Just four months to go! Four little but long months in which anything could happen. Obama, with all the verbal fluidity of the traditional snake-oil salesmen has been telling the American people that the only way out of the financial predicament in which the nation is broke and the credit card maxed-out is to keep on borrowing and spending, and spending, and spending; or if you prefer a different metaphor, the house may be on fire but the way to put out the blaze is to keep pouring more petrol on it. Well, the Americans have watched for nearly 18 months, transfixed, as the money taps were were opened to full and allowed to gush forth unhindered. Results so far? Nil, nix, or in deference to the increasingly Spanish-speaking electorate, nada!
With nearly 18 months of experience behind them, the 'Obama-nables' have taken stock, weighed up the situation, applied their ferocious intellects - and have decided to borrow and spend even more! Of course, only the sillies and the corruptibles actually believe this lunacy will work. One thinks of Ms. Pelosi, a woman who makes Polly Toynbee sound like a genius; or perhaps, the famous money massager, Mr. George Soros, and the masseur massager, Mr. Al Gore, both of whom are likely to earn more than a nickel and a dime from the $2bn (I'll repeat that - $2bn) of federal money sent express post by 'The One' to the green alternative energy industry of which these two gentlemen, I use the word loosely, are large investors. The rest of the polit-bureau know perfectly well that this policy will end in a financial Armageddon and some of them still hope that this will occur before the November elections in order to provide an excuse for the imposition of emergency rules and regulations including postponement of the polls. In any event, they will move heaven and earth to ram their financial weapon of last resort, the 'Cap and Trade' bill through the Congress before they lose control in November.
Americans fondly believe that somehow, in some indefinable way, they are different from the rest of us. Of course, on the surface this is true but proves nothing, because viewed from 'over here' we are different from them, but we don't make such a song and dance of it. However, that said, it is absolutely true that the traditional American ethos is exceptional. Today, the question is whether this ethos still exists or not? Next November we will be provided with the answer. It will not be enough for the Republicans simply to retake, say, 30-odd seats, the answer must be very much louder and clearer than that, they must deal a bloody and fatal blow to the machine politicians, of both parties, but especially the Democrats. They must be utterly ravished and savaged at the polls! Failure to so so will tell us all the opposite truth, that American exceptionalism is dead.
I hope Obama's camp loses big time, but really, don't expect Republicans to stop the spending. Bush didn't. The best we can hope for is somewhat less spending. But the sad truth is, people like Barney Frank and Nancy Botoxi will not feel the pressure no matter what happens.
Posted by: Dom | Sunday, 04 July 2010 at 19:23
I fear you may be right, Dom. We certainly ducked our chance to give the socialists the thrashing they deserved.
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 04 July 2010 at 19:27
"the masseur massager, Mr. Al Gore": wasn't it a massoozie whom Mr Gore groped?
Posted by: dearieme | Monday, 05 July 2010 at 20:28
Not sure, 'DM', it might have been a zuzuwailer!
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 05 July 2010 at 23:01