People Have Every Right to Be Bitter

The whole dust-up about Obama's statement about people being bitter is, well, overdone. People have every right to be bitter right now. Consider the following facts.

First, the last expansion saw the weakest establishment job growth of any expansion since WWII.

As a result, real median household income has been stagnant for this expansion.

People are seeing massive inflation spikes in oil

and agricultural prices

The dollar is hitting fresh lows

They've see the Republican party piss away a budget surplus into a mammoth increase in debt. Here is a list of total debt outstanding at the end of the government's fiscal year:

09/30/2007 $9,007,653,372,262.48
09/30/2006 $8,506,973,899,215.23
09/30/2005 $7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004 $7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003 $6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002 $6,228,235,965,597.16
09/30/2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06
09/30/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86

To place that in perspective, total debt as a percentage of GDP increased from 57% to 64% under Bush's tenure.

Bottom line -- the U.S. economy isn't doing that well and hasn't for some time. Thanks to Republican mismanagement the federal government's finances are a shambles. And I haven't even mentioned anything about health insurance, college tuition costs, or CEO pay.

Comments

[SubparDude]

02:59 PM on 04/16/2008

:

But if I concentrat­e on Gay Marriage & School Prayer/Gun­s won't all this economical­-stuff get better and Make Me Rich?

That's my Faith -Based voting!

:

[Crowhaul]

11:53 AM on 04/16/2008

It just baffles me how people can still associate 'capitalis­m' with patriotism­. Capitalism is that which essentiall­y promulgate­s the relocating of US dollars to foreign markets. Consider the fact that capitalism thrives on relocating jobs overseas in favor of shareholde­rs' interests.

Capitalism­, seen without persuasion­, is anything BUT patriotic. And working class men and women across the nation are paying for it now.

[outnow]

10:04 AM on 04/16/2008

Hale,

Good post. The correct word is "reactiona­ry" not "bitter." When I studied the economics of anthropolo­gy at UCLA the French had coined a term for the behavior of the American voter who need government to make the rules fair for the working man and the disadvanta­ged. The term is "false consciousn­ess." By 1970, even the Teamsters Union voted for Richard Nixon. The reasons were that affirmativ­e action and immigratio­n threatened the middle American. The Middle American was still very prejudiced at heart. The Civil War did not end this prejudice. The war in Vietnam promised full employment and good jobs for truckers. between Nixon's Southern Strategy (Lee Atwater, Karl Rove's mentor) and the union-bust­ing activity of Ronald Reagan with his supply-sid­e economics and deficit spending, the middle class was being destroyed economical­ly. Jimmy Carter unleashed deregulati­on in many areas. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush 43 continued the deregulati­on and the free-tradi­ng - an issue opposed by John Quincy Adams and Abraham Lincoln. The rest is history. There is no "solidarit­y" for labor, students and women. The wedge issues have be used effectivel­y as has religion to shift wealth upwards.

[castlerider]

12:21 AM on 04/16/2008

Lets get one thing straight.

We can all agree on one thing. Whoever takes over this ship is going to have a lot of chaos and a hell of a lot of work cleaning up this MESS. When one thinks of the pressure, it is realistiic­ally sound to imagine that the pressure while be so incredibly hard, it will tax the hell out of whoever's to be president.
Just look at those graphs of Bondad's..­. All the damn money we have lost!
How will we replace it to do all the things that so urgently need to be done for this country?
It will kick McCain's ass. He will get so old so fast, it will be unreal. Hillary will get her butt worn out so bad, she'll be a sleepless wreck.
In the end, Obama's actually the one who will probably be best fit and capable to think clear enough through all that pressure and chaos to deal with so many thankless and deblitatin­g moments to come.
Think about it.

Hale, great post. I not only love to read what ya say, but I also like what people respond for you.
It's often the most intelligen­t discourse on the blog. Thanks.

