W vs. O !!

[applecorped]

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/18/bush-takes-swipes-at-policies-of-obama/

"ERIE, Pa.| Former President George W. Bush fired a salvo at President Obama on Wednesday, asserting his administration's interrogation policies were within the law, declaring the private sector not government will fix the economy and rejecting the nationalization of health care.



"I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in," the former president said to applause from members of a local business group. "You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money."







Grab your popcorn!!!

[leftysergeant]

Former President George W. Bush fired a salvo at President Obama on Wednesday, asserting his administration's interrogation policies were within the law...

The rest of the world, however, spits on the ground when he makes this assertion. What's new?

"I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in," the former president said to applause from members of a local business group.

It was the private sector that put us in this jackpot, aided and abetted by a government that opened the door as wide as possible for them. Does the Shrub think that the robber barons are going to repent and put back the money they bled out of the working classes?

"You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money."

The boy never learns, does he?

Unless we all spend some money investing in infrastructure, education, environmental protection and preservation and technical innovation, we are headed for ruin. What he wants is for us to entrust private industry with our savings, and let them take a tax write-off and hope that thery give us a decent return on our investments.

Been there! Done that! Sucked!

[NoZed Avenger]

1890 called. They want their rhetoric back.

[fishbob]

"I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in," the former president said to applause from members of a local business group. "You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money."



This from a guy who led several companies into failure, then graduated to lead a national economy into failure.

Credibility of the source should be strongly considered.

[ProbeX]

Well let's see ... the OP heading is "W vs. O." That would be ... let me think really stinking hard ... it would be ...
O

[daredelvis]

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/18/bush-takes-swipes-at-policies-of-obama/

"I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in," the former president said to applause from members of a local business group. "You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money."


Eight years as president and that guy can't come with any more nuanced way to repeat those tired old talking points??!?!?!

Daredelvis

[Monketey Ghost]

applecorped, it's looking bad for your boy W, he can't keep taking these body shots, the ref's gonna call this to an end...

[corplinx]

The factory order index is finally back in the growth territory. Without the majority of stimulus funds spent, health care reforms, or financial reforms.

So in other words.... Bush was kinda right. Probably the second time in his political career he was right about something.

The naive notions that somehow high regulation will fix the economy (which already has bottomed out and has been on the uptick since) versus the typically bull-bear-bubble cycle taking its natural course is funny to me. Some of you guys really just have no clue how things work.

The funnier thing is that when George Bush was in office, he was a proponent of two stimulus bills himself. In other words, he thought government was the answer to a down cycle. Not the normal "wait for inventory to dry up and then production ramps up again" sort of recovery that happens during recessions.

Nothing up my sleeve, presto!

The best role for government in a recession is figuring out of the growth market before the recession was based on some sort of fraudulent activity (junk bonds/junk loans/junk derivatives) and fixing it so that we don't have to learn that lesson twice.

[BeAChooser]

This from a guy who led several companies into failure, then graduated to lead a national economy into failure.

I think you are just jealous about how successful Bush Jr has been as a businessman (overall) and as a politician. And if anything, Bush tried to lead the economy away from failure (remember his calls for more regulation of Fanny and Freddie?) but thanks to the likes of Barney Franks, Maxine Waters and other top democrats, he was prevented from doing so. And had Obama just left well enough alone, we'd probably already be out of the recession. The history of recessions clearly suggests that. :D

[geni]

The factory order index is finally back in the growth territory. Without the majority of stimulus funds spent, health care reforms, or financial reforms.


Growth generated by the issue that production lines can't negative produce isn't very useful.

[leftysergeant]

And had Obama just left well enough alone, we'd probably already be out of the recession. The history of recessions clearly suggests that. :D

You're kidding, right? Government inaction never allowed the ecconomy to go down the toilet. Intrervention always screwed it up worse? For whom?

[ARubberChickenWithAPulley]

I thought the article opening was mostly sensationalism. Reading that Bush "fired a salvo" at Obama, I was expecting that there would be some pretty heavy criticism of... well, Obama.

Yeah, I get that there was some implied criticism, but Bush basically just repeated what policies he supports -- of which we are all well aware. Seems like a non-story to me.

[corplinx]

Seems like a non-story to me.

Pretty much. The media would love for there to be direct words to drum up some sort of drama. All news outlets remind me of Jerry Springer these days. "Fight Fight Fight". Except for the Economist.

[Bob Blaylock]

The funnier thing is that when George Bush was in office, he was a proponent of two stimulus bills himself. In other words, he thought government was the answer to a down cycle.


It's well worth pointing out that Bush's idea of a “stimulus”*consisted of giving us back some of our own money to spend ourselves; while Obama's idea of a “stimulus” consists of taking even more of our money from us, for government to spend in the most wasteful ways that it can.

I know which version I prefer.

[leftysergeant]

There goes the right wing again, snivelling about government taking "our money" and "spending it in the most wasteful ways..."

War is the most wasteful way possible to spend money. Iraq has bled us dry for no return.

And another thing. The money in your till is not really "yours" until you have paid your utility bills. For eight years, the people who have benefitted most from the utility that is government have paid the smallest share of the bill, and have shoved the costs off onto the working class, or just let the utility fall into disrepair. Time for that to end.

We need to repair our infrastructure, and we need to restore our industrial capacity, and we need to get the wealth recycling through the ecconomy here, rather than into the hands of forreign producers and the capitalists who set them up.

The ecconomy is not self-correcting. Capitalism has had to be saved from itself on two occassions over the last hundred years.

It's going to cost some money, and I think it is time for the investor class to man up and take their lumps.

Pay your utility bills and stop being so selfish.

[egslim]

It's well worth pointing out that Bush's idea of a “stimulus”*consisted of giving us back some of our own money to spend ourselves
Correction, it was never your money - he borrowed it from the Chinese, promising them the people he gave it to (that's you) would eventually pay all of it back with interest.

Borrowing money for investment (as a properly functioning government does) is fine. Borrowing money for luxury consumption (as Bush advocated) is stupid. You only end up with spent consumergoods, and higher interest payments.

[egslim]

The economy is not self-correcting.
Actually it is, but it wreaks havoc on society in the proces.

[Regnad Kcin]

I think you are just jealous about how successful Bush Jr has been as a businessman (overall) and as a politician. And if anything, Bush tried to lead the economy away from failure...Hee-hee! What a light-hearted, humorous way to start my day. Better than Garfield in the funnies (oh, that Odie!). Thanks!

[Upchurch]

Hee-hee! What a light-hearted, humorous way to start my day. Better than Garfield in the funnies (oh, that Odie!). Thanks!
No, it's true. He was successfully acquitted of insider trading charges.