Brother Paul had a bee-up-his-bonnet (ass) the other day (not for the first time), and, complained that Obama was socializing the U.S. He also suggested that Obama would go down in history as a more ineffectual president than Jimmy Carter (my detractors would point out that I suggested that Obama would never have made it this far [I thought he was a dead man for sure], and, that I have no business writing about a guy that I declared dead some two-years-ago).
I agree, however, with Brother Paul regarding Obama’s ineffectiveness (and this doesn’t happen too often). Like Jimmy C – Obama did not have a political machine assembled to take on, and regulate, Washington: The Bushies definitely had one, as did Ronnie, Nixon, and, even Bill Clinton managed to bring in the ol’ Southern Mafia. Obama even had his chance to quiet his critics with this !@#$%&* oil spill – but didn’t manage to do a recordable thang. So Obama will probably NEVER get anything done. Even yesterday’s saber rattling about continual Republican sabotage will not help him get a thing done – because, frankly, the elephants are not afraid of this donkey…Yes we can? I doubt it very much!
But I had to disagree with Brother Paul on his contention that Obama is socializing us (Brother Paul was eyeing the government shares in General Motors and Chrysler). I told Brother Paul that we already are an advanced socialistic state – what with social security, Medi Care, the out-of-control welfare system, public schools, and, taxation without representation. I mean, how much more socialized can we get? I suppose we could get our taxation up-to-the-level of the Scandinavian countries (and this should happen quite soon [but then I’d expect ahellofalot more bang for my buck]); or England’s – (damn that would be scary [think of America with British teeth]); or, even Germany’s – as they get ready to move taxation from 42% to 52%. The IRS tells us that only the wealthy get taxed at 34% (I wonder about this) – but I’ve been feeling that 34% for many years now, and one thing is for sure: I ain’t rich!
On top of all this, each time I’ve tried to pimp the IRS – they get me. If they can so consistently catch a little fish like myself – why do the struggle with the Big Boys? With the whales?? That smacks of socialism to me, Little Boet (which means ‘little brother’ in Afrikaans [though, as my readers know, Brother Paul is much larger than I am]).
So will Obama fade into the sunset like all of the old cowboys? Most probably. I hope his face doesn’t get near as puffy as Jimmy C’s did. I did hear a story that Jimmy C succeeded in bargaining for the freedom of the American embassy hostages – but that the Reaganites held off their release until Ronnie took office to give Ronnie that ass-kicking image – which JFK was the last Democratic president to have (and look what it got him!).
“They” (the Republican machine) almost got Slick Willie as well…but he remained slick to the very end – and, managed to hold onto his presidency – but from a severely compromised place.
So, yeah, Little Boet – Obama will go down in history as another lamp post – and it will probably seem like he fucked the country up worse than the Republicans. But if I had my druthers – I’d rather pay 85% in taxes in a socialist state – than be gang-raped by a bunch of fascists.
Gait and I were just noticing today how the local constabulary is looking more-and-more like Nazis by-the-day…