As The Obamas & The Ultra-Wealthy Live The High Life Most Americans Are Going Through Economic Hell

Heh-heh, this is a nice little summary of our latest hypocrit-in-chief's slick-talking double-speak and absolute JOKE of saying one thing to the masses, then doing another in his own lavish lifestyle.

Not to play favorites, this is the status quo for the last SEVERAL corpo-bankster-M.I.C. puppets, including GWB, who spent more time GOLFING than he did working.

But this just again serves what total HYPOCRITS our silver-spoon-in-mouth "leaders" truly are, and how ENTIRELY out of touch they are with the average citizen, despite their flowery rhetoric.

Yeah, struggling families need to cut back, while you and your cronies get wined, dined, and lavishly "vacationed" all over the planet, at our expense, and you continue to hand over more and more of our tax-dollars to your Wall Street Bankster buddies.

Now I will duck for cover as the latest apologists and excusists come into this thread to flame me asunder.

Barack Obama recently made the following statement to American families that are struggling to survive in this economy: "If you’re a family trying to cut back, you might skip going out to dinner, or you might put off a vacation." A few days after making that statement Obama sent his wife and children off on yet another vacation, this time to a luxury ski hotel in Vail, Colorado. But the Obamas are not the only ones enjoying the high life. Wealthy corporate executives and greedy Wall Street fatcats insist that profit margins are too tight to hire more American workers, and yet sales of luxury cars, private jets and vacation homes are soaring. Meanwhile, most American families are going through economic hell right now. In 2010, more Americans than ever before were living below the poverty line. Over 4 million Americans have been unemployed for more than a year, and over 5 million Americans are at least two months behind on their mortgage payments. As the Obamas and wealthy corporate executives jet off to fancy ski resorts, half of all American workers are earning $505 or less per week and 55 percent of American families are living paycheck to paycheck. Something is very wrong with this picture.

So is there anything wrong with working hard and enjoying the fruits of success? Of course not, as long as it was done honestly and not on the backs of the American taxpayers. But the truth is that many of the corporate executives that are enjoying luxury vacations right now would not even have companies to run if the American taxpayers had not stepped in and bailed them out during the financial crisis. Thanks to the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve, Wall Street bankers and top corporate executives are once again enjoying bonuses that most of us would consider obscene.

Meanwhile, most of the rest of the country is suffering very deeply.

Over the past several decades, the biggest financial institutions and the biggest corporations have worked really hard to "fix" the rules of the game in their favor. The truth is that our economy is no longer a "free market" capitalist system. Rather, what we have now is more accurately described as "corporatism" or "neo-feudalism". The big corporations dominate almost everything, and whatever they don't dominate the government does.

One of the key features of a "corporatist" system is that it tends to funnel all the wealth to the very top.

Back in 1976, the top 1 percent of earners in the United States took in 8.9 percent of all income. By 2007, that number had risen to 23.5 percent.

Ouch.

There are two different Americas today. There is the America of the gated communities, the private planes and the good life, and there is the America of declining wages, thrift stores and rising desperation.

What is saddest of all is that the most vulnerable people in society often suffer the most from all of this.

According to one recent study, approximately 21 percent of all children in the United States were living below the poverty line in 2010.

Do you think that the Obamas are thinking about any of this while they are enjoying their stay at a luxury ski hotel in Vail, Colorado?

The truth is that leadership is not just about words. Leadership is about setting an example.

Back in August, Michelle Obama took her daughter Sasha and 40 of her friends for a vacation in Spain.

So what was the bill to the taxpayers for that little jaunt across the pond?

It is estimated that vacation alone cost U.S. taxpayers $375,000.

Hey, Barack Obama won the most votes in 2008 and so if he wants his family to get as much enjoyment out of these four years as they can that is his prerogative.

However, if he wants to tell American families that they "might put off a vacation" after all the vacations that the Obamas have taken over the past two years then he is just being a massive hypocrite.

According to the New York Post, Barack Obama enjoyed a total of 10 separate vacations that stretched over a total of 90 vacation days during the years of 2009 and 2010.

During his first two years in office, he also managed to play 29 rounds of golf.

