How could a president love a country that he wants to fundamentally change?

[Trent]

I'd like to get some of your opinions. First, I like to state some facts. If anyone knows anything about history, it is common knowledge that America became the worlds most powerful country after we claimed independence and adopted the fundamentals of the Constitution. In under 200 years of civilization, America became the worlds number one super power. There are civilizations on this planet that are thousands of years old that haven't accomplished a fraction of what we have. We can all agree on this fact, right? Capitalism was at its strongest during this time; Low taxes, free markets and a very limited government. So why can't everybody agree that it was capitalism that made this the best and safest country on the planet to live? As government started getting more powerful throughout the more recent decades, the quality of living has decreased dramatically.

This being said, how can people vote for Obama when he wants to fundamentally change this country and expedite our transition in to socialism?

[JOBS]

Yeah it makes no phucking sense, welcome to Twilight Zone America.

[Addison]

He cant

[The MobFather]

He never has and never will.

He has nothing but contempt for this nation and the principals it was founded upon.

You are 100% correct, it was capitalism and liberty that made this country strong.

But Obama, and liberals in general, view a system in which the "pursuit" of happiness is not as worthy as a system that Guarantees the acquisition of happiness.

It's not enough to be free. Liberty takes responsibility, and sadly some choose to hand that over to higher powers.

Now, the country founded on equal opportunity has become the country that "tries" to insure equal results. That cannot be achieved without sacrificing liberty, plain and simple.

[Ghostlight]

You are an idiot.

[iris054]

Ike taxed the wealthy at 90%.
Reagan taxed them at 50%.
Obama taxes them at 35%.

After the New Deal and the war, the Democrat-dominated 50s, 60s, and 70s were the most prosperous time for the middle class in our history. We had strong unions, no deficit to speak of, strong upward mobility, low unemployment, and very high taxes on the wealthy. Ike created thousands of new jobs building our National Highway System with *cash*. We had trade policies that stopped our jobs from going overseas. Wages were high enough men could support their families and get ahead while wives stayed home with the kids. We had high taxes on the rich and low unemployment with plenty of good jobs. We had Social Security, Medicare, food stamps and welfare. We had paid down our WWII debt. We had strong infrastructure.

Now look at us now after Republicans have controlled the White House for 20 of the last 30 years.

See the difference? If Democrats were bad for the economy, the 50s, 60s and 70s would have been times of very high unemployment. But they weren't. High unemployment and a crashed economy is what we’re seeing now with the Republican plan of low taxes for the rich, and low regulation on business.

Americans want to see higher wealth taxes
http://story.birminghamstar.com/index.ph...lth-taxes/

Poll: Most Americans say tax the rich to balance the budget
http://www.examiner.com/populist-in-nati...the-budget

It’s the Inequality, Stupid
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/...hart-graph

The Top Ten Percent Income Share, 1917-2008 (note The Great Depression versus now)
http://rs.resalliance.org/2010/09/22/ine...-politics/

Among developed countries, the United States currently accepts the highest level of income inequality. (It's important to know that no other advanced economy has seen a comparable surge in inequality.)
http://csis.org/blog/us-tolerance-income-inequality
See also: http://www.slate.com/id/2266174/slidesho...y/2266213/

Lower and Middle Class Does Better Under Democratic Presidents than Republican Presidents
http://www.slate.com/id/2266025/entry/2266030
See also: http://www.slate.com/id/2266174/slidesho...y/2266218/

Why the rich should pay more taxes
http://www.zompist.com/richtax.htm

##

[Jeff]

I am no fan of Obama and really hope he loses this November.......but I can see how someone could love a country and want to change it at the same time.

The citizens of the old Soviet Union for instance........just because many of them wanted to end the communist rule and change things to a market economy with democratically elected leaders doesn't mean they hated their country.

fwiw

[SayAgain]

In Obama-land whats right is wrong and whats wrong is right.. Everything is so freaking backwards now a days from our beginning its ridiculous.. And people wonder why America is going to hell in a hand basket.

Just look at how your treated if you believe in God by the left they automatically label you as a religious nut job. Claim your a proud American the left labeles you a racist because you have to hate illegals. Look at those kids in Cali that wore the American flag t-shirts that all the lefties got all upset over because it would offend the illegals. Claim you believe marriage is between a man & women the left labels you a homophobe.

[Wake Up]

1. Obama does not want to transition the country into socialism, his policies are actually more moderate than Clinton and Carter were.

2. If you love this great nation, you would want to return it to it's golden age. From 1945-1973 we saw the longest and most stable economic expansion in this country's history known as the Postwar Economic Expansion. Both parties in the U.S. followed Keynesian economic policy during this period. Ever since Reagan was President, Republicans have been systematically dismantling this economic policy with the failed economic model of Milton Friedman, laissez-faire economics causing fast growth spurts with market bubbles that crash.

I love this country, and like Obama, I wish to reverse the damage done by Republicans to our great nation over the past 4 decades.

[Ken]

Well, you're right, it was the greatest country in the world. But it's wrong to think that's the sole result of capitalism. And right now, capitalism is an excuse for unrestrained greed. It is the role of government, the voice of the people, to restrain greed while encouraging the economy, through regulated capitalism, to grow. Both are needed.

Many of the things that made us powerful and respected came from the government: atomic weapons, advanced aircraft, the space program, the polio vaccine (tons of other medical advances), radio and radar and television (the last developed by commercial interests but refined in government labs).

Both are needed.