Parsing comments from SOTU
Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
I'll admit up front I didn't watch the State of the Union address last night. We were out stimulating the economy shopping for the best deal on a replacement for an item that gave out. (Hey, we tried to fix it ourselves. Tech support was called, they promised to send a fix and it never arrived. It'll probably show up today as we did replace the item.)
So I'm watching the commentary with mild amusement. The economy is in a shambles. People are saving rather than spending. When the do spend, they're looking to get the best bang for their buck, as we did last night. Businesses aren't investing and few are hiring. No one is taking the lead. When the president suggests something be done, he's a Socialist so-and-so who should keep his hands out of our businesses. Yet, when business isn't thriving, it's the president's fault.
We can't have it both ways. You may not like the president, you may not like his policies, but rather than condemn him, how about offering up some solutions? Consumers aren't spending because they're out of work or fearing for their jobs. Those with jobs are retrenching, saving more. This is a good thing in the long run, but in an economy that's been driven in the past my consumer spending, it's not good for business. So what will drive the economy now?
Apparently, phone solicitors. I just hung up on another one.
There are no fast and easy answers. But blaming the president if he does something and then blaming him if he doesn't isn't productive. I don't care who is in office - Republican or Democrat, liberal, conservative, or moderate.
Of course, it's more fun to wail and moan than to do something about it.
Tags: Politics
Filed under: Politics
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