Business Leaders Worry Obama Has It in for Them

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Look up these authors and give them a read:
Friedrich Hayek
Ludwig von Mises
Milton Freedman
These are the Austrian School economists who basically argue against Socialism and for Free Markets. Their argument is basically that our freedoms are inherently economic, and that free markets are what allow for the development of new innovations that benefit us all. Socialism, on the other hand, is a reaction to the prosperity created by innovators and entrepreneurs, and the desire to take their wealth away from them on the grounds that "they're greedy". The result of Socialism's Egalitarianism is poverty for all, since they want to create a "Level Playing Field", but obviously not everyone can be rich. Therefore the logical conclusion, and the conclusion of their policies, is that everyone will be made poor, and Equal. Except of course the Political class who will have Power and Privilege as a result, which is the true goal. That is the Austrian School in a nut shell. And it does make a certain amount of sense, at least to me. Anyway, read for yourself and decide.

Joe Public of NY 11:48AM May 14, 2009

My husband and I own and operate a small business in Arizona. We employ 10 to 12 people and pay our share of taxes. We voted for Obama and both of us would do it again in a second.
I believe that President Obama believes in Capitalism, but with reasonable restraints on greed and malfeasance, unlike Republicans who believe in unfettered Capitalism and Devil Take the Hindmost. I know in my own mind I cannot operate a successful business in the long term if too many people in the world around me are too finacially sreapped to avail themselves of my services. If businesses continue to ship jobs overseas to pay sweatshop wages, if they continue to lavish rewards on those at the top to the detriment of all the rest, there will be no future customers for my business. I would much rather pay slightly higher taxes and have a government that cares about all of its citizens.

Phoenician Lady of AZ 10:05AM May 14, 2009

Dobbs and Frank and Obama's friends at Freddie and Fannie have destroyed my retirement plans - along with anyone else who attempted to pay their way and save for their future.
What I worry about more is the disastrous changes his Administration's plans will have on my childrens' families. They will not have the economic opportunities of prior generations, as everything will be taken in by the government and then doled out to all, based on their need.

JR Gordon of FL 12:21AM May 14, 2009

What do you expect from a trained community organizer. I just wonder how all those around him can take all this stuff and believe it. It must be the Chicago mentality.
Hold on to your hats your taxes are going up.......all 95%!

John Batista of OH 5:52PM May 13, 2009

Those remarks that indicate Obama is anti business are totally out of sync with the msjority of citizens. How can anyone believe he hates America when all the have to do is listen to Cheney and Limbaugh to find the real haters of America. They have done to America what the anti Americans have wanmted to do for years.

Wally of WI 2:26PM May 13, 2009

By destroying business ability to make money and bankrupting all the investors he can, he will have his way and we will all be dependant on his socialist state.
But who will pay the taxes? No one outside of government will have a job.

Charles Miller of FL 1:21PM May 13, 2009

President Obama must hate America and Americans! He and his government are plumiting our citizens and businesses to the ground!
I was talking to some people I know from another country the other day and asked them when they are coming to the US for a visit! They told me oh no we won't come down we heard your new government is trouble and turning your country into a fascist police state! They didn't think they could relax and enjoy a visit down here with all this tyranny and illegal corruption going on! So I guess our tourist business is going to be shot!
Yes President Obama gave us change alright, everything we don't want and loss of our rights and freedoms this is called being short changed!
God help us all!

Lee Ann of OK 9:58AM May 13, 2009

In a big picture sense I believe Obama is anti-business; but his background and life paradigm is such that I don't believe he thinks he is anti-business. To one who sees the Government as a benevolent master that always acts in the best interest of the whole, having the Government make decisions about winners and losers is not anti-business. In my world, it is.

Brad of TX 9:28AM May 13, 2009

Obama wants to run the Mortgage and Auto Industrys. He says that 'really, I don't want to run these industrys, but this is the hand I'm dealt', yet, when banks offer to pay the government back the TARP money that they don't want, Obama wont take it back. This is because Government wants to have it's tentacles on banking and be 'pulling the strings'.
GM,(soon to be known as Government Motors) should have gone into bankruptcy right away. We gave them all of this taxpayer money - for what??? They went into bankruptcy anyway. They had signed suicidal labor contracts that only bankruptcy would help them finally get out from under.
This country will never recover if the government goes on a crusade to make and push 'Green Cars' that no one wants, on to the public instead of listening to the market. This looks like what our "Auto Czar" is aiming to do, and it will be a flop as well. The government was at the root of the Financial Crisis as well. The government created the whole mortgage mess my mandating that 'everyone had a right' to own a home, and forced banks to write loans to people with poorer credit histories with the implied guarantee that they would back the bank if the loans went bad. Well judgement day is now here, and these same bureaucrats are going to help America get out of this mess- gimme a break!
Healthcare is the next industry that Obama wants to take over. This is what a Marxist does... he tells people that he is going to 'save us' from the created 'crisis' and then goes in and puts his strings and regulations on that industry. He will 'reeducate' us all so that this is more palatable as time goes on. Meanwhile all of the 'taken over' industries will stagnate in lack of innovation, and inefficency, as bureaucrats, who know nothing about those industries, run them into the ground. It's been proven that government does not run business well. Why this seems like such a good idea now is beyond me. When we all get fired from our jobs and have to work for Government or Obama USA Inc then I guess we will all march in step then. Obama isn't about just redistributing wealth in America, he's about destroying it.

mike williams of IL 8:41AM May 13, 2009

According to the testimony of two high-ranking Democrats and recently declassified CIA and Justice Department documents, the Bush White House failed to disclose the use of waterboarding until roughly half a year after it was first deployed. Other writers -- notably Marcy Wheeler -- have picked up on this timeline. But it is worth restating and highlighting again because, if accurate, it appears to constitute a violation of law by the former White House.
As documented by the Congressional Research Service, the President is required to ensure "that the congressional intelligence committees are kept 'fully and currently informed' of U.S. intelligence activities, including any 'significant anticipated intelligence activity.'" The basis of this is the 1991 Intelligence Authorization Act, which places a statutory obligation on the President to not just keep relevant committees "fully and currently informed" but to disclose "any significant anticipated intelligence activity."

mob_barley of WA 7:45PM May 12, 2009