Paul Krugman Calls Romney’s Job Creation Claims ‘Nonsense’
Posted by Michelle Moquin on January 9th, 2012
Good morning!
Bain, Barack and Jobs
By PAUL KRUGMAN
America’s recovery from recession has been so slow that it mostly doesn’t seem like a recovery at all, especially on the jobs front. So, in a better world, President Obama would face a challenger offering a serious critique of his job-creation policies, and proposing a serious alternative.
Instead, he’ll almost surely face Mitt Romney.
Mr. Romney claims that Mr. Obama has been a job destroyer, while he was a job-creating businessman. For example, he told Fox News: “This is a president who lost more jobs during his tenure than any president since Hoover. This is two million jobs that he lost as president.” He went on to declare, of his time at the private equity firm Bain Capital, “I’m very happy in my former life; we helped create over 100,000 new jobs.”
But his claims about the Obama record border on dishonesty, and his claims about his own record are well across that border.
Start with the Obama record. It’s true that 1.9 million fewer Americans have jobs now than when Mr. Obama took office. But the president inherited an economy in free fall, and can’t be held responsible for job losses during his first few months, before any of his own policies had time to take effect. So how much of that Obama job loss took place in, say, the first half of 2009?
The answer is: more than all of it. The economy lost 3.1 million jobs between January 2009 and June 2009 and has since gained 1.2 million jobs. That’s not enough, but it’s nothing like Mr. Romney’s portrait of job destruction.
Incidentally, the previous administration’s claims of job growth always started not from Inauguration Day but from August 2003, when Bush-era employment hit its low point. By that standard, Mr. Obama could say that he has created 2.5 million jobs since February 2010.
So Mr. Romney’s claims about the Obama job record aren’t literally false, but they are deeply misleading. Still, the real fun comes when we look at what Mr. Romney says about himself. Where does that claim of creating 100,000 jobs come from?
Well, Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post got an answer from the Romney campaign. It’s the sum of job gains at three companies that Mr. Romney “helped to start or grow”: Staples, The Sports Authority and Domino’s.
Mr. Kessler immediately pointed out two problems with this tally. It’s “based on current employment figures, not the period when Romney worked at Bain,” and it “does not include job losses from other companies with which Bain Capital was involved.” Either problem, by itself, makes nonsense of the whole claim.
On the point about using current employment, consider Staples, which has more than twice as many stores now as it did back in 1999, when Mr. Romney left Bain. Can he claim credit for everything good that has happened to the company in the past 12 years? In particular, can he claim credit for the company’s successful shift from focusing on price to focusing on customer service (“That was easy”), which took place long after he had left the business world?
Then there’s the bit about looking only at Bain-connected companies that added jobs, ignoring those that reduced their work forces or went out of business. Hey, if pluses count but minuses don’t, everyone who spends a day playing the slot machines comes out way ahead!
In any case, it makes no sense to look at changes in one company’s work force and say that this measures job creation for America as a whole.
Suppose, for example, that your chain of office-supply stores gains market share at the expense of rivals. You employ more people; your rivals employ fewer. What’s the overall effect on U.S. employment? One thing’s for sure: it’s a lot less than the number of workers your company added.
Better yet, suppose that you expand in part not by beating your competitors, but by buying them. Now their employees are your employees. Have you created jobs?
The point is that Mr. Romney’s claims about being a job creator would be nonsense even if he were being honest about the numbers, which he isn’t.
At this point, some readers may ask whether it isn’t equally wrong to say that Mr. Romney destroyed jobs. Yes, it is. The real complaint about Mr. Romney and his colleagues isn’t that they destroyed jobs, but that they destroyed goodjobs.
When the dust settled after the companies that Bain restructured were downsized — or, as happened all too often, went bankrupt — total U.S. employment was probably about the same as it would have been in any case. But the jobs that were lost paid more and had better benefits than the jobs that replaced them. Mr. Romney and those like him didn’t destroy jobs, but they did enrich themselves while helping to destroy the American middle class.
And that reality is, of course, what all the blather and misdirection about job-creating businessmen and job-destroying Democrats is meant to obscure.
Stan: First let me say that I did not read your comment to Robert,RT from a few days ago otherwise I would’ve given you a nod for bringing up the 60 Minutes interview with Rep. Cantor, that I blogged about yesterday. I had a very social weekend planned so I pre-scheduled what I was going to blog about Friday through Sunday. And with 69 comments on Friday, I hate to admit it but I only did a quick look and really didn’t get to reading them until this morning.
