Shocked & Disgusted

[Scandia]

May I be proven wrong about my concerns and skepticism about Obama.

But "spreading the wealth" does bother me quite a bit.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Bad logic based on a faulty assumption. . . .

Yeah, I pretty much agree with what you said about this.

Originally Posted by ZTAMich

One of the 4th graders I tutor said to me on Wednesday "My mommy says only people with your kind of skin voted for McCain and none of you voted for Obama."

I told her we shouldn't vote for people because of what they look like or if they are a man or a woman. We vote for the candidate whose ideas we agree with.

If it makes you feel any better, what you told your 4th grader is what my son (who was a 4th grader at the time) told his 1st grade sister. He wanted us to vote for Obama in the primary, she wanted us to vote for Clinton. I asked them each to tell me why, to try and convince me. My daughter said she wanted Hillary Clinton to win the primary because she was a woman. My son told her you don't vote for someone because they are a man or woman, or white or black, but for the one you think will do the best job.

I hope he'll never lose that ideal.

Originally Posted by Scandia

May I be proven wrong about my concerns and skepticism about Obama.

But "spreading the wealth" does bother me quite a bit.

If Warren Buffet, one of Obama's chief economic advisorss, isn't worried, I don't think anyone else needs to be either.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

My son told her you don't vote for someone because they are a man or woman, or white or black, but for the one you think will do the best job.

I hope he'll never lose that ideal.

He probably will. It's easy to say such things when you're a child whose social world is simple and innocent but even children learn differences early and operate based on them. As his parent, you'll know how to be realistic in your expectations of him while teaching him to do his best to hold true to that ideal.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

If Warren Buffet, one of Obama's chief economic advisors, isn't worried, I don't think anyone else needs to be either.

Yeah - I'm not sure this is such a glittering endorsement, since wealth distribution is primarily a social policy wrapped in dollar signs, although I do trust Buffet's ability to create and maintain wealth in a relatively stable market fashion.

I think the problem, for most people, is simply the term "redistribution of wealth" - the reality is that redistribution doesn't need to happen via taxation or social welfare, but rather through educational opportunity and access to jobs and resources, and that seems to be the crux of the Obama plan at this point. We'll see if it happens, but I feel like most people's fears are somewhat unfounded at this point.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

He probably will. It's easy to say such things when you're a child whose social world is simple and innocent but even children learn differences early and operate based on them. As his parent, you'll know how to be realistic in your expectations of him while teaching him to do his best to hold true to that ideal.

I know, and I'm ready to be realistic.

One of the pluses of Asperger's though, if a "plus" is the way to put it, is a certain indifference to what others think. Sometimes, that's a problem, but sometimes, not so much.

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Yeah - I'm not sure this is such a glittering endorsement, since wealth distribution is primarily a social policy wrapped in dollar signs, although I do trust Buffet's ability to create and maintain wealth in a relatively stable market fashion.

I think the problem, for most people, is simply the term "redistribution of wealth" - the reality is that redistribution doesn't need to happen via taxation or social welfare, but rather through educational opportunity and access to jobs and resources, and that seems to be the crux of the Obama plan at this point. We'll see if it happens, but I feel like most people's fears are somewhat unfounded at this point.

I actually agree with you -- the Warren Buffet reference was a little tongue-in-cheek. I actually had originally typed a longer post along the lines of what you said, but I tried to be pithy instead. Oh well.

I agree that the problem was the, as far as I know, relatively isolated use of the term "redistribution of wealth." Although I think that the context of what Obama said throughout the campaign lines up with what you describe (opportunity and access), the McCain campaign (understandably) used it to charge "Socialism." The Warren Buffet references ties to that -- whatever else one wants to say about him, I don't think anyone would accuse Warren Buffet of supporting socialism.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I think the problem, for most people, is simply the term "redistribution of wealth" - the reality is that redistribution doesn't need to happen via taxation or social welfare, but rather through educational opportunity and access to jobs and resources, and that seems to be the crux of the Obama plan at this point. We'll see if it happens, but I feel like most people's fears are somewhat unfounded at this point.

You said this perfectly.

Also, taxation and social welfare programs will still be necessary. I want Americans to become educated on what social welfare entails and who benefits from it. There are a lot of misconceptions that fuel the apprehension and fear. And I have yet to meet a nonindependtly wealth American who isn't who can say with 100% certainty that they will never need a social safety net. I hear people scoff at taxation and social welfare programs but they have needed, or will need due to unforeseen circumstances, unemployment checks or have no issue with people receiving social security checks. It's often just a perception that they deserve it because they are hardworking people who have fallen on unpredictably hard times. However, they always believed that social welfare is about recipients of AFDC and foodstamps who are lazy and undeserving moochers who would rather live off of everyone else instead of get their own resources.