Opinion: Obama: I Actually Believe In Redistribution
Two days after GOP presidential challenger Mitt Romney is challenged with the release of a private fundraising gathering’s tape from last May, President Barack Obama is challenged with an equally-disturbing tape that dates from his senatorial days in Illinois.
The morning after President Barack Obama appeared on David Letterman’s “Late Night” television program bashing his opponent Romney for comments suggesting that Romney is not for all the people, Romney is talking about a tape which shows Obama has had his plan of distribution which takes from the rich and gives to the poor –a philosophy that is obviously not for all the people but only for the poor or disadvantaged in the country – dating way back. Obama made his remarks at Loyola University in his hometown of Chicago in October of 1998 when he was an Illinois state senator.
In the tape that Romney is now talking about, it is obvious that President Barack Obama is in favor of the extremely controversial idea of redistribution of the nation’s wealth. Basically, Obama believes that everyone should “have a shot” at the good life and great opportunities in life whether they’ve worked for them or not – paid for by those who have acquired their wealth and success-related opportunities in life via hard work.
It’s not how America works but how Obama obviously wants the nation to work. Presently, those who work hard and succeed have wealth and enjoy the opportunities they’ve created for themselves. Those who do not work hard – and thereby do not acquire financial success – have less of the nation’s financial benefits in life.
Now the nation has two videos to consider. First, the Romney video in which he says he doesn’t even have a chance at getting supportive votes from the people who get government checks because Obama is all for giving the government checks quite handily. Now, secondly, the surfacing of the Obama video shows that Obama wants to get the wealthy American’s money any way he can to put the money into programs – via governmental policies – that will give hard-working Americans’ money to the poor.
Again, as has been explained here previously, helping the disadvantaged, physically-challenged and anyone else who cannot provide for himself is not a problem at all. They should definitely be assisted.
The tremendous concern with Obama’s redistribution plan is giving to those Americans who are obviously capable of doing for themselves but choose not to not work for it – and then feed off the wealthy via government programs made possible politicians on the “extreme left” such as President Barack Obama. The “right” believes there is absolutely nothing wrong with expecting capable persons to do for themselves and not feed off the wealthy who work for what they’ve got. Regardless of the side of the debate one aligns his beliefs, this is the stark difference between the two candidates now running for president.
The government’s decision is whether to force the rich to give to the poor – or to leave capable persons in the position where they either must work or go without as much. Thereby, there is either a motivation to actually work for what one has in life – as promoted by the “right” – or there is little or no motivation for one to actually work for what one has.
As Romney said in an interview on Wednesday – his first since the release of the infamous “47%” video on Monday – redistribution of the nation’s wealth is “the wrong course for America” and “does not help people out of poverty.”
Obama makes his position on redistribution clear on the tape going viral on Wednesday. He is heard on the tape saying: “There has been a systematic – I don’t think it’s too strong to call it a propaganda campaign – against the possibility of government action and its efficacy. And I think some of it has been deserved.”
Regarding the redistribution of the wealth, Obama blatantly says: “[I want to] resuscitate this notion that we’re all in this thing together. Leave nobody behind. We do have to be innovative in thinking how – what are the delivery systems that are actually effective and meet people where they live… I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution.”
Romney and the Republican camp are latching on to Obama’s assertion which states: I actually believe in redistribution.
Contrary to what President Obama has been campaigning on in the 2012 election cycle and what he said again Tuesday night on David Letterman’s show, these redistribution beliefs would not create policies that give America a president who is for all the people at all. Furthermore, many have made a strong connection between Obama’s blatant support of redistribution to socialism, a label which Obama rejects – but by definition, fits.
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.
