When Bush was in office, I remember seeing a lot of complaints on this board that Bush was acting like a dictator. People complained that Bush was tapping phones illegally in a violation of their rights when the NSA was listening in on conversations between foreign terrorists and their contacts in the USA. People complained that Bush was violating their rights because the government had the right to monitor electronic records from libraries under the USA PAtriot Act. They complained that Bush was violating their rights by forcing them to go through extra security at airports. They complained about illegal search and seizure when he tracked and froze the bank accounts of terrorists and terrorist-funding organizations. Bush was becoming a dictator, they complained.

Never mind that all this was done legally AND with the interest of protecting the people of the USA from another 9-11-like terrorist attack. Never mind that there has been no recorded case of any US citizen's rights being violated in any way by these laws and actions. Never mind that the actions of the agencies involved were not indescriminant, and no innocents ever got caught up in these actions. Bush was a dictator and a despot who wanted to control every aspect of our lives... or so people complained.

Yet now we have a President who wishes to control what you drive, how much gas you use in your car, what lightbulbs you can buy, how much you can earn, how much bonus money you can take home at the end of the year, and (through new legislation he is proposing) what you can eat and drink and smoke, He controls two of the three largest auto manufacturers, ten of the twelve largest banks, and the largest insurance company. He is trying to take over your medical insurance as well, and may very well be successful at it, which would give him direct control of the sources of about 20% or more of national GDP. He truly is taking control of literally every aspect of your lives.

Yet we hear not a peep from those who claim to have been afraid of Bush because he was a dictator trying to control our lives.

<Wind rustling in the trees>

<crickets chirping>

<owls hooting>

Where are all the complaints of Presidential Dictatorship now?

Hyporites of the world, unite!!

Elliot

That is the same crowd that still believe he is the messiah or the second coming of Christ. Do you actually expect them to bash him? Elliot you must still be smoking that funny tobacco that grows in the woods and is tended by wild eyed gun toting crazies who have no trust in the governments ability to do better for us than we ourselves can do.:D

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Originally Posted by 450donn

That is the same crowd that still believe he is the messiah or the second coming of Christ. do you actually expect them to bash him? Elliot you must still be smoking that funny tobacco that grows in the woods and is tended by wild eyed gun toting crazies who have no trust in the governments ability to do better for us than we ourselves can do.:D

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No, I don't expect them to bash Obama the way they attacked Bush even though they have more reason to do so now. That's exactly the point I'm trying to make.

And I don't smoke... asthma. :cool:

Elliot

I believe he also wants to control your home thermostat, how much water you can use for a shower, and require energy efficiency inspections before you can sell your home... and control the media.

Don't forget he's considering expanding unlimited detention for detainees, is continuing renditions and spending us into oblivion... all complaints these people had about Bush.

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<Wind rustling in the trees>

<crickets chirping>

<owls hooting>

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I'm not around much on line but I've been hearing a lot out here in the real world from people who voted for Obama. I hear many of them are having serious second thoughts and concerns and are even now afraid of the changes Obama is making.

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Originally Posted by thewiseoldwoman

I'm not around much on line but I've been hearing alot out here in the real world from people who voted for Obama. I hear many of them are having serious second thoughts and concerns and are even now afraid of the changes Obama is making.

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It's a bit late for buyer's remorse from moderates who voted for Obama. All sales are final. No deposit no return. They voted for him, now they're stuck with him. They made their beds, now they have to sleep in them.

Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem with that. These are the consequences of the actions of the people who voted for him. The only problem is that those of us who didn't vote for him and who knew this was going to happen, who warned about this stuff literally YEARS ago are suffering along with everyone else.

Still, if it causes Americans to wake up and smell the coffee so that we can FIX the problems Obama and his ilk cause, it might just be worth it to suffer for a year or two. I'm just afraid that so much of what Obama does is going to be irreparable or else is going to cost so much money that even our kids and grandkids are going to suffer the consequences. A year or two is a long time, especially when the Dems have a fillibuster-proof majority.