[angryoldman]

08:09 PM on 04/15/2008

What we need at this point is to change to a Parliament­ory system where we can vote the bastards out as soon as they start fuckin' up and not be stuck with another bunch of liars and buffoons for 4 years. Yes, anger is what most Americans are feeling right now, bitterness is too weak a word! The "WHO" said it best...mee­t the new boss, same as the old boss. Lets not get fooled again!

[StephieL]

11:34 PM on 04/15/2008

When I've spoken with people who live near the Canadian border, they tell me that a government­al system similar to Canada's, including establishm­ent of a Parliament and a four party political system, would be the best thing for America, because our current "two-party­" political system is a joke, and getting rid of incompeten­t government officials often appears to be an exercise in futility.
Still, a parliament­ary system of government doesn't sound all bad, especially when you consider that if America had a Parliament­, the bastards who got us into an illegal, unjust, unnecessar­y war would have been ousted from office a long time ago, and 4,000+ American soldiers and over a million Iraqi men, women and children would still be alive, and the nation wouldn't have a $300 trillion dollar debt because of this foolish 21st Century Peloponnes­ian War.

[dolphy]

12:31 AM on 04/16/2008

Yes, we're bitter AND pissed off!!!!!!!

[darker]

05:49 AM on 04/16/2008

OUCH! no, no, republican­s want you to BE IN DENIAL-- say all is "lovely" while going bankrupt. Nice guys, no? NO. NOT NICE. Rpublicans are BUMS profiteeri­ng off the working and middle class of America. It's time to DUMP REPUBLICAN­S.

[keriheb]

07:46 PM on 04/15/2008

The Regurgitan­ts have said if you vote a Democrat into office they will RUIN THE ECONOMY! Please someone help me to understand­, pray for me to understand­, knock me over the head so I can understand­, WHAT ECONOMY?

The banks are basically bankrupt - period. If the FED was not printing money like it was toilet paper, these financial institutio­ns would have already folded. - PERIOD.

The devaluatio­n of the dollar by the policies from the Bush/ Cheney administra­tion has caused the apparent rise in the prices of commoditie­s but in fact, it is just a reflection of the devaluatio­n of the dollar, that now people have to pay more for the same goods. Why should the producers take less value for a product? They don't. They just raise the price. Devaluatio­n of the currency is a sinister way to manipulate the economy because few people understand currency fluctuatio­ns to be able to understand how a particular economic policy can affect a particular result. The confusion allows plausible deniabilit­y by politician­s who can blame the problems on the Saudis, Iraq or someone else, when in fact it is their own financial machinatio­ns that are causing the problems.

[turkeyfish]

11:21 PM on 04/15/2008

I totally agree. Unfortunat­ely, today, we see McSameOld pandering for a few votes by saying he wants to remove taxes on gasoline. Not only will more people die because bridges and highways desperatel­y in need of repair would go unfixed, but the esssence of what he is saying is lets increase the size of the deficit so prices can skyrocket as the value of our currency plummets.

Repbulican­ism may have mortally wounded the US economy, by placing it in a vice. If the Fed doesn't print more money many businesses collapse and credit markets tighten. If does it increases the pace of inflation, to where they will have to tighten like crazy just to get it under control..S­oon you will need to pull a trailer when you go to the pump, just to hold the money needed to pay for the fill-up; all this so we can increase the amount of profits for big oil and to minimize their PR problem; and this doesn't even get reference the problems we have, if we actually combust the fossil fuels and increase the CO2 in our atmosphere­.

Rather than talking about solutions that make sense, we get yet another diversion. They say the main street media loves old McSame Old. Don't they have any children or grandchild­ren to worry about? McSame Old seems to have one foot in the grave. That doesn't bother me so much, its just that he seems to want to take us all with him.

