Honor the sacrifices of businessmen
By Carolyn Muddiman Patterson
I write in regard to President Barack Obama’s Roanoke speech July 13. He stated that individuals do not start businesses; someone else deserves the credit. I write as the daughter of a deceased Roanoke native and businessman.
If my father did not start his West Church Avenue business after World War II, I would very much like to know the person who did. I cannot understand why my parents assumed the financial risks for this business when someone else is credited, by the president, with starting it.
Patterson, of Roanoke, is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and the University of Alabama.
August 13, 2012 - 6:17 AM
You graduated from two colleges and you believe the President actually said that “individuals do not start businesses; someone else deserves the credit“? Positively, blindly partisanly incredibly, apparently so.
Sandi, she is right. That is what the man said I heard it, could not believe he said it but that is what he said. When I get to the office at 6:00 AM and am still there at 8:00 that evening I keep wondering wherer Mr. Obama is since “he” started the business why is he not there helping out!
upp 8:00 PM
Michael, you are both using the partisan blinders (that seem to come in so handy). That is not what he said, it is not what he meant and it is not what he believes.
Of course Obama said that, he was echoing some of the seminal thoughts of the most noted political philosophers and writers who laid out the utopian vision — from Plato to Thomas More, Thomas Hobbes and Karl Marx — Completely in contrast to the vision of John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu and others whose ideas greatly influenced America’s founders.
Liberal utopianism is a fantasy of arrogant philosophers and philosopher kings who believe their vision is superior to those of other lowly mortals. They think of themselves as the “masterminds of a new socialist society” — the latest and most prominent being President Barack Obama and his cadre of utopian elitists. They believe they are proponents of enlightenment thinking and rationalism who could construct the ideal society if deniers and other obstructionists would just get out of their way. The government becomes the source of everything good in this brave new world…the ultimate resource – “You didn’t Buil That”, you must pay trbute to the all powerful government!
In reality, however, they couldn’t be more irrational, as they reject human nature, history and all empirical evidence that contradicts their vision. Indeed, “utopianism is regressive, irrational, and pre-Enlightenment.”
History and the whole of human experience be damned; utopians can achieve the ideal society even if all similar utopians who preceded them failed. They always believe that “what went before them” was “piecemeal and therefore inadequate. The steps necessary to achieve true utopianism have yet to be tried.”
As Plato argued in his “Republic,” utopians believe the individual must subordinate his will to the state. They must destroy individuality and individual liberty because those stand in opposition to the conformity their utopian vision demands.
Sorry, Sandi, but critical thinking and analysis seems to be a lost art. The President’s speech has been dissected and explained multiple times to explain what was meant (even though it was obvious); the President even has a commercial about it. But those who only hear what they want to hear, go with republican sound bites as their guide in life, don’t want to look at history or facts, won’t be swayed from their belief that Romney and all he stands for is the best thing for our country. Sad.
6…”Sorry, Sandi, but critical thinking and analysis seems to be a lost art.”
How do you think Obama was elected in the first place? He and his administration have been, and continue to be, a disaster for this country. All one has to do is turn those “critical thinking” skills on to see it.
Obama is a collectivist, pure and simple! You don’t own what you think you own. Prosperity must be shared by force. And he is not talking about a “safety net”!
Just old fashion big government socialism any way you read it!
#7 “How do you think Obama was elected in the first place?”
I’ll tell you how, Jimmy: Eight years of the most incompetent presidency in U.S. history showing the American public just what happens to this nation when your beloved Republicans are in charge, including a completely unnecessary war in Iraq, a ruined economy resulting from banking deregulation and cutting taxes on the rich, and diminished national prestige, among many other things. THAT’S how, Jim.
Oh please…Obama was elected because many voters saw it as merely an “American Idol” style popularity contest, and the opportunity to make history.
That, and a bunch of liberal talking points like the ones that Stevie uses above. Critical thinking and analysis had nothing to do with it.
Keep thinking that The Other Rick, and when he wins again, what will you blame that on?
#5 “O brave new world! That has such people in it.”
11 – After the last 3 long hard years of massive unemployment, record setting stimulus spending that has stimulated nothing (other than union coffers, Obama political cronies and an unprecedented rise in our national debt)…rising prices, a weakened dollar…and continued lack of confidence in our economy…
When it comes to the economy and his record, Obama’s new slogan is “Hope and change…the subject”. He’s running an attack campaign built on class warfare, because it’s all he has left. That, and the inevitable race card which will undoubtedly be played.
11 – Oh, and to answer your question…IF he wins again, it will be because too many independent voters fall for his divisive class warfare rhetoric.
I sincerely don’t think that will be the case this time. Obama has a record now. A record of failure when it comes to the economy – the biggest issue in this election.