Back on topic: I am looking through my magical looking glass and see you enjoying Michelle Bachmann’s rebuttal. Ahhhh that says a lot! Can you tell me what she meant by her reference to 21 generations? Was it cryptic?

So what? There’s lots of idiotic comments, on both the left and right. There was plenty of blather from the left during the Bush years, did you complain then? What do you propose doing to these “anonymous racists”? Arrest them? Send them to re-education camps? Would you like to curtail free speech?

“The President works “10 times harder” just to “be” President. I “see” it; you may not.”

Wow! You must have some magic powers! How do you “see it”? The last time you met with Obama at Starbucks? Last week when you passed through the Oval Office? Last month when you carried his golf bag for him? You really are amazing!

“I think Americans could use ethics courses, don’t you? A few less unethical Wallstreeters might be the result.”

Why so? Do you think Americans are any less ethical than say the Chinese? South Koreans? Argentines? Brits? What’s your empirical evidence for such a statement? Or, are you relying on your magical powers again?

“I can spot a redneck at 1000 paces. I was born on a farm myself, but I wore a large brim straw hat to avoid the sun.”

Again, must be your magical powers at spotting straw men, or rednecks as you call them. Do you also have the ability to spot “latte liberals”, “magic negroes”, “welfare queens”, “unethical Wall Streeters” and other caricatures at 1000 paces? Or are your magic powers limited to what you WANT to see?

Why do these have to be mutually exclusive? Krugman, for one, doesn’t think they are.

1) The remarks of anonymous racists, such as, “He is not good enough to even shine my shoes.” is one frequently posted example of disrespect. There are those who will never give him the chance. The President works “10 times harder” just to “be” President. I “see” it; you may not.

2) I am semi retired. I have the luxury of having already worked many years so that I can have all this time on my hands to provide you with my banal comments.

3) Thank you for validating my moral superiority! I think Americans could use ethics courses, don’t you? A few less unethical Wallstreeters might be the result.

4) I am truly sorry that I bore. Opinions tend to be. It is not my fault that my hsvkitty moniker is only added at the end of the comment. I suggest you look there always to avoid and not read me, silly!

5) I can spot a redneck at 1000 paces. I was born on a farm myself, but I wore a large brim straw hat to avoid the sun. Concrete examples:

http://seehere.blogspot.com/2005/12/redn eck-pictures.html

6) When I set up straw man arguments, I do it with a gusto. Did you know as children we laughed a hundred fold more? Pity!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamburgerla nd/266985976/

Really? So how does President Obama fit into your convenient narrative? Did he really work “10 times harder” to become President?

as a woman I can say I have first hand knowledge of that.

Is that so? So why do you have all this time on your hands to provide us with your banal comments? Shouldn’t you be “working hard”?

There are those who sit here on Reuters, blogs and other news sites and reply to anything that is written about Obama, so they can add a vitriolic/racist message and be the first comments that are visible.

Then there are those who sit here on Reuters, blogs and other news sites and bore us with their sanctimonious and smug comments trying to prove how “morally superior” they are to everyone else. Sound familiar?

Sadlt [sic], the rest of his term the President will be hogtied by the rednecks who want “their country back” and removal of taxes and entitlements, as long as their privileges remain intact.

Who are these “rednecks”? Can you provide us with some web links, or concrete examples? Or are you simply setting up “straw man” arguments?

Are these “rednecks” the same as those mythical “welfare queens” that I’ve also heard of? I’ve also heard of unicorns also, but never seen one……

petertemplar, that is an overly simplistic view.

First, sovereign default is a political decision rather than a financial inability to pay. It isn’t a question of whether or not the country CAN pay its debts, but whether or not it is WILLING to pay its debts. And in some circumstances, default is less painful than straight monetization of the debt.

Second, the debt isn’t the real problem. It is the entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid), which by one estimate will consume 92% of tax revenues by the end of the decade. All three are effectively cost-indexed, so you can’t simply inflate them away.

I would wager that 90% of Americans don’t realize how expensive these three programs are becoming.

“With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels.” That, said POTUS, is part of a broader program, “instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, let’s invest in tomorrow’s.”

So subsidies, which are bad, represent spending on yesterday and investment which is good represents spending on tomorrow. Got it.

