By Steve Hynd
I didn't listen to Obama's speech. I learned many years ago, with Blair, that oratory skill is too often used to conceal bullshit by those who are good at it. I learned to read Blair's speeches instead and I'll be doing the same with Obama from now on. Here's the text of Obama's speech. There's not really a lot there. Shorn of the "I know, I care, I won't quit, I already did stuff" filler which is pure political pablum, we've got only a few real policy prescriptions:
- $30 billion (peanuts) to community banks for small business finance and a small business tax cut package that looks good but comes with no hard numbers attached.
- a "National Export Initiative" to double US exports in 5 years - but no details on how that'll actually happen, especially when America's current single export growth sector is the arms industry.
- Tax breaks for students and their families along with a path to student debt forgiveness. (OK, this one's a great idea. A serious move towards socializing America's backwards and repressive further education system. The GOP will hate it.)
- a freeze on discretionary spending beginning in 2011, which we all already knew about, which has projected savings so far of a measly $20 billion, much of which will probably hit poor people hardest because that's who always gets hurt when discretionary spending gets hit.
- an executive order to establish a "bipartisan fiscal commission" to be staffed by the same kind of bipartisan corporate revolving-door insiders who got us into such a mess in the first place. Big fat hairy fucking deal.
The rest of it was feel-good talk about USA! USA! and exhortations to Congress to work together and with the White House to pass legislation the GOP have no intention of ever letting pass. Foreign policy got three paragraphs and amounted to more glad talk. Pakistan and the Middle east went entirely unmentioned, as did NATO's de facto meltdown under pressure in two American wars of choice.
Small beer, and a waste of 70 minutes in front of the nation.
ReplyDeletea "National Export Initiative" to double US exports in 5 years - but no details on how that'll actually happen, especially when America's current single export growth sector is the arms industry.
Uh, no it isn't. See here.
Don't get me wrong. I'm chagrined that the U. S. is the largest arms dealer. However, we do have lots of growth areas.
One of the most important is foods, feeds, and beverages. That's one of the reasons I'd like to see the elimination of our agricultural subsidies and greater energy in encouraging other countries to remove theirs as well as to remove their barriers to our exports.
I agree. But let's face it, most Americans love pep rallies.
ReplyDeleteYep, read it rather than watched. Until the rhetoric matches the deeds, i have no use for the former.
ReplyDeleteThe speech was comparable with any number of the president�s speeches since taking office. It was a long, slow drone of policy initiatives, interrupted by forced applause and a bunch of empty promises that will go nowhere.
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