Be Careful What You Ask for, Mr President

What if the next speech President Obama gives on the economy had the following elements:

• “I got elected on a platform of higher taxes, so that's what we're going to do – NOW!”

• “The Republican Congress has agreed to do it my way, because, after all, I won the election and I'm never going to let anyone forget it.”
• “This is the effect that this policy will have on each income class of Americans and on the economy as a whole” and then he outlines things like unemployment rate, U6, inflation, income delta by income level, and GDP changes as well as the timetables associated with them.
• “This speech marks the end of George W. Bush's responsibility. The Congress has given me everything I need to make this, once and for all and for better or worse, the Obama Economy.” (repeat at least 4 times).

What if the President gives this speech in a prime time network TV slot and it is carried over all the cable news channels, then, and only then the president gets his way.

I don't believe this would be beneficial to the American economy or American society. But what if the situation is analogous to the real estate crash. The markets had to clear and bankruptcies had to run their course before any signs of a recovery emerged. Every measure taken by the government just prolonged the misery. What if it is necessary to hit rock bottom before any recovery is possible? They were both made necessary as a normal course of government meddling resulting from societal greed and congressional stupidity. Same cause; no difference. See what I mean?

I know a great many people who voted for Obama. Fine. Well, not really THAT fine, but it is what it is. He was elected on a platform of “fairness.” As he explained it, everyone should feel the pain, and I expect that everyone will.

What if this scenario needs to be played out in order for the real recovery to begin? Should we just get it over with? Am I going to be happy about it? No. Is it time to stop arguing with friends, neighbors, and acquaintances about what is best. NO, but the American people have decided, so let's get on with it, but NOT UNTIL PRESIDENT OBAMA GIVES THAT SPEECH.

I don't believe he will; I don't believe he can; I think that no matter what Republicans cave in to, he will demand more. Like all the other causes that the Democrat party claims for it's own, it is not in its political best interest to actually solve it – just to prolong it and blame others for it. And in 2014, the TEA party will continue its inroads into power as it began doing in 2010. And in 2016, Rahm Emanuel will run on exactly the same platform with exactly the same fingers pointing at exactly the same people for exactly the same reasons.