Defining which is which — what is yesterday, what is tomorrow — will be the tricky part. Ethanol has come under broad attack for a lot of reasons, including the obvious fact that it involves burning what would otherwise be somnebody’s food. Last year Al Gore actually apologized for what he called “first generation ethanol”.

The second-generation, presumably, is the cellulosic kind. Does the above passage meanthat this administration wants to kill “subsidies” for bad corn-based ethanol but wants to promote “investment” in good wood-chip based ethanol? And how will that fly?

Nothing of consequence on national fiscal–or any other–policy will occur in the next two years (& maybe longer) as a result of the divided Congress/Executive. . .

. . . and that could be a good thing no matter what your political or economic perspective.

He is too wimpy for my liking though. I always imagine lighting a fire under his butt when he speaks. He lacks the authority of his position. A fiery speech will light some fires and give people more hope… the fuel they need to do the things the country needs to turn itself around.

If he had laid everything out in concrete, the opposition retorts and media would have torn it apart. There are those who discredit him for for the most petty things (and like it or not his colour) and that rhetoric has hurt him and will continue to do so. There are those who will never give him credit he deserves. Hopefully they are not the ones who will write (rewrite) that history.

Minorities have to work 10 times harder to get respect and as a woman I can say I have first hand knowledge of that. He has buried most past presidents in keeping promises, but few take the time to pause to review them. (But they have an arsenal of nasty names to call him. There are those who sit here on Reuters, blogs and other news sites and reply to anything that is written about Obama, so they can add a vitriolic/racist message and be the first comments that are visible.

Sadlt, the rest of his term the President will be hogtied by the rednecks who want “their country back” and removal of taxes and entitlements, as long as their privileges remain intact. He has to get a handle on Wallstreet before they take down the whole country again. He has to ensure the states and the country remain solvent and not increase the defecit by the trillions. And he has no money to do it with.

A few Republicans are calling for Government restraint. I think he should let them help lead a committee and work on fiscal policies and restraint there, while he figures out the job situation.

As an outsider looking in, I have to say the Republicans garnered some respect from me for the first time in a long time. They were more respectful and (although a few looked asleep though when the cameras dwelled on them?) seeing parties sit side by side was heartening.

See, everyone has an opinion. And even those of us who like and respect him can’t help but critique negatively. He has a more formidable task then most and he knows it. Hard to make a hope speech when the state of the Union looks dismal, but I give him a 85 for presentation and 60 for economic strategy. (and I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes for the next 2 years)

He is too wimpy for my liking though. I always imagine lighting a fire under his butt when he speaks. He lacks the authority of his position. A fiery speech will light some fires and give people more hope… the fuel they need to do the things the country needs to turn itself around.

If he had laid everything out in concrete, the opposition retorts and media would have torn it apart. There are those who discredit him for for the most petty things (and like it or not his colour) and that rhetoric has hurt him and will continue to do so. There are those who will never give him credit he deserves. Hopefully they are not the ones who will write (rewrite) that history.

Minorities have to work 10 times harder to get respect and as a woman I can say I have first hand knowledge of that. He has buried most past presidents in keeping promises, but few take the time to pause to review them. (But they have an arsenal of nasty names to call him. There are those who sit here on Reuters, blogs and other news sites and reply to anything that is written about Obama, so they can add a vitriolic/racist message and be the first comments that are visible.

Sadlt, the rest of his term the President will be hogtied by the rednecks who want “their country back” and removal of taxes and entitlements, as long as their privileges remain intact. He has to get a handle on Wallstreet before they take down the whole country again. He has to ensure the states and the country remain solvent and not increase the defecit by the trillions. And he has no money to do it with.

A few Republicans are calling for Government restraint. I think he should let them help lead a committee and work on fiscal policies and restraint there, while he figures out the job situation.

As an outsider looking in, I have to say the Republicans garnered some respect from me for the first time in a long time. They were more respectful and (although a few looked asleep though when the cameras dwelled on them?) seeing parties sit side by side was heartening.

See, everyone has an opinion. And even those of us who like and respect him can’t help but critique negatively. He has a more formidable task then most and he knows it. Hard to make a hope speech when the state of the Union looks dismal, but I give him a 85 for presentation and 60 for economic strategy. (and I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes for the next 2 years)