It must be passed by the politicians in the House and Senate. What might be philosophically sound judgments may not be politically possible? What is obvious only becomes a reality once it reaches a crisis stage.

[MadHound]

20. A strong president, ala FDR would certainly help though

FDR strong-armed his Congress into doing what he wanted done, and it seems as though Obama either won't, or can't do that. FDR literally took planks from the Socialist party platform and rolled them through Congress(Social Security and Unemployment Insurance). So the answer is that yes, it can be done, but it takes a special kind of president. Despite the hype, it looks like Obama is not this sort of president.

Which is a real shame, given that the opportunity we have with a large Democratic majority in Congress and a Democrat in the WH. We could advance a truly progressive agenda if we simply a strong leader who was willing to play hardball and get things done.

[kentuck]

22. In fairness...

I don't think the country has reached the point of suffering at the moment that was there in the middle of the Great Depression. There were no pensions or safety nets. It was a different political reality.

[MadHound]

23. Strong leadership and the ability to strongarm Congress is not dependent on how we're suffering

Hell, Reagan and even Bushboy proved to be better able to strongarm their agendas through Congress than Obama has, at least so far(granted, Bushboy had Cheney to do his enforcement, but still).

It is a matter of political will, and so far Obama seems more concerned about furthering political consensus rather than doing what is right for the country. He is quickly squandering the political capital that he brought in with him, especially from those of us on the left, and if he continues down this path he's going to be a one term wonder as the anti-war left will abandon him in droves.

[kentuck]

24. But even FDR was not able to add justices to the Supreme Court.

I'm not saying it is impossible. I believe the change has to come from the people. They must force their leaders to make the changes they want.

[Voltaire]

28. Only the people can provide the political will

That won't come from politicians of any party. We must become a force that no politician dare cross. But it won't happen. Because we have been brainwashed to believe that such action is not patriotic and not effective. Our forefathers in both the political and union movements would be ashamed at our cowardice.

[Voltaire]

27. I would say that it is not solely up to Obama to do the work

We must do the heavy lifting to get things right. But we cannot seem to get past the notion that we are too powerless to do anything. That is the biggest problem, the belief that we can do little or nothing to change our plight. Collectively, anything is possible.

[lonestarnot]

21. How do you like your toast?