Sunday, March 1, 2009

You're in Good Hands

Joe "Don't Mess With Him" Biden is now shepherding the implementation of the stimulus plan. "Biden said in the meeting [of cabinet members] that he and other members of the cabinet were going to 'follow the money' to ensure it was going where it was meant to go."

And to make that job easier, the government has created a new currency for stimulus-related spending:

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The money getting to its intended location is what I worry about!

Anonymous said...

Hi Paco, I been away from computers for a couple months, in a remote monastery actually (truly, long story).

What I want to say, the Obama era puts us foreign righties in a bind, and it makes it hard for us to join in your lively republican banter.

We support the US Right, but we also support the US itself (mostly). Either view is seen as extreme in our countries where many have adopted Michael Moore's movies as the normal view.

(I took a break from the monastery because even there inmates were raving about Sicko and Columbine and I got sick of having to defend the truth - I'm looking for a place where they better follow the Rule of Silence [!])

Anyway that's why I may refrain from joining in on stuff like this. Privately I support you GOPers, which also means that publicly I support the American people's democratic processes and whoever they choose. If I didn't I would be almost indistinguishable from our local snarking Michael Moore clones.

Do you see my difficulty?

But, having said that, the plug currency is hilarious, would you call that a Plugged Nickel or something? And wasn't that a Grand Funk album cover?

Paco said...

Bruce: I think I know what you're getting at. Just to make sure my own position is clear: I support the democratic process which, unfortunately in my opinion, led to Obama's election; however, my opposition to Obama is also "democratic". I believe he needs to be removed through the election process, if he continues moving the country to the left - but that depends on the voters. If I understand you correctly, I agree that the U.S. hasn't ceased to be a bulwark of freedom just because Obama was elected president. He is still "one of us", however mistaken we may find him to be.

Paco said...

P.S. But he is "one of us" in the sense that there is a strong streak of New Deal-type socialism (or social democracy) in our history - which means that he is currently the focal point of the dynamic tension between American statists and American conservatives. In the interests of liberty, free enterprise and national security, I hope he is a one-term president. This is what Rush means -what I mean - when we say that we hope Obama will fail; assuming the same policy trajectory we have witnessed for the last 30 days (and much longer, for those who have been paying attention), it would be nonsensical for us to hope he succeeds.

Anonymous said...

Oh yes I always understand that Rush is a truly democratic voice like those de Tocqueville was impressed by.

It really annoys me when Limbaugh's opponents lazily label him an extremist, instead of engaging in debate with his legitimate points.

And I know the prospect of high taxes arouses the old Revolutionary spirit on which the US is founded - no one is going to Europeanise you guys, God Bless you.

My impressions of lively US democracy are formed by movies like Frank Capra's. The US has changed a lot but enough of that spirit remains. Right now the US military is a shining beacon of old American values - I love 'em, I think much of the outside world does too but is embarrassed to say so.

WWII got the failing New Deal off the hook. Maybe now we finally have to face FDR's domestic failures, a long postponed house-cleaning. (In contrast with FDR's global leadership which was magnificent).