Opinion: My2K
President Barack Obama is using his high-profile position to once again arm-twist the American public into supporting his position on a very deep and controversial topic. This time, the president is on the warpath against the Republicans in trying to convince the American public to follow his views on the best solution to the economy's woes.
Again, Obama is using the trendiness of the Internet's social media networks. On Wednesday, the president began his promotion of his #My2K hashtag to get Americans to talk about – and thereby promote – his agenda regarding the personal economy of individual Americans including their tax status after this year's end.
Obama is hoping to promote the discussion of the Bush tax cut extensions into the new calendar year by getting people hooked on the topic and by getting them to use the #My2K hashtag on Twitter.
The reasoning behind the #My2K hashtag being chosen is that – according to the Obama administration – a middle class family of four could find an additional $2,220 in taxes in 2013 if Obama's plan isn't passed in Congress.
Yes, we have heard this sort of thing before when Obama got America "hashtagging" #40dollars last year.
Much like last time when Americans were typing #40dollars, Obama is trying to tell Americans that it's "his way" or increased taxes for middle class Americans. That's now quite the story, of course. There is another way. It's called "compromise". Though Obama said, yesterday, that he is ready to work in bipartisan fashion, anyone who stays abreast of the national news with an eye on the national economy knows very well that we heard that "call for bipartisanship" talk before from the president. Yet, when it's time to "compromise", he criticizes the Republicans and does no compromising on his side of the issue either.
This time around, the president wants the Congress to go along with him and extend the tax cuts – while he increases taxes on the "rich". On the other hand, the Republicans – who are vehemently opposed to all of Obama's spending in the past four years – want the government to extend the tax cuts while drastically cutting the horrific spending that helped the nation get into this fiscal mess.
The Republicans fear that the continuation of the out-of-control spending is the problem with the American economy. Obama believes that taxing the "rich" more will solve the problem. Yet, if every wealthy person in the United States was taxes 100% and the spending continues as it has, the nation would still be busted, financially.
Truth be told, if you cut spending, you save. If you depend on wealthy people to finance the country without cutting spending, there is logical fear and danger of running out of wealthy people to finance the poor spending habits of the country.
Don't believe when Obama says the Republicans are the reason the tax cuts may not be extended because there are two sides to the story. Obama's unwillingness to bend on the increased taxing of the nation's wealthy – what's left of them – is also to blame. If there's gridlock, it's from both sides – not just the Republican side.
What Obama doesn't want anyone to realize is that he has the option of "bending" too. He just doesn't do that.
For those who aren't up on the social networking methods of Twitter: A hashtag is typed on a computer or entered in a mobile device by entering the pound sign - # - followed by keyboard characters, a word, or a phrase which is to be used by others of similar interest and grouped together by Twitter. Therefore, if one enters #My2K in a comment on his Twitter account and then clicks on it, all of the Twitter comments with #My2K that were previously entered on Twitter will come up.
About Scott Paulson
Scott Paulson writes political commentary for Examiner.com and teaches English at a community college in the Chicago area. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local.