As you can see from my write yesterday, I too think that Rep. Cantor is fine candidate for membership in the LSOS Club, and I have no problem labeling him as such. And thank you also for the kudos.
Paaie: I think you are right on, along with NC, MC,Nia, SE, OI. Michelle Obama is intelligent, strong, dedicated, persevering, and simply amazing. A wonderful woman of the world in my opinion. And Irma, the only reason they would hate her for her achievements is because she is black. If she were white they would be celebrating her achievements.
Howie: I agree with Ralph - this is a very scary story. What questions did you have when you were informed? My first question would be, “Is there anything that we can do?” So I ask this of you, Is there any answer to that question? It sounds like humans can’t do much except to stop polluting, but that doesn’t deal with the already huge problem at hand.
And as much as there are those aliens that are better able to adapt to a different composition of gas ratio than is present in our atmosphere will eventually become the dominant life force here, who might be okay with or even welcome this dire situation for humans, there must be aliens that are not so pleased with this. So perhaps any positive action on our part, would lead to alien intervention, which might be our only solution(?). I would love to hear your thoughts.
Readers: That’s all I can address this morning. Happy Monday! Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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January 9th, 2012 at 10:04 am
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January 9th, 2012 at 10:08 am
Howie, I agree with Michelle. I would like to hear your thoughts. What about other aliens? Are they on board with those other aliens taking over the planet? And what about the TWO?
How will they be affected?
Scott
January 9th, 2012 at 10:10 am
Michelle, perhaps I should have addressed you directly. I read your column anxiously today hoping for a nod from you to become a Girlz?
Do I have a chance?
Grace
January 9th, 2012 at 10:15 am
William McCarthy, PhD, CPP, president of Threat Research, Inc. (www.ThreatResearchInc.com), and former commanding officer of the NYPD Bomb Squad, asserts that we should expect more terrorist attacks to occur here in the US.
It is simply too difficult to stop all of the crazies, whether they are homegrown or “imported.” Awareness remains our best defense.
Ordinary people following their instincts foiled would-be terrorists in these recent events…
In New York City’s Times Square, vendors reported to the police a parked vehicle with the engine running, flashing lights and smoke coming out near the backseat.
The area was evacuated. Fortunately, the car bomb failed to detonate.
A driver’s behavior—including checking under his car and moving away when he saw a uniformed officer—stirred up suspicion at a New Jersey rest stop.
It turned out that he was carrying three powerful homemade bombs in his vehicle.
A plot to kill soldiers at Fort Dix was foiled when a salesperson told police that customers had asked him to convert to a DVD video footage of them firing assault weapons.
The key to awareness: Knowing what “normal” looks like—which cars are regularly in your neighborhood, who makes deliveries at work, etc.—and then paying attention to what is eccentric or out of place.
Most people know to report peculiar packages that arrive in the mail and unattended bags. Other red flags…
People who are overdressed for the weather.
People who move off quickly when seen or approached.
People in restricted areas or other places they don’t belong.
Vehicles that appear to be carrying heavy weight…are abandoned… illegally parked…leaking fluid other than from engines or fuel tanks.
Unusual requests for information about physical access to a home, hospital, sports arena, workplace, etc.
Surveillance activity at government buildings, other key facilities and crowded, high-profile places.
Is someone scanning with binoculars? Taking photos?
On trains, watch for people who place items in a luggage compartment and then move to a different car.
People using watercraft should be alert to missing fencing or lighting near dams…boats anchored in areas not typically used for anchoring…unusual diving or night operations…signals flashing between boats.
Many people fail to report suspicious activities because they are afraid of being criticized if it is not a real threat.
But if you sense something suspicious, report it right away. You never know when a threat will be real.
We all have a role in keeping ourselves and our nation safe, so continue to be very vigilant.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:31 am
At last a law from out legislators that makes sense and a woman is the sponsor. Of course the white boy is complaining because to him only his english is important. The racist bastards come to our home and attempt to dictate what is important to us.
+++++++++++++++
William McCarthy, PhD, CPP, president of Threat Research, Inc. (www.ThreatResearchInc.com), and former commanding officer of the NYPD Bomb Squad, asserts that we should expect more terrorist attacks to occur here in the US.
