The Education of Barack Obama

From 'yes we can' to 'no we can't': President Obama entered office with great promise. Now, a failed jobs plan, political disharmony and prolonged recession have cast doubts on the president's ability to deliver on that promise.

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Education

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[Deadmansparty2002]

@AkivaII I've never been against the idea of helping the poor or less fortunate, but it can be a double-edged sword if you do it well. It's also a problem because some people use it as a way to avoid giving people a reason to move up in the world. I'm not saying that all poor people do that, I don't believe that at all. But there are those who use services/people/money as a crutch because they feel like being a victim is better than taking responsibility. I say this as someone who did that once.

[AkivaII]

@Deadmansparty2002

A very interesting response. If it is out of necessity, and therefore ultimately reclusive [superfluous?], must one abandon self interest to help the poor?

As to the non-exception, how do you respond to those who see the cause for the poor as misplaced?

For example Ludwig von Mises (Human Action),"What those people who ask for equality have in mind is always an increase in their own power to consume." Is the statement axiomatic, or is the focus on consumption itself misplaced?

[Deadmansparty2002]

@AkivaII It was a fairly general statement and I acknowledge that there are exceptions to the rule, but on a large scale I expect my statement still stands. But with regards to those exceptions, most people who gain notoriety by promoting a belief in helping the less fortunate start out with the best intentions but end up focused on their own self interest out of necessity because that success requires security and privacy to be upheld to the point of becoming reclusive.

[AkivaII]

@Deadmansparty2002

"I don't think it matters to those people what the living standard of the poor actually is."

That is a fairly bold statement, and I would like to ask if an exception offered to those who promoted self interest specifically for promoting the well being of the lower classes? Adam Smith (Wealth of nations) for example, had fairly clear aspirations in that despite the fact that he was promoting self interest, his motivation lied within raising the lots of the least among us.

[Deadmansparty2002]

@AkivaII I want to be clear, that's not my standard. That's what I presume those who oppose him believe. I don't think it matters to those people what the living standard of the poor actually is. Personally, I think that everyone should have a minimum standard of living that provides them with the things they need to be happy and potentially raise a family if they choose. What that standard of living is with regards to everyone else doesn't really matter in my opinion.

[AkivaII]

@Deadmansparty2002

By your standard, would you rather see a country in which the desparity between rich and poor was greater, though the poor having a greater overall living standard, or a country in which the desparity was very small, however the overall living standard was lower for the poor. For example, 10 and 100, or 5 and 50?

[Deadmansparty2002]

@AkivaII Well he has this need to believe that the system should be more fair and democratic. Many people believe that the system is very fair and the reason why those who have it better than others have that is because they've earned it and shouldn't be punished by his policies. As a result, they undermine any attempt he makes to assist the less fortunate.

[AkivaII]

@Deadmansparty2002

What are the philisophical differences that some people have with President Obama?

[SteinhauerJohn]

On the question of his re-election, I think what Stein and Ibbitson overlook is the role perception/narrative plays in campaigns. The reality is, for many Americans, Mitt Romney is going to be the 'business' guy, the guy 'who knows how the economy works' (as Romney himself loves to point out), whereas Obama is going to be the out-of-touch Harvard law professor, in way over his head and lacking in leadership qualities.Where the two stand on concrete policy matters will be irrelevant to these ppl.

[Deadmansparty2002]

@AkivaII He didn't campaign on peace, he campaigned on finding a consensus for people. The problem was, those he was trying to build a consensus with were/are determined to bring him down at all costs. Some because of racism, others for political reasons, and some because they just don't like him.