Obama at War

I've about had it with President Obama. I voted for the guy because I thought he was smart enough for the job, and was pragmatic enough to be able to get things done. The one thing I didn't expect was that he would continuously roll over to the Republicans like a cowed dog.

In my mind, there are two possible explanations for his behavior. First, he may be too much like my wife, a good person who has trouble seeing the bad in people around her. The Republicans, the oil companies, the health care industry, and the bankers all screw over him (and us), and he thinks to himself; "I need to try to reach out to them, and convince them of the error of their ways. They are really good people that merely have a different opinion of things."

The other explanation for his character flaw is that he's like a woman in an abusive relationship. She gets slapped around, she feels he has nowhere else to go, it doesn't hurt as bad the next day, and she believes that her spouse's conciliatory gestures are sincere. So, instead of standing up for herself, she hangs around for the next bitch slapping.

At least, former president Clinton, in spite of his own character flaws, recognized that he was locked in mortal combat with the Republican party. Clinton, certainly not a radical left winger, was viewed as an impediment to the Republican agenda of complete and irreversible political domination of the United States. Down, but not out, he understood the power of his office and used it to good effect.

It's time for Obama to lash out. No more vapid speeches about compromise and finding common agenda. His opponents led by Mcconnell and Boehner are out to destroy him and the American middle class along with him. He has at his disposal, the power to speak out each and every day about the enemy. Yes, the enemy. We are engaged in class warfare, and the middle class is not even aware of it. The Republicans are not protecting us from creeping socialism, they are leading us down the road to serfdom.

Most of my friends consider themselves republicans, and I know they have been and will be offended by my ranting. They have been duped. I don't have a single friend in the top one percent of income earners. Yet all of my republican friends believe their party is looking out for them. They believe that as long as their modest fortunes are allowed to stagnate, but not grow, their interests are protected. They do not understand that the ultimate goal in the national monopoly game is the control of all wealth and power by an aristocratic minority. This minority already owns board walk and park place, and they are playing with loaded dice. The children and grandchildren of my friends will be the ultimate losers.

President Obama is about to compromise on the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. The Republicans are holding the Congress hostage until he gives in. I say, let the cuts expire, I'll pay my additional share, the country needs the money. But, let the American middle class know that their taxes went up because of the Republican desire to help the super rich.

Enough hand wringing about death taxes and capital gains taxes. No dead person has ever been taxed. Only the inheritors of wealth way in excess of that of my friends are taxed. If I were to win three hundred million dollars in the power ball lottery, my earnings would be taxed as income. Why should the winners of the birthright lottery be exempt from paying taxes on their winnings. If I go out and pound nails day in and day out, I will be taxed on my earnings. Why should people who merely sit back and watch their money grow not be taxed on their earnings.