Oh, but it is the rest of us that have to cut back on our vacations.

But it is not just the Obamas that are enjoying the high life right now.

The wealthy have recovered nicely from the "recession" and now they are spending money by the gobs once again.

According to Moody's Analytics, the wealthiest 5% of households in the United States account for approximately 37% of all consumer spending.

Life is very good in America if you have got enough money.

Continued:

theeconomiccollapseblog.com...

Isn't this how it's SUPPOSED to work? Capitalism: The rich live lavish lifestyles, while the poor can goto...

It was no different during the Bush administration, however the debt is finally catching up with us, and now the rich can go live on a tropical island while the rest of us fight over peices of moldy bread.

This isn't true capitalism. It's monopolist.

True capitalism is based upon true competition, which lowers prices and increases quality of product.

This fake controlled monopolist style capitalism, is much closer to fascism, which is technically defined as corporate interests taking control of state mechanisms to improve corporate profitabilities.

If we are so capitalist, why is there typically only one choice for electric company no matter which state I move to? Why is there only one choice for waste removal? Why is there only one choice for my gas company?

And when I do finally get 2 or 3 choices, why are all their prices the same? Why the price fixing tactics?

Why are so called "community co-ops" acting just like a corporate monopoly, overcharging everyone in the community many times higher than market prices?

I could go on forever. This isn't a Free Market. This isn't Laissez Faire.
This is a Monopoly. This is a Controlled Market.

Why is there a "Crisis of Creativity"? I'll tell you exactly why.
Because true competition creates true innovation and improves efficiency.

When you control everything through all of these manipulative practices, you squander creativity and innovation because there is no real benefit from doing it. No incentive. You will do better just copying someone...JUST LIKE IT IS RIGHT NOW!

Hey, Obama is just trying to help out the economy. He is out spending money.

You should be happy

Well this thread is what I've been saying all along...but its not just Obama doing it either, its also every president in the past, say....20 years. Its sickening to see friends and family, who once flourished, made the right choices in life, lose it all because of corporatism. My grandfather worked his entire life, and was " savy " in the market. When he retired then passed, he left my grandmother +700k to survive on. When the economy crashed, POOF, all gone. Now she waits for her social security check to survive on, not counting what my dad and his siblings contribute.
80 years old, and surviving off of social security. And its many people like that who are " staying " afloat. But thats not what our older generations deserve....build this country to what it once was, only to have it jerked out from underneath them....including their money vested.

" Hey thanks for building this country but uh......F YOU! "

Sickening...absolutely sickening!

Originally posted by v1rtu0s0
Isn't this how it's SUPPOSED to work? Capitalism: The rich live lavish lifestyles, while the poor can goto...

That's not Capitalism.

Capitalism means that YOU AND I have an opportunity to get into the market and make something of ourselves.

These fascists have used the Government to pass all kinds of regulatory legislation that has made it all but impossible to start a legitimate business in almost any sector.

We have been pushed out of the market on entrepreneurship, and are relegated to either becoming a Corporate Slave or starving to death (almost, not quite yet).

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


it is hypocritical. don't worry about the people flaming you. They just have to realize that it doesnt matter who is in that position, its the same thing.

us against them

its just not right that he takes all these trips, especially his family, and I am also very sick of hearing about what designer dress michelle obama is wearing (a little off topic) but why does she get to wear these fancy frocks, and most people now have to shop at thrift stores ( I for one would rather thrift but thats another story)

my family has never had money. so I never really been on vacation ha. and i never go out to eat, because i don't eat GM food, and there isn't an organic restaurant by me.

SO WHAT DO I CUT OUT NOW HYPOBAMA? hmmm

im working poor, and with the way things are now, I wonder if i will ever be able to move out on my own again.

sorry I am ranting. but i totally agree with what your post said

It makes one wonder, just who watched the movie " V " for Vendetta, and instead of taking the revolution aspect of it, saw the dictatorship/tyrannical , and authoritarian aspect of it, and thought " hey? this would be a good idea! "?

I griped earlier today about old Teddy Roosevelt being a tyrant.

