You didn't build that

[smc]

How do you make someone appear to say something that they didn't really say, so you can create a big political kerfuffle and support your underlying notion that someone just doesn't get how America works, that he isn't one of us, that he is other? The Romney campaign's political ad is an object lesson, along with the deliberate misquoting and taking out of context that has been practiced by the right-wing talking heads.

Here is what Obama said in his speech (it's part of the public record, and it was recorded):

Let me tell you something. There are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you?ve got a business, you didn?t build that.

I bolded some of this for a reason. In the Romney advertisement the speech is made to sound as if Obama went right to "if you've got a business, you didn't build that" from "let me tell you something." You can see it here:

http://www.mittromney.com/forms/these-hands0

Watch and listen to Obama's speech, carefully, as presented in this video. The video deceptively edits the remarks by removing a number of sentences so that two different parts of the speech can be made to seem seamless, thus promoting a lie about what Obama actually said. In Romney's case, it allows for the opportunity to have a "business owner" accuse Obama of insulting him, and ask Obama why the president is "demonizing" people who work hard to build a business.

It's complete bullshit.

[GRH]

If ila's "Beaver picture" from above were actually a representation of Obama's speech (which has been taken wildly out of context), the "that" being referenced is the river. The right wingers like to pretend that the "that" is the dam that the beaver built. In the context of Obama's speech, the "that" is clearly referring to the river, the trees which cast down sticks, and the other pieces of infrastructure that the beaver relied on to build the dam.

[liesjeversteven]

You Americans really crack me up sometimes... What in the world could possibly be seen as wrong in making the rich spend a little bit of what they earn on helping the less fortunate? It doesn't make sense.
What makes even less sense is that a lot of the unfortunate people who would actually benefit from Obama's reforms vote republican out of sheer stupidity.
I'm from Belgium, Europe, and we have a long tradition of a caring state. Just a few examples to illustrate:

Education: Is virtually for free, AND of pretty high standard. I think that is a really good thing. Because of this everyone, rich or poor alike, can study what they want, and prepare themselves to become something in life. When we come out of high school, we can speak three languages just to give an example.
University studies in Belgium cost about 600€ per year. That is a fraction of what it costs in the States.

Healthcare: Health insurance is obligatory, organised by the state, but, also very cheap. It costs me about 14€ per month. If I have to go to hospital for some reason, I hardly have to pay anything on top of that. This prevents people from ending up in the streets because they can't afford the medical bills and makes sure everyone gets the best possible care. I think that's a positive thing indeed.

Social benefits: If I lose my job for some reason, I get unemployment pay. Not a whole lot, but enough to allow me to pay my rent, food and the necessary things in life so I don't end up in the streets and so I have the possibility to find another job without ending up in dept. Again, same idea as above, positive indeed.

And there's much more, but I won't get into everything here.

Does that come at a certain cost? Well yes. The tax system is quite different here as well. Everyone pays a certain part of his/her income to the state, and yes that's a lot more than you Americans pay. The more you earn, the bigger the percentage of your income you pay on taxes. But i'm happy to pay my taxes, because when push comes to shove, and I end up in trouble, I have a safety net to rely on.

This all has the effect of reducing the percentage of poor people in the population. Having less poor, means having more people who can afford to consume products, which has in its turn a positive effect on economy, which creates jobs, so less unemployment, and so on....

The USA are the only developed country on this planet without universal health care. Are you guys going to tell me the whole world is wrong about this and you right?
There's nothing wrong with a bit of socialism (look it up before you get on your high horses, it's NOT the same as communism)

Just my two cents....

Love

Liesje

[Rachel]

Keep that attitude out of MY country

[liesjeversteven]

Originally Posted by Rachel

Keep that attitude out of MY country

You people keep THAT attitude up, and you'll end up living in a third world country before you know it.

[randolph]

Politicians of all stripes love to take statements out of context. Obama was simply saying that guys like Gates, Jobes and all the other creative businessmen, that develop amazing new businesses depend on investment capital and social infrastructures to succeed and the US system is very good at that. Can you imagine them succeeding without investors? Can you imagine them succeeding without a free market to sell their products. Can you imagine them succeeding in a country without a middle class?

[Tsloverib]

I sure did build my business MR PRESIDENT!!

And i did NOT have Government Assistance!!

Companies do not always need Government Assistance.

America can not operate soley on Government, is everyone going to work for the Government? NO, will not happen, and that leaves the private sector to supply jobs to the unemployed.

This President just does not get that, and myself, other business owners i know will not vote Obama this year.

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by randolph

Politicians of all stripes love to take statements out of context. Obama was simply saying that guys like Gates, Jobes and all the other creative businessmen, that develop amazing new businesses depend on investment capital and social infrastructures to succeed and the US system is very good at that. Can you imagine them succeeding without investors? Can you imagine them succeeding without a free market to sell their products. Can you imagine them succeeding in a country without a middle class?

Job's buddy Wozniak built the first Apple in his garage. They did build their company. You talked about infrastructures. I'm not going to say companies don't need those infrastructures. But where does the money come from to build those infrastructures? From tax payers and their incomes from companies.

Originally Posted by randolph

Can you imagine them succeeding without investors?

Can you imagine investors forking over their money to people with no clue? The first thing an entrepreneur sells is their ideas and capabilities.

It's not just a one way street, it's a cycle, and the driver of that cycle is innovation from the private sector.

[Rachel]

Originally Posted by liesjeversteven

You people keep THAT attitude up, and you'll end up living in a third world country before you know it.

You havent seen attitude til you come to New Jersey. How dare you? You should still be thanking us on your hands and knees. How many of MY countrymen died saving your shitty little country? You just holler next time the Germans come!