Elliot

Don't you guys have anything better to do on a holiday weekend?

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Don't you guys have anything better to do on a holiday weekend?

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Yep. Spent the day with my kids playing ball and going out for pizza. They're asleep now, and I'm bored. What's your point?

Elliot

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Originally Posted by 450donn

That is the same crowd that still believe he is the messiah or the second coming of Christ.

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No, just another politician actually. Pretty much like the so called first Christ. A good politician with the ability to lead and inspire people. Certainly no messiah. Its you guys on the right who tend to get caught up in your religious connotations.

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Originally Posted by ETWolverine

What's your point?

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The obvious one.

We didn't get into this mess overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight. Give the guy some slack.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

The obvious one.

We didn't get into this mess overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight. Give the guy some slack.

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Oh no. I sense a "where was Bush's slack" post coming...

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Originally Posted by Skell

Oh no. I sense a "where was Bush's slack" post coming.....

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He got elected a second time. That was his slack. He used it up during the next four years.

YUP, he made his mistakes. But it is now time for Nobama to step up and admit that HIS policies and actions are not working too. He needs to stop the blame game one of these days. Or is the anointed one going to keep blaming the right wing for all of his four years?

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Originally Posted by 450donn

YUP, he made his mistakes. But it is now time for Nobama to step up and admit that HIS policies and actions are not working too. He needs to stop the blame game one of these days. Or is the anointed one going to keep blaming the right wing for all of his four years?

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We're still in process. Give it time. The Repubs took a few years to get us to this place.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

The obvious one.

We didn't get into this mess overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight. Give the guy some slack.

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Um, no. If we're supposed to base things on the already tired "we didn't get into this mess overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight" mantra, then why is he trying to solve everything at once? He's biting off a helluva a lot more than Americans should have to chew. Where the heck is the results from his first major initiative, stimulus money? We just lost another half a million jobs. Now he's ramming cap and trade and health care down our throats and NONE of it with the promised time for us to review what they're passing. Jesus people, they don't even know what they're passing because they haven't read it. It's past time for Americans to say hell no... he doesn't deserve any slack.

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Originally Posted by speechlesstx

Um, no. If we're supposed to base things on the already tired "we didn't get into this mess overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight" mantra, then why is he trying to solve everything at once? He's biting off a helluva a lot more than Americans should have to chew. Where the heck is the results from his first major initiative, stimulus money? We just lost another half a million jobs. Now he's ramming cap and trade and health care down our throats and NONE of it with the promised time for us to review what they're passing. Jesus people, they don't even know what they're passing because they haven't read it. It's past time for Americans to say hell no...he doesn't deserve any slack.

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And if he sat there on his duff and dithered and threw out a panacea now and then, you'd say, "Man, why is that dude taking his sweet time? We don't have time!"

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

He got elected a second time. That was his slack. He used it up during the next four years.

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You don't have to convince me WG. I totally agree.

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Originally Posted by Skell

You don't have to convince me WG. I totally agree.

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Exactly

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

And if he sat there on his duff and dithered and threw out a panacea now and then, you'd say, "Man, why is that dude taking his sweet time? We don't have time!"

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LOL, not me, I'm a firm believer in the less time government spends 'fixing' things the better off we are. Nevertheless, he spent the first month or more of his administration preaching unending doom and gloom about the economy when he should have been cheer leading. That's not asking for a panacea, it's part of his job... not unnecessarily saying the exact things to make people more fearful and protective of their livelihoods and assets at a time when they needed a little confidence. He's doing way too much, way too fast at a cost that's unsustainable and we'd all be fools if we say nothing while he ruins this country.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

We're still in process. Give it time. The Repubs took a few years to get us to this place.

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The Democrats have been in charge of the purse strings for the past 2 1/2 years. Perhaps if they hadn't wasted their promise to rein in spending on seeking revenge against Bush - and acted on his numerous warnings about Freddie and Fannie - we might not be in this position.