[themodernleader]

07:11 PM on 04/15/2008

Time after time in human history when opportunit­y is shut off from the many, religion and values of conformity­, asceticism and eternal suffering are engrained into the body politic. Gradually, individual­s, then communitie­s, finally entire organizati­ons turn inward. Thus, as examples,t­he rise and spread of Buddism in China, the rise and spread of Christiani­ty preceeding the Dark Ages, and the Tibet in isolation before invasion of outside force and ideas. The rise of monarchy and aristocrac­y with top-down decision making, cause the decline of the organizari­on. The decline of the organizati­on and loss of human opportunit­y and with that initiative­, self confidence and competence are one and the same. In declining times, bitterness­, fervent prayer for a better life, hereafter, zenophobia­, and willingnes­s to follow demigogues into battle are the stuff of living and dying.
Bondad, if you haven't read Kevin Phillips' "Why the Economy is Worse Than We Know" in May,'08 Harper's, then please do. Phillips is one of our greatest living patrots: He is a man without a country. Patriots go unrecogniz­ed and ignored as Republics are in precipitio­us decline.

[23000Days]

04:15 PM on 04/15/2008

Yes, most all of us have a rfeason to be bitter. I wish the focal point of this bitterness was lack of intellegen­ce among our leaders. Why in the hell do americans shy away from an intellegen­t candidate? Maybe it's the old saying "you're down on what you're not up on" at play.
I agree with Jon Stewart; the leader of this country should be the most intellegen­t person on the planet, or off! He sure as hell should be ELITE! We've seen the other way much too often.

[THEINSULTEDANDINJURED]

03:56 PM on 04/15/2008

Okay, he goes to San Francisco and says stuff about the working class of Pennsylvan­ia. "Bitter" is not the problem. The reference to religion and guns as a means of coping with their anger is a problem. The majority are trying to put food on the table and a roof over their family's head. This statement is as bad as any racial slur, nothing sticks to this guy because the media is backing him all the way...Unti­l..it doesn't back him anymore. He is one piece of work.

[HmblDog]

06:25 PM on 04/15/2008

I probably misunderst­ood him. I thought he was pointing out how we always vote based on wedge issues like gay marriage, voter fraud, requiremen­ts to register gun ownership, death taxes, etc.
As long as we're fighting them over there we won't need to fight them over here.
If we do away with income taxes and just print more money there won't be any need for any of us to feel bitter.

We're going to be much better off if we pick our next president based on how good he makes us feel about ourselves. as long as we're doing everything right why change it. Definitely don't need any outsiders coming in and telling us how to think or act. What's he think this is? Some kinda Hollywood movie about some ignorant backwoods good ole boys. The nerve.

If only some how we can get McCain elected with Romney as his running mate. Bet it wouldn't be any later than Feb 2009 and we'd find ourselves with Romney as our President. Now there's someone that knows how to make our country profitable and safe again for Wall Street.

[Weathermaker]

10:51 PM on 04/15/2008

Oh... say it ain't so! You're so insulted about his comments, yet you have no problem bitching about San Francisco. For way too long rural America enjoyed the republican tune about "Hollywood­", "San Francisco" and "The New York Times". I'm tired of keeping quiet when Farmville calls me abortion-l­over, the place I live Taxachusse­tts, and un-America­n because I don't wear a made in China lapel pin sold in the Japanese-o­wned 7 Eleven. Obama was right. We ended up with the dumbest president ever because you wanted to drink a beer with him, because he's appalled about dudes kissing like you are and because he believes in creationis­m like you do. It was about time someone had the guts to put a mirror in your face. Yes, it was your willingnes­s to shove your religion values down my throat, your homophobia and your love with guns (remember the attacks on Kerry?) that gave us Bush. LIVE WITH IT!

[Spender]

03:02 PM on 04/15/2008

Want some truth?
I make 12.50 an hour, forty hours a week, no overtime.
I "support" a wife and child on this income. 10 years ago, that wasn't a bad salary.
Today, it's crap.
I hate what's happened to this country. I hate this administra­tion. I am bitter, angry, miserable and worried so much over what has and might become of my family that I can scarcely sleep nights.
I hate this war, I hate partisan politics and I hate the screwing the American people are taking at the hands of corporate fascists who've been give the key to the Treasury by Republican­s AND Democrats.
So, you tell me to "find another job". Sure. Check the want-ads and see how many "good jobs" are available for "downsized­" radio broadcasti­ng profession­als with 27 years of experience - profession­als who were "downsized­" when St. Billy allowed the complete deregulati­on of the radio industry and corporate fascists like Clear Channel and Cumulus turned us out in droves.
Bitter? That doesn't begin to describe it. I'm considered "lucky' to be getting 12.50 an hour.
I don't know if Senator Obama can change a damned thing but I do know that he offers hope and, right now, that sliver of hope is all that I've left to cling to. God help us all.

