By Arthur Piccolo
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Dec. 9, 2011: I know, I know! In my last Commentary I said I was BORED with writing about Obama with 43 straight Commentaries ….
….. and I was thinking about writing about other stuff. Well I realized I have a responsibility here since no one else is covering the REAL Obama, not any Democrats; certainly not the whacky Republicans with their ridiculous criticisms, and least of all the media. So either I do it or no one will. I’m sticking with Obama for now. As long as you understand what I mean.
God help us please? Must we endure Barack Obama now playing the part of the “populist” President? Anything to get re-elected is the way it is with Barack. How about Obama the Comedian? That works. And what I am seeking best of all is that Obama not run for re-election.
So did you catch Obama’s new road show this week? He was out on his favorite part of being President – his constant trips, riding atop Air Force One, winging it this time to one of his favorite places apparently – Osawatomie, Kansas.
Want some excerpts from the speech. You are going to get some. Now I’m kidding! I won’t inflict too much pain on you. Well maybe a little to validate what I have to say. As for Obama’s overall speech in Kansas on December 6, 2011, reading it all, yes I did! It is thousands of words long and he was up there for an hour or so.
Yawn if you have even half a brain. It was “vintage” Obama. And it was another “perfect” reflection of his Presidency.
Obama promised much in the speech and delivered nothing at all except Hot Air to warm up the audience. If this speech reflects American populism as the sheep in the media dutifully reported because that is the headline The White House fed them, then I will watch endless repeats of The Jerry Seinfeld Show when I can’t stomach The Charlie Rose Show any more. Jerry Seinfeld is a great philosopher if Obama is a Populist. Granted you could make the case that the best comics are philosophers but Obama, a populist, is now FUNNY – very, very funny.
So what was the speech that President Barack Obama delivered Tuesday at Osawatomie High School in Osawatomie, Kansas? It was about pandering, it was about being a closet demagogue, and it was about giving a campaign speech.
Obama delivered hollow applause line after applause line. Statements anyone except the demented and right wing extremists and the greediest of the greedy rich can agree with and applaud.
The only thing Obama didn’t do out there in Osawatomie, Kansas, was stand there and wave a big American flag at the end of his speech. Hummm not a bad idea? If The White House is reading my stuff they will probably steal that idea.
Let’s see how The New York Times reported Obama’s speech since they are very much in bed with him tucked tightly in. So according to The Times …
“President Obama ventured into the conservative heartland on Tuesday to deliver his most pointed appeal yet for a strong governmental role through tax and regulation to level the economic playing field.
“Infusing his speech with the moralistic language that has emerged in the Occupy protests around the nation, Mr. Obama warned that growing income inequality meant that the United States was undermining its middle class and, “gives lie to the promise that’s at the very heart of America: that this is the place where you can make it if you try.”
Are you getting the picture that this is EAR CANDY from Obama as rapturously reported to the world by The New York Times. Next Obama said … “This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class.”
NOW that you have been set up ARE YOU READY for this from Obama and The Times SURPRISE ….
“Though it was lacking in specific new policy prescriptions, the hour long speech, and the days of buildup that preceded it, marked the president’s starkest attack on what he described as the “breathtaking greed” that contributed to the economic turmoil still reverberating around the nation. At one point, he noted that the average income of the top 1 percent — adopting the marker that has been the focus of the Occupy movement — has gone up by more than 250 percent, to $1.2 million a year.”
That is the PUNCH line Dear Readers … “it was lacking in specific new policy prescriptions.”
In other words it was a whole lot of Obama BULL.
We now know Barack Obama has been throwing the BULL his whole life and the BIG BULL, starting the day he decided to run for The Big Prize – The White House.
