Obama: "If you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own".

[au2004ece 30]

That gets back to my original point ... this is really not an argument about 'building success on your own' -- it's easily proven no one can claim they've done this ... it's about the degree to or the extent to which we should each have to contribute back.

As for our current progressive tax structure, I agree it has some flaws but I also think the notion that the more you succeed, the more you should have to give back is directionally correct. As for every one contributing, absolutely, we're in agreement.

Obama is not literally wrong, he is risking catastrophe by misunderstanding economic psychology.

Many of his voting block will take his statements and apply them to themselves...don't worry about doing anything because we (the government) can do it for you if we just get these people that we have already helped to give something back. Once he creates that mentality, the economy will be ruined forever.

[AURaptor 1,137]

From Atlas Shrugged....

“He didn’t invent iron ore and blast furnaces, did he?”

“Who?”

“Rearden. He didn’t invent smelting and chemistry and air compression. He couldn’t have invented his Metal but for thousands and thousands of other people. His Metal! Why does he think it’s his? Why does he think it’s his invention? Everybody uses the work of everybody else. Nobody ever invents anything.”

She said, puzzled, “But the iron ore and all those other things were there all the time. Why didn’t anybody else make that Metal, but Mr. Rearden did?”

[BamaGrad03 0]

- Access to an educated workforce

- Roads, bridges, ports and other infrastructure to be able to move your goods and services

- A secure and stable financial system to facilitate transactions

- Protection from fire and crime

- And on and on...

All those things are available to every American. Rich or poor.

So we're back to square one...If you created a business and the only things you had access to were all the things that EVERYONE had access to, then it's safe to say you created it on your own.

[TitanTiger 21,068]

- Access to an educated workforce

- Roads, bridges, ports and other infrastructure to be able to move your goods and services

- A secure and stable financial system to facilitate transactions

- Protection from fire and crime

- And on and on...

All those things are available to every American. Rich or poor.

So we're back to square one...If you created a business and the only things you had access to were all the things that EVERYONE had access to, then it's safe to say you created it on your own.

Agreed. This argument is sort of akin to saying that if you took dirt and water and mixed it into a paste or putty, formed bricks with it that you let bake in the sun and harden, then with your own sweat and time used said bricks to build yourself a house that you didn't really build the house yourself because you didn't create water, dirt or sunlight.

[BamaGrad03 0]

TT, you win at analogies.

[Tigermike 3,657]

Look at all of this stuff the Obama campaign were happy to let Sarah Jessica Parker say:

He did this, he did that...

{media]

[/media]

The horse face woman - spokesperson for Obama.

[Tigermike 3,657]

Obama’s penchant for crony capitalism, critics say, explains his comment over the weekend that “If you’ve got a business, you did not build that—somebody else made that happen.”

http://freebeacon.com/cronyism-built-that/

[Tigermike 3,657]

[arnaldoabru 11]

I get most of what Obama was saying with this, but that particular line about how you didn't build a business on your own was dumb. That was a bad misstatement at best. Yes, there are things about the society and business environment you decide to start a business in that you didn't do yourself and required the help of government and other people. But in many cases, people did essentially build a business from scratch and such language is insulting to them.

Even if you did build your own business 'from scratch', your success still likely depended on external American factors:

- Access to an educated workforce

- Roads, bridges, ports and other infrastructure to be able to move your goods and services

- A secure and stable financial system to facilitate transactions

- Protection from fire and crime

- And on and on...

In fact, I can't think of one example where one could achieve success truly in a vacuum.

Regardless how much some deride their government and want to beat their chest about 'self-reliance', the simple fact is, if you've succeeded in this country, you didn't do it all on your own. Period.

you left out protective trade tariffs

oil subsidies

farm subsidies

tax incentives

[arnaldoabru 11]

I get most of what Obama was saying with this, but that particular line about how you didn't build a business on your own was dumb. That was a bad misstatement at best. Yes, there are things about the society and business environment you decide to start a business in that you didn't do yourself and required the help of government and other people. But in many cases, people did essentially build a business from scratch and such language is insulting to them.