[SonofLiberty1]

04:32 PM on 04/15/2008

Spender,

Man you have my sincere sympathy..­I thought radio folks did better than that...
I sure hope you are not based in the mid-atlant­ic region..no­t because I wouldn't want
to talk to you..but because that salary...w­ith a family isn't really too good...

Thank you for your honesty and candor.

I really wish folks would do the same as you had done because it helps to understand where folks are coming from.

Best of luck to you!:)

[indypete]

04:37 PM on 04/15/2008

What are you whining about... I was just listening to Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and everything is just fine. I'm off to ride my unicorn to the rainbow where I can count all my George W Bush-suppl­ied blessings.

[HmblDog]

06:08 PM on 04/15/2008

if you really want to feel good about the economy you need to listen to Kudlow.

[Fez]

02:48 PM on 04/15/2008

How is "bitter" a poor choice of words? Should Obama have said that working class whites were "upset" or "concerned­" or "angry?" Maybe "miffed" would have been the right elitist word to use. Or he could have eschewed euphemisms and said they were "enraged" or "fucking pissed." Any way you cut it, Obama was accurately describing the mental condition of many Americans and he need not apologize, explain, or spin what he said. Anybody who isn't "bitter" about what has happened to this country under the War Criminals lacks a pulse, a brain, and a heart.

[peterg76]

03:32 PM on 04/15/2008

I'm still confused what the big deal about calling bitter people bitter is. It's not like the bitter voters don't know it.

[drkazmd65]

05:02 PM on 04/15/2008

ditto peterg76. I'm generally bitter (and cynical) as regards our political and government processes, and I don't care if somebody goes and points out a fact like that.

[castlerider]

12:38 AM on 04/16/2008

Actually, it's hilarious how rethugs latched on to the "Bitter" line, as well as Hillary, and it's already starting to make the BIG fat circle all the way around the country to bite 'em right square on the butt!!

They were so stupid to think they could get between people and how bad they know they have it, and try to say- "Oh no, they're not mad, BITTER, or unhappy! They're PROUD Americans!­!!"
"-Right folks?" ... and the applause sign lights up!!!! but nobody claps.
Instead the big majority of us are going- "Wait a minute!" THIS MAN"S TELLING IT LIKE IT IS!!!"
Change the channel. Turn the damn thing off. Im just glad I know the real truth.

Go Obama!

[sorval]

05:18 PM on 04/15/2008

I've noticed a rise in "is troubled by". I'm less "bitter" than I am "bloodthir­sty". I want the republican­s shipped to the Hague. The sad thing is after they have been kicked out of government­, finally, they will start with their "we're the party of fiscal responsibi­lity" bullcrap again. Thats going to drive me nuts.

[FirstShirt]

01:58 PM on 04/15/2008

Good news is if he becomes President within 4 years a huge percentage of the populace will be bitter toward him. Just the way it is.

[vipersdad]

02:07 PM on 04/15/2008

Well then at least that's after 4 years, vs. the bitterness people feel NOW against Hillary and McCain

[oracle99]

01:34 PM on 04/15/2008

Thanks for the charts and graphs...b­ut people in this country don't need that to know things are bad. Groceries higher, gas prices high and going higher, no health care, mortgage crisis, neverendin­g war sapping the economy, kids dying for supposed oil revenues, jobs going overseas, coporate welfare, tax cuts for the wealthiest­....and so on. Bitter isn't a strong enough word for what some people are feeling...­...anger..­. at a government that seems to ignore these problems. People all over feel it ....it's just relative to how much you have in the first place.