It is simply too difficult to stop all of the crazies, whether they are homegrown or “imported.” Awareness remains our best defense.
Ordinary people following their instincts foiled would-be terrorists in these recent events…
In New York City’s Times Square, vendors reported to the police a parked vehicle with the engine running, flashing lights and smoke coming out near the backseat.
The area was evacuated. Fortunately, the car bomb failed to detonate.
A driver’s behavior—including checking under his car and moving away when he saw a uniformed officer—stirred up suspicion at a New Jersey rest stop.
It turned out that he was carrying three powerful homemade bombs in his vehicle.
A plot to kill soldiers at Fort Dix was foiled when a salesperson told police that customers had asked him to convert to a DVD video footage of them firing assault weapons.
The key to awareness: Knowing what “normal” looks like—which cars are regularly in your neighborhood, who makes deliveries at work, etc.—and then paying attention to what is eccentric or out of place.
Most people know to report peculiar packages that arrive in the mail and unattended bags. Other red flags…
People who are overdressed for the weather.
People who move off quickly when seen or approached.
People in restricted areas or other places they don’t belong.
Vehicles that appear to be carrying heavy weight…are abandoned… illegally parked…leaking fluid other than from engines or fuel tanks.
Unusual requests for information about physical access to a home, hospital, sports arena, workplace, etc.
Surveillance activity at government buildings, other key facilities and crowded, high-profile places.
Is someone scanning with binoculars? Taking photos?
On trains, watch for people who place items in a luggage compartment and then move to a different car.
People using watercraft should be alert to missing fencing or lighting near dams…boats anchored in areas not typically used for anchoring…unusual diving or night operations…signals flashing between boats.
Many people fail to report suspicious activities because they are afraid of being criticized if it is not a real threat.
But if you sense something suspicious, report it right away. You never know when a threat will be real.
We all have a role in keeping ourselves and our nation safe, so continue to be very vigilant.
=======================
Only a white boy would go to some one else’s home and tell them their language and culture is not important only his.
Yet, on the mainland all we here from the bigots is if you come to live in america learn english. Well to those pieces of shit I say if you come to live on Guam learn Chamorro.
Hafai adai
Anna
January 9th, 2012 at 10:43 am
Jeff (Jan. 9) and Michelle:
It is just a coincidence that Al began blogging and I took a day or two off for relaxation.
We are friends and even room-mates but neither of us is Schizophrenic.
I am Howie and Al is Al.
As far as the Methane Gas coming into our atmosphere, at the moment, Aliens better able to adapt to a different composition of gas ratio than is present in our atmosphere will eventually become the dominant life force here. As a gradual change in the breathable air takes place the less fortunate will die off and those whose systems can adapt to the new breathable gas ratios will survive. Darwin called this ‘survival of the fittest’.
If I hear anything about alien intervention I will report it.
HOWIE
January 9th, 2012 at 11:00 am
Isn’t today the College football has the game to determine who’s number one?
Whatever happened to Sandusky and McQuearey? Will there be a trial and what’s the scoop?
Martin
January 9th, 2012 at 11:34 am
I think Al & I posing as Mischa and Doug TMD having fun is hysterical. I do know M&D personally though I am not M and she is not me : ) – ZL
January 9th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Serial killers know that they can snatch you from your vehicle and if they leave the keys in it and the car running in most states the impound department will impound the car as an abandoned vehicle.
But the impound department will not inform anybody because they want to make as much money as possible on the impound. This gives serial killers plenty of time to get away with their crimes. While your police and impound departments are making money by not notifying anyone about the impound.
Greed in this instance benefits the criminal.
John
January 9th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
UFO Hunters Keep Pressing the White House for answers through ‘We The People’ Petitions.
Thousands of people who believe in UFOs and think the U.S. government knows more than it admits were hoping for a breakthrough last month when they signed petitions on the “We The People” website. But they got what they’ve been getting for decades — nothing.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced on the site there was no evidence of alien life and “no credible information to suggest that any evidence is being hidden from the public’s eye.”
But Ufologists — those who study the various possibilities of unidentified flying objects — aren’t giving up. They required 5,000 signatures before the White House must respond, the threshold is now 25,000.
Of course, there’s always been a tense relationship between those who believe the truth about alien visitation is out there and the federal government. The UFO community claims the government has engaged in policies to debunk and ridicule eyewitnesses.