I have to keep quoting this article because it is “better” than anything original I might write. The next paragraph – let’s call the heart of Obama’s speech and the article – what he was really doing in Osawatomie, Kansas was masquerading as a Populist and making a campaign trip that was packaged and paid for as President Obama doing his “real” job. Here it is folks as reported by The Times straight out of the mouth of The White House …
“The new tack reflected a decision by the White House and the president’s campaign aides that — with the economic recovery still lagging and Republicans in Congress continuing to oppose the president’s jobs proposals — the best course for Mr. Obama is to try to present himself as the defender of working-class Americans and Republicans as defenders of a small elite.”
That’s right read it again …
“The new tack reflected a decision by the White House and the president’s campaign aides.” That’s right Obama’s speech was pure campaign rhetoric. They have decided Obama being labeled a Populist works so he puts on his Populist costume. If it works well enough it will be his full time part until Election Day if not we will get a different Barack Obama next week, next month, whenever.
And how about this hypocritical cynicism from Obama also in the quote above in The Times …
“At one point, he noted that the average income of the top 1 percent — adopting the marker that has been the focus of the Occupy movement — has gone up by more than 250 percent, to $1.2 million a year.”
Obama “noted” but did not criticize in any pointed way the income of the top 1% had gone up by 250% far more than the rest of us but even more to the point indeed right to the point it is the same 1% he invites to his never ending $38,000 a plate campaign dinners and which the 1% is delighted to attend with their checks often as “couples” a $76,000 campaign check for Obama for dinner.
So what exactly would an American Populist running for President be like and how far away is Barack Obama?
Let’s begin at an obvious place the dictionary. “A political philosophy supporting the rights and power of the people in their struggles against the privileged elites.” That’s rather simple. And there have been movements throughout history that have been labeled populist including in the United States in the 1890s.
Clearly that platform is outdated take my word or Google it. Populism can also just as easily be called being a Progressive. But again WHAT would we expect a Populist or Progressive Democrat to be running on as a Presidential candidate? Here is my version to stimulate you own thinking and to judge against Obama’s rhetoric. The concept behind and the purpose of these initial populist/progressive proposals is to create some fairness and equality into a nation that has become and is become more and more the reserve of the Elites. The very concept of what America is being undermined once again as the hope of the world.
1) END personal federal income taxes for all legal income under $75,000 no matter its source. Progressive rates above. Highest rates for the highest incomes.
2) STOP identifying payroll taxes as separate from income tax. They are income tax.
3) NO more different tax rates for earned income and investment income. ALL income taxed at the same rate.
4) Business income tax NO tax on first $1 Million annual income, highly progressive above $1 Million.
5) END all deductions and every other special tax provision. ALL income taxed as above.
6) NO social security checks for retirees with $250,000 or more income any year from any sources.
7) Any adult citizen can apply for up to $1 Million gov’t guaranteed loan without collateral for a valid new or existing business per approval by a special board based on the validity of the proposal and the proven need of the applicant for such funding.
8) Creation of national carbon tax to replace all other gasoline and fuel taxes as currently collected. Carbon taxes paid will be deducted from income totals in determining income tax owed.
9) NO contribution to any candidate for an elected public office in the United States shall total more than $1000 in total including contributions to their campaign by candidates and their family members. Organizational and corporate contributions will be required to adhere to the same $1000 restriction without exception.
10) All now illegal drugs will be de-criminalized as controlled substances to be available under reasonable restrictions and regulations as promulgated by the Federal govt. and state govt., and all regulated sale of these controlled substances will require and be subject to a 20% tax to be equally divided between the Federal government and the state in which the sale takes place.
This 10 part program is not meant to be anyone’s actual platform nor is it currently a complete platform. I present it as an example of what I recommend as some core parts of a populist or progressive platform for someone running for President in 2012.
Contrast this with Obama’s Bull. Masquerading as Populist to keep himself in The White House. And flying high above us on Air Force One circling the globe again and again at our expense.
Next stop of course a palatial mansion on Hawaii for Christmas for this Populist President. Ho Ho Ho!
Arthur Piccolo is a professional writer and commentator and often writes about Latin America for New Americas.