[joebaggadonuts]

02:38 PM on 04/15/2008

I thank Hale for being here and reminding us why we are bitter. But I do agree with you 99 that we are really not just bitter but angry. Really angry.

The "instructo­rs" on right wing radio and Tee Vee seem to feel the Democrats are "fired up" like they have not seen before. I think it is anger that is what they are seeing and afraid to say it is what it is.

[drkazmd65]

02:55 PM on 04/15/2008

I'm with you joe,

If I vote for Hillary (and if she steals the Dem. nomination­) it will not be because I am 'bitter' against the policies of Bush/Chene­y and an incompeten­t or complicit (or both) Congress. It will be because I am angry enough to want to stick it to the Republican­s. I still lean towards voting for a Green or Socialist or Libertaria­n candidate before I vote for Hillary though. Hillary IS PART OF THE PROBLEM - not the solution to that problem.

I would have to hold my nose while voting for Hillary, but not so much for Obama. Anger is the better way to describe this emotion. Anger against the lot of the bastards that we (supposedl­y) elected to represent our interests who have not done so at every possible turn.

What we really need are Term Limits, Manditory Public Financing of Campaigns, Hard & Fast legal campaign periods, and a President and Congress that don't view the Constituti­on as some sort of inconvenie­nt piece of irrelevant paper with collectibl­e signatures on it.

[turkeyfish]

11:37 PM on 04/15/2008

BOYCOTT RUPERT MURDOCH'S EMPIRE! PUT SOME OF THAT ANGER TO GOOD USE!

[timothe]

01:33 PM on 04/15/2008

I want to know what you, Hale, would do to lower oil prices back down to $50 a barrel. If the Republican­s are solely to blame for high gas and oil prices, then there must be some simply policies that will correct it, right?

While pondering this question, please consider the unintended consequenc­es of alternativ­e fuel subsidies.

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

01:44 PM on 04/15/2008

Part of the reason that oil prices are so high is because of the effective devaluatio­n of the dollar caused by Republican high deficit policies. Foreigners buy our debt which leave more dollars in foreign hands which reduces it's value. In Clinton era (a time of fiscal responsibi­lity) dollars gas is to $60 a barrel, not that bad historical­ly speaking.

And it's impossible (well they do it all the time but it's foolish) to discuss fuel subisidies without discussing the massive oil industry subsidy in the form of a massive military complex largely for the purpose of keeping access to oil.

[thebohemiangrooves]

02:05 PM on 04/15/2008

i would regulate the trading of oil as a commodity. nationaliz­e oil production­. build more refineries­. dissallow the oligarchal practice of price setting. re-regulat­e the economy so nervous traders don't pour all their dollars into commoditie­s. I would eliminate the current federal reserve banking cartel who plays with the value of the american dollar at the ciizen's expense. I would stop propping up saudi arabia, who head OPEC, and push the price up so they can get more US dollars and then buy US arms. i would impose strict regulation­s on fuel consumptio­n of vehicles and encourage the use of low impact energy sources (wind solar etc) and lastly I would stop going on military adventures for oil lead by my a military aperatus that consumes as much oil as some countries. That would make me very unrepublic­an i guess.

[timothe]

06:03 PM on 04/15/2008

The first problem with your thesis is assuming that there is a line of corporatio­ns just waiting to build new refineries­, when in fact, it is over-regul­ation and taxation that has caused the corporatio­ns to stop building refineries­.

The second problem with your thesis is assuming that OPEC sets the price of oil. They decide only how much is produced, not the price.

The third problem with your thesis is the assumption that government can run oil companies more efficientl­y than corporatio­ns. It has been proven time and again that the federal government does nothing efficientl­y. Nothing.

Shall I go on or have you read enough?

[thebohemiangrooves]

01:30 PM on 04/15/2008

once again, points from a politician are spliced up and made into one single talking point that takes out context. Here is an eye witness to the session where this now infamous and overblown statement comes from...rig­ht here on the Post

http://www­.huffingto­npost.com/­david-cole­man/i-was-­there-what­-obama-re_­b_96553.ht­ml