Despite that, the Obama administration is being challenged again to reveal UFO evidence.
Stephen Bassett, author of the initial alien disclosure petition in September, now has a second petition up on “We The People” hoping to gather enough signatures by the Dec. 31 cutoff date.
“The second disclosure petition is intended to directly challenge the response to the first disclosure petition from the Office of Science and Technology Policy,” Bassett, head of the Paradigm Research Group, told The Huffington Post in an e-mail.
“It names names and provides direct links to the documented history of the Rockefeller Initiative,” Bassett added, referring to an effort in the 1990s by billionaire Laurance Rockefeller to get the Clinton administration to release UFO documents.
But what was it about the first petitions that didn’t get the White House to respond in a more UFO-friendly manner? Some critics have complained about what they perceived as a UFO conspiracy attitude in the information requests.
In her previous HuffPost blog, Leslie Kean suggested the petitions weren’t worded in a way that would compel President Obama’s staff to reply differently.
“This is not something that government officials can possibly take seriously,” Kean, author of the New York Times bestseller “UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go On the Record,” told HuffPost.
“I know that from my years of experience in meeting and interviewing them, how to approach the government on this issue. First of all, clarity is incredibly important so they know exactly what you’re talking about,” Kean said.
Former nuclear physicist Stanton Friedman has spent 44 years lecturing and writing on the idea that some UFOs may be intelligently controlled extraterrestrial vehicles. He doesn’t agree with the initial PRG petition that all UFO information should be released.
“I think there’s a real national security concern here that PRG doesn’t seem to want to address,” Friedman said. “I don’t want any technological data that we have gleaned from the study of either UFO wreckage or UFO instrument data. That could all be used for the development of classified, high-performance military systems and I don’t think you should put that out on the table.”
“Secondly, we already know that the National Security Agency and CIA have released top secret UFO documents — we know they exist.”
Friedman suggests how he’d like the government to respond to the UFO petitions.
“I’d be perfectly happy if they would say, ‘Look, we have a ton of classified information which, you can understand, we cannot release because there are weapons implications, but do, indeed, have personal, instrument and satellite observations as well as observations of pilots chasing UFOs.
The day before the new PRG petition went up on the White House site, another one reared its head, this one co-written by Hollywood producer Bryce Zabel and UFO historian Richard Dolan.
This request simply and clearly asks the Obama administration to “investigate unidentified aerial phenomena [UAP] as reported by citizens, police, astronauts, pilots and the military.”
“Rich Dolan and I have tried to craft what we hope can become the precedent-setting petition language that is needed to turn the national conversation on this subject of UAP in a more serious direction,” Zabel told HuffPost.
“Our petition says — bottom line — there’s something that’s been going on, we’re not sure what, but a lot of really smart, honest, down-to-Earth folks have seen it, and we would like our government to take a stab at telling us the truth. That’s basically something we should expect them to do.
Dolan is not only Zabel’s petition co-author but his writing partner on the book “A.D.: After Disclosure.”
“Why would the U.S. government want to acknowledge the reality of a highly advanced technology belonging to an unknown agency — someone that can violate restricted airspace with impunity, disable advanced electronic systems of our best aircraft and even tamper with our nuclear stockpile?” Dolan said.
“That’s certainly not a fun topic to broach to the public. Their only policy can be denial.”
Thousands of people who believe in UFOs and think the U.S. government knows more than it admits were hoping for a breakthrough last month when they signed petitions on the “We The People” website. But they got what they’ve been getting for decades — nothing.
HOWIE
January 9th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Hey Jeff: Howie is Howie and I am me. As I see was pointed out to you allready.d “as gleeful as ever” gleeful? Couldn’t you come up with something other than gleeful, if you only knew. But it’s all good I guess and I can’t complain. Yes, we do discuss some stuff.
Zl: I think that is hilarious as well, who is supposed to play me? Doug? Good job Doug, better than I could play myself.
Al
January 9th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Mischa, been meaning to comment for days on your new Shakespeare quote, he was channeling visions of you when he wrote that one ; ) – ZL
January 9th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
It does not take much to point out the bad of Mitt Romney is corruption with the Big Dig (Mafioso land) and his waffling and pandering to the left in Mass all the while taxing the crap out of Massachusettes speaks for its self, yet the Media will not report this unless he is the candidate facing obama. Romney is a crook.
