Well, this week didn't turn out so well for the Obamas and their cronies in Chicago. Despite their magnetic personalities, cutting-edge fashions, and Oprah in tow, that wasn't enough to put Chicago on the Olympic podium. I'm sure that building the Olympic venues would have been a boon to the constuction industry and related trades, filling the hotels with international guests would have helped the depressed hospitality sector, and sure, bringing home a slew of gold medals would have all made us proud. Maybe even the Obamas would feel proud to be Americans.
I was troubled by our President's tone when pitching the Olympics to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Once again he put down America, alluding to the mistakes of the past (Bush), with threatening body language (shaking a fist). Why does he think that positioning the US in a negative light will win foreign friends? Doesn't he realize they are laughing at him and by extension, us? Does he really think that bowing down to world is going to make them like us?
The world will never like us and I don't care if they do. I have traveled outside of the US and no matter where you go, the people emulate us. They want to wear the latest Nike sneakers, drink Coke, eat McDonalds (now transfat free!), and converse on Facebook. All American inventions and products. They want to be like us, they want to live in the US, but they are jealous. They can't be us and they all can't live here. So like teenage girls, they talk behind our backs, backstab us, and don't mind taking our dollars either.
Getting back to the Obamas. So while they are dissing us to the people who will never like us, they also think that if they spend more money on us, we will like them better. Money is a drug and pouring it into means-tested welfare programs will addict another generation of welfare dependents. President Obama's budget plans call for the government to spend $10.3 trillion on these programs over the next 10 years according to an analysis by the The Heritage Foundation. That comes out to approximately $250,000 for each US citizen living in poverty. Welfare has increased from 1.2% of the GDP in 1964 to 5% of the current GDP. There are 13 government departments and agencies, 17 budget functions, and 71 separate programs--adding up all those programs puts welfare spending as the 3rd most expensive government program, ahead of defense spending, interest on government debt, and transportation programs. One dollar out of every seven (in a total of federal, state and local) goes to a welfare program.
According to the analysis authors Robert Rector, Katherine Bradley and Rachel Sheffield,the United States has spent a total of $15.92 trillion since the "War on Poverty" began in 1964 (in today's constant dollars). All the military wars fought since the Revolutionary War to the current Afganistan and Iraq Wars cost less than that-- $6.39 trillion (in constant 2008 dollars). That makes the "War on Poverty" the most expensive "war" the US has ever fought! In fact, President Obama will spend more on welfare in one year than President Bush spent on the entire Iraq War. Add a little ACORN to this cocktail and you have a lot of welfare recipients voting for Obama, their savior. Who wouldn't be happy with a million dollar handout for a family of four?
Consider the Obama's "Green Spending Spree" or the carbon footprint from their travels: two Airforce Ones to Copenhagen-hundreds of thousands of dollars, designer clothes-thousands of dollars, Oprah as your BFF-priceless. It still wasn't enough to buy the Olympics or international love. Will all this welfare money buy him votes? You can count on it.
For more information on the Heritage Foundation analysis, please see www.heritage.org
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