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"If You’ve Got A Business — You Didn’t Build That"


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If anyone doubted Obama's hostility to success, individualism, business, and the private sector in general, he pretty much let the cat out of the bag so-to-speak. This particular statement from him on the weekend is offensive and bizarre.

"If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen"

Let me guess Mr. President. Government gets the credit right? :rolleyes:

So somebody that comes up with a great business model, a great idea for a product and service, uses his or her own money to start up, or perhaps applies for a business loan, works hard, usually not taking a salary for a couple of years until said business actually starts turning a profit, didn't build that, and doesn't get any credit. Somebody else made that happen? Is this guy for real? :blink:

I've never seen a President so completely hostile, and antithetical to the way America was founded, and was built into the superpower it became. It's almost as though he's alien to his own country, the country that elected him to lead it.

It's no wonder that his economic policies are failures. And it's no wonder he's presided over the worst post-recession recovery in the history of the country. I fear for another 4 years of Obamanomics. America can't take another period of such malaise, and certainly the world can't. We depend on a strong American economy to lift and strengthen our own. We're all still waiting, and with this economic neophyte in office, everyone is suffering when they shouldn't have to be.

If Obama wins re-election, is there any way of talking Bill Clinton into serving out the rest of Obama's term? Or, perhaps Obama could switch jobs with Hillary and become Secretary of State, and she could take over as President. I know, I'm dreaming.

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Hitler once used the word "Shady" to describe a tree

Think that is stupid? That I'd bring that up? That my comment is annoying, because I'm taking it out of context?

I'm just reflecting how annoying it is when you do it. No offence. I've seen your posts Shady and you are smarter than to have to resort to these tactics.

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Let's put the quote into context:

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads an bridges. If you've got a business -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the internet so that all the companies could make money off the internet.

Yeah, that's real "ivory tower" like. :lol:

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I think that this was a huge gaffe for Obama.

He comes off as an ivory tower academic who can't relate to the American dream.

the dream is a fantasy, his only gaffe is telling the truth...now why is Mitt not bringing out his 2009 Tax returns :rolleyes: Edited by wyly
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-z-U57BaSc&feature=player_embedded#!



I love how people like Shady (conservative) forget it isn't 1930 and that everything has been video recorded. You can't just cut a video without the real one coming out. So why can Romney say the same thing as Obama and Shady just be cool with it? Well because Shady doesn't live in the same world as you or I do he lives in Conservative land where he refuses to look into anything. Edited by punked
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I totally agree with Obama and this is once facet of meritocracy that often gets overlooked by conservatives - no man is an economic island. But of course Obama should have chosen his words more carefully - "you didn't build that alone" is what he should have said.

yup...but to quote a movie "You(americans) can't handle the truth!"
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Or Canada, because on that graph it's only slightly higher. And to reinforce the notion that Canada is doing alright Jacques, we now have this-

Canadians are now richer than Americans

Canadians didn't become "richer".... Americans became poorer!!

The American economy, and in particular housing prices, have been in the tank! This whole comparison is silly. How did we do against the Swedes? The Danes? The Greeks?

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Canadians didn't become "richer".... Americans became poorer!!

The American economy, and in particular housing prices, have been in the tank! This whole comparison is silly. How did we do against the Swedes? The Danes? The Greeks?

a lot of people became poorer, we sort of held our position and they came down to our level is I how see it...but I could be wrong :)
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Guest Manny

What the hell are you people talking about. Wealth is relative. We get richer, someone else gets poorer, it's as simple as that. And most importantly why are you leftists apologizing for everything, even when it's not your fault?

"Sorry we're richer than you, for now. But it's ok, it's only temporary. We shouldn't gloat over these things, you know ..."

:rolleyes:

We got to ride this prize hog!

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If you build a business anywhere in North America, it depends upon (among other things):

- Roads including snow removal and sweeping

- Street lights for people to travel to your business safely

- Sewage

- Sanitation (ie, garbage pickup and roadkill pickup/disposal)

- Utilities

- Police for security

- Fire and EMS for safety

- Schools for an educated workforce

- Hospitals and disease control for healthy communities

- Private property laws, regulation and enforcement for protection

- Mail delivery

- Standard currency so you don't have to barter

- National defence so business isn't interrupted by foreign invaders or domestic terrorism

- Social services to discourage labour disruptions

The anarcho-capitalists of the Republican Party want to believe they could live out some neo-yeoman ideal, when it's simply not possible in a modern industrialized nation.

Edited by cybercoma
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What the hell are you people talking about. Wealth is relative. We get richer, someone else gets poorer, it's as simple as that.

Wealth is not a zero sum. All can become wealthier.

And most importantly why are you leftists apologizing for everything, even when it's not your fault?

"Sorry we're richer than you, for now. But it's ok, it's only temporary. We shouldn't gloat over these things, you know ..."

:rolleyes:

We got to ride this prize hog!

What's to brag about?

Americans have seen their net worth slide between 2005 and 2011 due to a housing correction.

In Canada, we have seen our net worth increase due to a housing bubble that shares similar aspects to the US bubble.

The fact that the average Canadian house is more than twice the price of the average American house should be a hint as to where our two countries are headed: the US housing is just about hitting the bottom (either has or will shortly) while Canada is just now coming off the top.

Lets wait another 3 years to see what adjustments happen before we start riding any "prize hog."

Edited by msj
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Guest American Woman

What was a huge gaffe? Saying the government built the roads. When did telling the truth become a gaffe?

I was wondering the same thing.

The end of Obama's quote is: "The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.”

He also said: "Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive."

How is that at odds with the American Dream? The American Dream is based on, made possible by, the American system, which has been created and defended and upheld by countless people. I see that as a good thing.

Edited by American Woman
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The end of Obama's quote is: "The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.”

He also said: "Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive."

Curious about the video in the OP, I found the full Obama quote:

There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me -- because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t -- look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something -- there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. (Applause.)

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.

The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.

Slate

=======

If you want to live the American Dream, move to Denmark.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Intergenerational_mobility_graph-1.jpg

What the hell is "Intergenerational Mobility Elasticity" and why do Leftists always latch on to the latest fad? Cybercoma, by providing this link, do you intend to show others here that you know the latest/coolest slang terms?

And Denmark? Denmark has obligatory military service, a GST of 25%, gasoline costs around $2.30/litre and electricity is around 40 cents per kwh. The average Dane has about 500 sq ft of living space. Danish "Intergenerational Mobility Elasticity" stats may be as good as its morning pastries but otherwise, I wonder whether it's the utopia that you proffer.

Edited by August1991
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I don't think he said anything terribly wrong by that, it will be used against him of course, but the point seems to be that the system you operate in has allowed you to be successful and therefore you have some responsibility to that system. Then again if you are changing the system by taking more money from people and spending it on new things or on more of them the system becomes something different.

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If you build a business anywhere in North America, it depends upon (among other things):
Now I did re-read the actual quote and if the the periods were placed differently you could argue that he was trying to say that the businesses did not build the roads. But given where the periods are in the quote, he said quite explicitly that the business owner deserves no credit for ingenuity, risk and hard work that they put into the business. This is typical of the disdain for business that pervades the left.
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