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Friday, July 27, 2012

You Didn't Build That


Obama:

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.

Much of the blogosphere has defended Obama’s statement, along one of two lines:

That Obama didn’t mean that business-owners didn’t build their businesses — he was talking about infrastructure creation and the wider economic, legal and political system.
That Obama is right — and businesses owners are really not responsible for building their businesses.
Both of these arguments are nonsensical.

Economic and business growth is a complex and multi-dimensional thing, driven by the complex relationship between both supply and demand. To claim that those who put the legwork into building a business — whether that is the owners, or workers — “didn’t build” the business is totally false and absurd.

And even if Obama was talking about infrastructure and the wider economic system (which I suspect was the case) it is taxpayers who fund infrastructure creation, and the overwhelming majority of businesses and business owners (other than the bailed-out financial institutions and similar) contribute heavily to tax revenue.

Whichever way we look at it tax-paying business owners past and present — particularly small businesses, who create far more jobs than their larger corporate counter-parts [6] — built not only their businesses, but also contributed to and funded the wider economic system and the institutions of the state.

Obama and his speechwriters ought to look more carefully at the country they desire to be elected to lead. Obama’s comments are hostile to the moral and intellectual foundations on which America has been built — the celebrated ideals of individualism and the self-made man.

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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nobody wrote this post.This post wrote itself.

Anonymous said...

Screw Obama, that lie you live....you didn't build that.

Anonymous said...

Best picture caption in awhile lol

Anonymous said...

Booooring. Wiggle and squirm all you want. The Pres.'s point, that we have excelled in this nation based on an intricate balance between people's own ingenuity and gov. investment, is 100% true.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, 5:49, we have excelled in spite of government, not because of it.

Anonymous said...

4:59 is obviously as ignorant as the liar in chief. I am as small as a small business can get (me, myself and I). I work 10, 12, and sometimes 14 hour days. I really need to hire someone to keep from working myself to death, but I will not (probably ever) because of all the government rules, regulations, paperwork and most of all the expenses involved. I built my business with my own blood, sweat and tears. The only thing holding me back is the government. Government has never given me one damned thing or helped me in any way whatsoever. So you see, 4:59, you are obviously a mindless fool (and probably sucking on the government tit). You know absolutely nothing about of what you speak.

Anonymous said...

Guess you another one of those Obama kool aid drinkers 549PM. You are so misinformed and full of it, it's almost scary that you think like Obama!

Anonymous said...

7:43-You are dyslexic.Read your statement carefully,starting at the beginning.

Anonymous said...

To 2:01 AM-To start with 2:01 AM tells me that you are up at 2 in the morning playing on the internet, which probably means you don't have a job and are therefore sucking at the government tit just as I suspected. To address your talking points:
A and B-I do have my own well and septic system and believe it or not, I pay my own electric bill to keep them running. When I have a problem with either of them, I will have to pay (with my own money, not free money from the government)to have them repaired.
C, D, E, & F) Do you think there is a money tree on the White House lawn? Here's a real revelation for you-working people pay taxes to the government to do these things (which does a poor and inefficient job at all of them with the exception of the military).
G)I grow most of my own food and I have never had eggs infected with salmonella or spinach infected with e coli
H) Half of the traffic laws are about nothing more than new ways to steal more money from the working class
I)I already told you I have no employees and the reasons why. While we are on that subject-that is at least one job that will not be created because of the government
J) If it wasn't for government impediments with regulations and denied access to cheaper fuel supplies, electricity prices would probably be 25-30% cheaper than they are right now (as well as gasoline, propane and every other source of energy)
You are right about one thing-it does go on and on. Any more foolish talking points?