January 9th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
Zen Lill, I thought I was up on everything on this blog. But what “new Shakespeare quote, he was channeling visions of you when he wrote that one ; )” were you talking about?
And who is the “he?”
Norma
January 9th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
Al, I think you are fun to listen to to. I’m sure that’s what he means by Gleeful. My sister calls you that and that is what she means by it.
Oh, and never thought you were Doug, TMD. But my sister still thinks you and Howie are the same person.
I don’t. Howie is too sensitive to criticism where you take it all in stride.
Melanie
January 9th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Robert, RT, this white woman will stop accusing you of always playing the race card. Several of the women in my club, 23 in total, met at a private club for our first monthly meeting this weekend.
As usual we made reference to your latest tirade about the white people making the world worst for everybody. Usually I silently beg for the 3 or 4 who support you to just shut up because we all know they are fantasizing about jungle love.
But one showed up with this story about Pat Buchanan. The argument started because of your claim that we whites accept racist candidates because they are not racists against whites.
I really felt by for Lydia because I think she has some jew in her when it came up that Pat was anti jew in his new book and was promoting it on a “pro white” radio show.
One of the other girls said that you had a point because here was “Deadline” and the “New York Times” questioning the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, about Pat’s continued paid job status at the station. But no one was questioning his qualifications to run for, much less, be president of the United States of America because of that racism.
I saw her point, or rather yours. Perhaps we are a bit too narcissistic for our own good as a race. I am no longer going to listen to anything Pat says.
God Bless America
Faith
January 9th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
This is Still America, let the man say what he wants. America hired a kenyan to be president because all our people are so lame. Pat is just another voice of concern.
January 9th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
No shock. The rise of Michael Steele as MSNBC’s resident housebroken Republican has greased the skids for Herr Doktor Buchanan.
The only surprise is that he hung on in broadcasting as long as he did; much less inflammatory commentators than he have lost their jobs for lapses of political correctness.
January 9th, 2012 at 2:47 pm
” much less MSDNC “..LMAO..of course it doesn’t apply to The Obama Network..
I was surprised to see Buchanan was still on there after their careening left hand turn couple years back…him leaving that network drops their political IQ a few notches..
so lets see – you add knuckleheads like the Rev Al and Ed Schmaltz...come to think of it..those additions alone cratered MSDNC’s political IQ…
Look forward to seeing him wherever he pops up.( probably only leaves Fox since he didn’t leave CNN on great terms )….
as many previous commenters stated, while I think he is over the top on some subjects, he is a great political analyst and pretty enjoyable to watch most times…
January 9th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Howie what’s up? Are up around?
January 9th, 2012 at 2:49 pm
Tonight, LSU and Alabama will play for the BCS championship.
My Alabama biases are well known, but a national poll in which “someone else” was tied with Mitt Romney at 19 percent, followed by Gingrich at 15 percent and Santorum at 14 percent, has made me wish the GOP presidential primary were more like the BCS championship game.
Conservatives are like SEC fans: Rapidly passionate when one of their own is nominated. In such elections (Reagan in 1980 and 1984 and George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 — to be fair, Dubya campaigned as a conservative though he did not govern as one, but he at least knew how to speak to conservatives), Republicans win.
SEC nation wins tonight, and, much in the same way, I wish the primary could be between two movement conservatives. But, that’s not the primary that we have, and that’s why the enthusiasm is just not there for a particular candidate, though the enthusiasm against Obama still remains strong.
This lack of enthusiasm is also troubling for the general election when Obama’s turnout machine will squeeze out every vote they can possibly find. It goes without saying, however, that enthusiasm makes it easier for Republicans to compete in swing states such as Virginia, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin.
As a conservative SEC fan, the presidential primary would be like if Michigan played Pittsburgh in the BCS title game.
Thank God that is not the case.
My prediction: Alabama 31, LSU 13. Roll Tide Roll! Geaux Bama!
—Tony Lee
January 9th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Sorry Howie, I couldn’t get the whole blog. My sister copied and sent me your post. Great stuff!
I am going to add my signature to that group.
Jonathan
January 9th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
This is another reason we do not need to register with Tyna. Even if we are forced to uncloak, their governments will deny our existence.
Thanks Howie for making my point.