Even if you did build your own business 'from scratch', your success still likely depended on external American factors:

- Access to an educated workforce

- Roads, bridges, ports and other infrastructure to be able to move your goods and services

- A secure and stable financial system to facilitate transactions

- Protection from fire and crime

- And on and on...

In fact, I can't think of one example where one could achieve success truly in a vacuum.

Regardless how much some deride their government and want to beat their chest about 'self-reliance', the simple fact is, if you've succeeded in this country, you didn't do it all on your own. Period.

Then, why is it ok for Obama to take full credit for the economic activity of a Dollar General being built in rural Alabama, while the owners of Dollar General didn't do this on their own?

Is it a toll road in rural alabama that those people travel on to get to the Dollar General?

[japantiger 4,104]

His opponents will pick his words apart and as TexasTiger said, they were sloppy, but the underlying premise about how we've all benefited from our American system and share obligations, holds true, IMO.

Sorry, don't buy it.... the government didn't do crap...the American people did whatever was done. I owe the government what I am legally obligated to pay...based on what the constitution says the government can confiscate...we have a constitution to limit what the government can do to me or compel me to do...please, don't try the BS argument that there is some mythical social contract that I owe allegiance to....there is a constitution; period...it is there to prevent the government from intruding on my liberty and my right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Governments take, usurp, control, and intrude on freedoms...they continually look for ways to take more. no matter what they say today; tomorrow they will come up with another idea to take, usurp, control and intrude on more of my freedoms...it is a natural law as sure as gravity, magnetism and the weak force....There is no such thing as a benevolent government....they take $$ from some to give to others so they can institutionalize a constituency. Just like a parasite; they will eventually kill the host.

I have lived in 4 countries outside the US ... 2 developed, 2 undeveloped...I have managed businesses on 6 continents and spent a great deal of time working and living with the citizens....the biggest difference is the level encroachment government has in their lives...they all want to be more like us...none suggested we should be more like them..... only one country payed less in taxes than us...all had less freedom, all enjoyed a lower level of wealth and a lower standard of living. Only one had healtcare on par with the US....the ones with government health care were all unhappy with it and asked why we would want to be like them...all yearned for the freedom to earn and accomplish according to their skills and abilities... even the ones in Europe.

[Auburn85 436]

I get most of what Obama was saying with this, but that particular line about how you didn't build a business on your own was dumb. That was a bad misstatement at best. Yes, there are things about the society and business environment you decide to start a business in that you didn't do yourself and required the help of government and other people. But in many cases, people did essentially build a business from scratch and such language is insulting to them.

Even if you did build your own business 'from scratch', your success still likely depended on external American factors:

- Access to an educated workforce

- Roads, bridges, ports and other infrastructure to be able to move your goods and services

- A secure and stable financial system to facilitate transactions

- Protection from fire and crime

- And on and on...

In fact, I can't think of one example where one could achieve success truly in a vacuum.

Regardless how much some deride their government and want to beat their chest about 'self-reliance', the simple fact is, if you've succeeded in this country, you didn't do it all on your own. Period.

Then, why is it ok for Obama to take full credit for the economic activity of a Dollar General being built in rural Alabama, while the owners of Dollar General didn't do this on their own?

Is it a toll road in rural alabama that those people travel on to get to the Dollar General?

State and County roads.

[AURaptor 1,137]

http://www.investors.com/image/RAMFNLclr-071912-diversion-.jpg.cms

[AUn Collierville 1]

There is so much irony in an egomaniac that has never done anything, to try to minimize, but also take credit for the accomplishments of those that have been successful, despite the restrictions of the federal government.

It won't be long before washing machines have an obama cycle instead of a spin cycle.

[Tigermike 3,657]

Is it a toll road in rural alabama that those people travel on to get to the Dollar General?

When it comes to toll roads - you have a choice. Choice is big with you guys isn't it?

[japantiger 4,104]

Is it a toll road in rural alabama that those people travel on to get to the Dollar General?

When it comes to toll roads - you have a choice. Choice is big with you guys isn't it?

nice one...

[Tigermike 3,657]