While listening to one of the conservative talk hunks the other day, I heard a caller make the following statement: “I am not going to vote for President Obama this time, because he did nothing to save my home.” She indicated she had lost her home in foreclosure. She didn’t indicate why, nor how President Obama should have saved her home, nor what her economic circumstances were, and under what conditions she purchased the home, and under what conditions.
I have gone on record indicating that, in the long run, the U.S. economic system would’ve been more healthy had no government intervention been undertaken. However, in the short run, the economic misery and ruin would have been overwhelming for many, many Americans. This seems to be what most of the conservative base argues should have happened. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to me that any of them would have appreciated what the consequences would have been, nor would they have praised President Obama for letting the market make adjustments.
It is incongruous and considerably hypocritical for thousands of members of the conservative base to complain about what President Obama should have done to rescue them from their financial woes. Isn’t it a tenant of conservative ideology that the government should not intervene, and should allow the market to make adjustments?
I am also puzzled by many of my conservative friends who have received enormous government-backed student loans, have taken out bankruptcy, have benefitted from unemployment, have benefitted from food programs, have benefitted from Medicare and Medicaid, have defaulted on their home mortgages and felt the government should have helped them, have benefitted from the Veterans’ Administration governmental benefits, have received workers’ compensation, and have benefitted from numerous other “progressive” and “liberal” policies.
Let me also go on record to state that I worked and paid for almost the majority of my college and law school education (including a small private loan [with interest] that I paid off), and that I have never had to access any governmental welfare programs. This is partly due to sheer luck, or happenstance, and partly due to living within my means and being responsible. I also received some minimal financial support from my family.
Why do so many in the conservative base access, rely upon, and benefit from progressive and liberal policies, yet think that the government should rescue them from bad, and often profligate, economic decisions?
Loren M. Lambert © July 1, 2012
I have gone on record indicating that, in the long run, the U.S. economic system would’ve been more healthy had no government intervention been undertaken. However, in the short run, the economic misery and ruin would have been overwhelming for many, many Americans. This seems to be what most of the conservative base argues should have happened. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to me that any of them would have appreciated what the consequences would have been, nor would they have praised President Obama for letting the market make adjustments.
It is incongruous and considerably hypocritical for thousands of members of the conservative base to complain about what President Obama should have done to rescue them from their financial woes. Isn’t it a tenant of conservative ideology that the government should not intervene, and should allow the market to make adjustments?
I am also puzzled by many of my conservative friends who have received enormous government-backed student loans, have taken out bankruptcy, have benefitted from unemployment, have benefitted from food programs, have benefitted from Medicare and Medicaid, have defaulted on their home mortgages and felt the government should have helped them, have benefitted from the Veterans’ Administration governmental benefits, have received workers’ compensation, and have benefitted from numerous other “progressive” and “liberal” policies.
Let me also go on record to state that I worked and paid for almost the majority of my college and law school education (including a small private loan [with interest] that I paid off), and that I have never had to access any governmental welfare programs. This is partly due to sheer luck, or happenstance, and partly due to living within my means and being responsible. I also received some minimal financial support from my family.
Why do so many in the conservative base access, rely upon, and benefit from progressive and liberal policies, yet think that the government should rescue them from bad, and often profligate, economic decisions?
Loren M. Lambert © July 1, 2012
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