/7t3
January 9th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
I really like this one:
====================
Robert Kuttner: Obama’s Populism
Co-founder and co-editor, ‘The American Prospect’
The people who disparage “populism” either have a self-interest in damping down popular comprehension of just who has been wrecking the economy, or they are supporters of a perverse austerity agenda, or they worry that Obama’s “populism”, more consistently applied, just might work.
As for class warfare, it’s here. The policies of the past three decades, whether on taxes, de-regulation, outsourcing, the assault on unions, or the deliberate weakening of social insurance, have been top-down class warfare.
It’s just charming that when progressives begin to show some spine and start fighting back, the Right screams “class warfare!”
They should know. The only thing wrong with Obama’s populism is that it took him until nearly the year of his re-election to practice it resolutely. More, please.
January 9th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
The republican platform has always and will continue to be, xenophobic selfishness, with a healthy dose of hypocrisy and racism. They can’t hide it anymore
January 9th, 2012 at 3:26 pm
Glad to see that the Republicans are out in the open more in their belief that the rich need more protection and hope that the American people can see it clearly as it is a War Against The Middle & Lower Class of American’s…
January 9th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Has anyone noticed that the right lives in fear of some “ism”.
January 9th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
The more one wants to reduce government to the role of recognizing and enforcing property rights only, the more one pits americans against each other on the basis of bank accounts.
January 9th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
There are is one “ism” they aren’t afraid of, McCarthyism.
January 9th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
WC26……they’ve just become more brazen in their self absorbed take over .
And what’s even more frightening than that are the rank and file in the southern states. There the working class, and working poor don’t seem to have a clue their doing themselves in.
They continue to wave the confederate flag as some badge of honor, while they mow the masta’s lawn for peanuts.
A progressive mind can see through the smoke ……..while many on the right are just ……….…..amazed ……… watching it swirl around!
January 9th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
“The government should not throw up roadblocks to success, but the only real path to success is SELF RELIANCE.
It is time to stop liying to people by telling them that government can solve all their problems. GOVERNMENT CANNOT!!!!!”
[oh and the ‘free market’ can – Bush lowered taxes and unemployment went up 66% during his administration, only 9% for Obama so far, Bush increased national debt 85% – Obama 43%, – Treasury Department links and BLS links here http://mixermuse.com/blog/2012/01/06/all-you-need-to-know-about-politics-1-6-12-2/
January 9th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
I’d love to know who it is that goes around saying government can solve all our problems.
I’ve never heard it in all my life. And yet every right-winger has heard them say it.
Or maybe the voices are coming from inside their heads?
January 9th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
I wish one of these “self-reliance” people would have to practice that they preach the next time they get really sick.
Maybe they can do an operation on themselves or something. Or maybe they can go out and discover antibiotics on their own.
Maybe they can cure polio or smallpox. The INSTANT one of these self-reliance people needs another person, they’ll be first in line.
January 9th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
“We’ve handed out food stamps and school breakfasts and lunches with abandon.”
[…the cost of all these programs put together in a year is still much lower than the corporate welfare the Republicans passed called TARP and tax cuts for the wealthy]
“After all this effort, we now have more people living in poverty than at any time since the GREAT DEPRESSION”
[trend changed in the nineties and so far under Obama – the trend thanks to Reagan and Bush according to economic studies – remember Bush eight years, controlled congress 6 years, economic collapse]
“ Handouts (while on rare occasions, like imminent starvation or imminent death due to exposure may be necessary) do not work help people lift themselves out of poverty.”
[is this what a compassionate conservative is called?]
” It is impossible to legislate a minimum standard of living for all without encouraging sloth and corruption.”
[..the only difference between the rich welfare system and the poor welfare system is that the rich do not have to legislate it – they can buy it]
January 9th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
And to all those who think Tiger was a sugar Daddy….uh….he was more like a huge baby who couldn’t keep his pants zipped. She deserved every penny….and he’ll never miss it.
I’ll take a Ym any day.
January 9th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
She’s not worth too much of nothing, she’s a nanny by trade. His kids on the other hand………….. they are loaded!
January 9th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Ahhh, the nanny and the black athlete……..what a come up! I suppose Michael Jordan’s new future ex-wife will be moving next door to her soon maybe she give her a referral..…*SIGH*
January 9th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Ahh the sweet life of the hyper-privileged Oligarchy. Let us all hope a few crumbs drop from her lavish table to the floor where the rest of us can get to them;
let us hope a few drops of champagne drop from her glass and finally “trickle down” to us the way the Ronald Reagan promised it would. Meantime kids are starving.
