Simply Outrageous.
I agree with ThinkProgress that President Bush's speech today was perplexing (to say the least), but this gem takes the cake:
I can't believe he managed to say that and not get booed of the stage; truly the title "President of the United States" make you immune to even the most outrageous proclamations.
Our country is full of stories of rich and weathly Americans who got their start because of the government, whether it was by manipulating the laws or just getting cash. Bush obviously never used "the Goggle" to search "free government grants." Now keep in mind by "free" they mean "you have to follow certain guidelines," but those guidelines are so various it's hard to argue that getting the cash you need is impossible. And let's not forget the infamous "no-bid contracts," which only help to make the rich even richer.
I would say that the US government has done more to create wealth for (specific) individuals than it has done to encourage entrepreneurship. The way I see it, "entrepreneurship" would be someone saying, "The Government isn't filling this need for the public; I'll do it!" That has happened, but there have been times that government has encouraged businesses and ideas, and there are times where the government has destroyed and buried businesses and ideas. What the government accepts and rejects depends on who's running the government and whether the business is "socially acceptable." I mean, it's cool to sell cigarettes but not crack. C'mon.
For President Bush to imply that (1) the government did not help any of the rich and wealthy in America get their first check, and that (2) the government lets anybody who wants to get their chance to make some cash is as dishonest as his claim that he was for the SCHIP program when he was governor of Texas (he wasn't).
I want to talk a little bit about the environment necessary to continue economic growth. The job of this government is not to try to create wealth. The job of the government is to create fiscal policy such that people feel inspired or confident in risking capital. In other words, the job of government is to create an environment that encourages entrepreneurship. One of the issues that we're going to be facing in Washington, D.C. is how to spend your money. In other words, what do we do with the good money that we've -- the good money we've collected? How do we spend it?
I can't believe he managed to say that and not get booed of the stage; truly the title "President of the United States" make you immune to even the most outrageous proclamations.
Our country is full of stories of rich and weathly Americans who got their start because of the government, whether it was by manipulating the laws or just getting cash. Bush obviously never used "the Goggle" to search "free government grants." Now keep in mind by "free" they mean "you have to follow certain guidelines," but those guidelines are so various it's hard to argue that getting the cash you need is impossible. And let's not forget the infamous "no-bid contracts," which only help to make the rich even richer.
I would say that the US government has done more to create wealth for (specific) individuals than it has done to encourage entrepreneurship. The way I see it, "entrepreneurship" would be someone saying, "The Government isn't filling this need for the public; I'll do it!" That has happened, but there have been times that government has encouraged businesses and ideas, and there are times where the government has destroyed and buried businesses and ideas. What the government accepts and rejects depends on who's running the government and whether the business is "socially acceptable." I mean, it's cool to sell cigarettes but not crack. C'mon.
For President Bush to imply that (1) the government did not help any of the rich and wealthy in America get their first check, and that (2) the government lets anybody who wants to get their chance to make some cash is as dishonest as his claim that he was for the SCHIP program when he was governor of Texas (he wasn't).
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