Some of this stuff I can't make up... this is from today's weekly Presidential radio address:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama appealed Saturday to his fellow citizens to endure, find opportunity in these hard times and ultimately prosper from the challenge." That is what we can do and must do today. And I am absolutely confident that is what we will do," Obama said in his weekly radio and video address, taped on Friday at the White House.
So, at the risk of misquoting the man, here is the verbatim text from the White House web site:
I wasn't the one who rated those mortgage-backed securities worthy of investment. I wasn't the one who fell for the hype and refinanced my ever-more valuable home so I could buy an SUV and an addition on the MacMansion. I didn't run up 20% of my income on my VISA card because I was tapping my home equity line of credit to buy the 52-foot plasma-screen TV I so badly needed so my family could be digital-ready. (I'm betting "endure" includes paying off these people's debts without so much as a peep.)
And because, after 103 years, the US FDA is so badly in need of Viagra that they are not even privy to state and private inspection records of a peanut plant whose executives murdered 8 Americans, I can't even cut back on my grocery bill.
And I have to pay my taxes in full and on time so that Senator Daschel, Treasury Secretary Geithner (is that ever an irony!), and Representative Rangel don't have to.
And because I finished high school and got my degree and served my country and went to work instead of joining the UAW and spotwelding Chevys for 50 bucks an hour, I'm asked to fund those people's free healthcare-for-life and defined-benefit pensions. And if I don't, I'm sternly warned that the US will have to start buying Abrams main battle tanks and Hummers from Hyundai.
So, I propose we let Washington Mutual CEO Alan Fishman -- who, after 3 weeks on the job, was sent home with his tail between his legs and $13 million of taxpayer bailout to soften the blow -- endure. Let Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain -- who gave away a king's ransom to his executives with taxpayer bailouts before BoA took over -- endure. Let Linda Thomsen, former chief enforcement officer at the SEC -- whose nonfeasance makes her virtually single-handedly responsible for the destruction of the US if not the global economy -- endure.
Have we honest Americans not endured enough?
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama appealed Saturday to his fellow citizens to endure, find opportunity in these hard times and ultimately prosper from the challenge." That is what we can do and must do today. And I am absolutely confident that is what we will do," Obama said in his weekly radio and video address, taped on Friday at the White House.
So, at the risk of misquoting the man, here is the verbatim text from the White House web site:
"Yes, this is a moment of challenge for our country. But we've experienced great trials before. And with every test, each generation has found the capacity to not only endure, but to prosper -- to discover great opportunity in the midst of great crisis. That is what we can and must do today. And I am absolutely confident that is what we will do. I'm confident that at this defining moment, we will prove ourselves worthy of the sacrifice of those who came before us, and the promise of those who will come after."Is there anyone who didn't immediately think of the immortal lines of Chief Dan George's character in the film "The Outlaw Josey Wales?"
We thought about it for a long time, "Endeavor to persevere." And when we had thought about it long enough, we declared war on the Union.Look, I don't want to "endure."
I wasn't the one who rated those mortgage-backed securities worthy of investment. I wasn't the one who fell for the hype and refinanced my ever-more valuable home so I could buy an SUV and an addition on the MacMansion. I didn't run up 20% of my income on my VISA card because I was tapping my home equity line of credit to buy the 52-foot plasma-screen TV I so badly needed so my family could be digital-ready. (I'm betting "endure" includes paying off these people's debts without so much as a peep.)
And because, after 103 years, the US FDA is so badly in need of Viagra that they are not even privy to state and private inspection records of a peanut plant whose executives murdered 8 Americans, I can't even cut back on my grocery bill.
And I have to pay my taxes in full and on time so that Senator Daschel, Treasury Secretary Geithner (is that ever an irony!), and Representative Rangel don't have to.
And because I finished high school and got my degree and served my country and went to work instead of joining the UAW and spotwelding Chevys for 50 bucks an hour, I'm asked to fund those people's free healthcare-for-life and defined-benefit pensions. And if I don't, I'm sternly warned that the US will have to start buying Abrams main battle tanks and Hummers from Hyundai.
So, I propose we let Washington Mutual CEO Alan Fishman -- who, after 3 weeks on the job, was sent home with his tail between his legs and $13 million of taxpayer bailout to soften the blow -- endure. Let Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain -- who gave away a king's ransom to his executives with taxpayer bailouts before BoA took over -- endure. Let Linda Thomsen, former chief enforcement officer at the SEC -- whose nonfeasance makes her virtually single-handedly responsible for the destruction of the US if not the global economy -- endure.
Have we honest Americans not endured enough?
Hmph! I know someone who won't be getting a limited edition Barack Obama Hope 'n' Change collector plate for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAs a irrelevant cultural aside, Japanese doesn't have an equivalent to "cheer up" or "it'll all work out in the end". The closest they have is ganbatte. The closest you could come to ganbatte in English would be "endure" or "persevere" or "man the fuck up, nancyboy". It's a linguistic artifact from a culture that prizes perseverance and asceticism I suppose.
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