January 9th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
I swear someone is editing this blog. I didn’t see Howie number 6. You made a comment. What is happening to your blog Michelle?
I never thought you and Al were the same persons. You two clearly have different personalities.
Both of you are laid back but Al thens to find the humor in most things where you Howie are the facts-nothing-but-the-facts kind of guy.
Now you Zen Lill are the I’m so fine I could be dinner kind of girl. And baby when I read you I’m always hungry.
Carl
January 9th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
What really will always disturb me is that if Sandusky’s victims were primarily children of Penn State Faculty and administrators his path of destruction would have been stopped years ago.
It says something about Class and its role in how Law enforcement is administered since his victims came from struggling families with no Political connections.
I still can’t process what appears to be the collusion that allowed Sandusky’s crimes to continue, I believe, for decades.
January 9th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Some victims are always more important than other victims. Wish the world was different, but that’s the way it is. Do you really expect white america to be concerned with what happens to a bunch of OTW rug rats?
Most people have way more empathy towards people who are like them than towards people who are not, and everyone knows you’ll run into more trouble if you mess with powerful people than powerless people.
So why do you out there expect these guys to put their careers on the line for a black or poor white kid?
January 9th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
McQuearey went to his father, a former PSU asst. coach, with what he witnessed, & his father reported it. His father told him to go to JoePa, which he did.
Paterno’s response was “I’m sorry you had to see that.” That was it, but it speakers volumes in that the implication that he knew of Sandusky’s repeated pedophilic behavior with his Foundation & using Penn St. football program reputation as bait on the hook to young men.
Also that they had been covering for him for yrs. rather than risk the millions the program made annually in revenue.
Now McQuearey faces death threats daily in PA while Sandusky shows zero remorse in interviews & is looking at a plea bargain that won’t allow him to die in prison.
This compounds the outrage exponentially, there’s a special place in hell reserved for Sandusky.
I saw a LOL cartoon that showed a cop leading Sandusky from the back in handcuffs to prison, on the back the Sandusky’s jacket read PENN ST. & the cop’s jacket read STATE PEN.
I hope they put Sandusky in general population & gets what Dahmer did — shanked in the shower b/c there was a bounty on him.
They have their own criminal justice system on the inside, only one punishment & no parole….
January 9th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Is that the Golden Rule? The one with the Gold rules!
I have learned that where some ones Power comes from is often a factor in how hard they fall.
But it is important, I believe ,that those in Power are often Paper Tigers whose associations keep them protected.
But often , when their illusions are exposed and crack, the dominos start to fall. Truth scares the shit out of Power.
Even though Sandusky’s victims had no economic Power, they did have their truth.
January 9th, 2012 at 4:31 pm
I think you’re focusing on the perjury charg too much. They are open to conviction on failure to report, as they simply never did so.
Now if Curley and Shultz claim that they did not contact the police because McQueary wasn’t specific enough, they still have to answer the question as to why they restricted Sandusky’s movements on campus with children, and why they called second mile…
They were obviously told something that concerned them, but unfortunately all they were seemingly worried about was the fate of their own university.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Howie:
I don’t think any government will ever respond to the people’s request about proof of aliens. If they did, how would anyone know if the next fly over was an enemy or a UFO? It is better that every one gets to be checked as if it is an enemy country trying to harm us.
Second as was expressed the governments might have to reveal the technology gained from those downed ships.
Third people being as panicky as they are, shit they would be too easily spooked by the likes of fox, the right or the republicans.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
Norma, just beneath Mischa’s picture is this “Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream, and ‘he’ would be Wm Shakespeare.
Carl, that’s funny, thank you, I know my writing is no different than who and how I am or how I speak in person, and I also have faced the fact that I am but an archetype, as a male companion has told me, you’re a 6′ smiling blond with everything in all the right places and ‘simpatico’ eyeballs, who doesn’t want to be with you, at least once, if not many returns? He digs that I don’t notice the attention and frankly, if I am busy being otherwise engaged by who I am spending time with I couldn’t care less who is checking me out (or not). Though I discreetly check out all male eye candy, too…why not?
- ZL