Well now I will paint him as a good guy. (Because we are all good/bad guys in the end).

At least Teddy knew what a Monopoly was. And at least he knew they needed to be busted.

Oh how I long for the days of trust-busting to return and break up these monopolistic sycophants.

reply to post by muzzleflash

That's not Capitalism.

Capitalism means that YOU AND I have an opportunity to get into the market and make something of ourselves.

These fascists have used the Government to pass all kinds of regulatory legislation that has made it all but impossible to start a legitimate business in almost any sector.

I had that opportunity, and I took it...and it's working...even in these rough economic times.


Don't blame the entire system on your own personal inability to start up a business.

They ain't having no problem loading up their friends and heading oversees at our expense. Front row 50 yrd line of the super bowl. Embarrassing.

So, how do we make the money that they hold dear to their hearts useless and meaningless to them?

Remember what Jefferson's cautionary words:

about confidence in men: we should be on our guard against our government officials, binding them down from the mischief by the chains of the Constitution.

Those words never drove it home back then...but now?.....now its revolutionary!

This whole thing is sickening. I don't normally keep up on the obamas vacations and had no idea what was being spent. I do remember pres. obama telling people to cut back though..it just make my head spin. I feel so angry, so frustrated that I don't know what to do?

Personally, I would like to see the lot of them strung up..bankers and all. When is it going to end?

Ok, Lost my job..check= ( found a new one, but thats beside the point..humor me)
Lost my wife...check
Lost my house...check
cant afford a cup of coffee....check
vacation? lol...check
Ramen noodles for dinner again...check
Watch DVD's cuz I can't afford tv..check


Hmmmm?......what else can I cut out?

I'm really disappointed in you this time Dimentional Detective. Usually your threads are very thought out and hit the right "nerve," but this one should go to the RANT section. While I agree with your basic argument, the quote from Obama is taken out of context.

This is the full quote:

“Just like every family in America, the federal government has to do two things at once. It has to live within its means while still investing in the future. If you’re a family trying to cut back, you might skip going out to dinner, you might put off a vacation. But you wouldn’t want to sacrifice saving for your kids’ college education or making key repairs in your house. So you cut back on what you can’t afford - to focus on what you can’t do without.”

Just trying to keep you on point. He was explaining something completely different that what you are ranting on.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


Most Americans are NOT going through "economic hell" unless you think that 10% unemployment equals most Americans. Are some Americans struggling? Yes. Is it the fault of the government? No. The government didn't lay them off, their employers did.

Look around. Swing by a movie theater on a weekend and see that packed parking lot of people spending 12 bucks a piece to watch a movie. Turn on your television and pick a sporting event. Sold out.

For all of the garbage people here think are conspiracies, the "recession" is the biggest conspiracy of them all. Most of America is just fine, and to blame people that are better off than you for your problems is complete b.s. I worked hard to get the education required to make the money I do. It's more than some and less than some. It isn't my fault, or anyone elses, that others don't make the same or more than I do.

Originally posted by usernameconspiracy
reply to post by DimensionalDetective

 

Most Americans are NOT going through "economic hell" ...

I worked hard to get the education required to make the money I do.

I hear Vail is nice around Christmas and New Years usernameconspiracy.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


our society is living a Marie Antionette moment, let them eat cake.

notice how all the talking heads on tv news now make millions for salary?
they are all bought off so that they will not identify with the peasants.

and our Congress will not allow any new taxes on corporations or hedge funds billionaires, but can't wait to trash the elderly by raising their medicare deductible.
hell, some of those old ladies make a thousand a month, they can afford to pay another one hundred.

and GE makes 14 billion in profit, pays no taxes and get 3 billion from the IRS.

and i wonder why millions of americans will celebrate when this financial system goes down.
our politicians are as useless as anything previous civilizations ever came up with.

history shows they will self destruct, it's the world's biggest hope.

Originally posted by usernameconspiracy
reply to post by DimensionalDetective

 

Most Americans are NOT going through "economic hell" unless you think that 10% unemployment equals most Americans.

The hell they aren't. Yea, people are not squatting in a hole. Most are trying to continue some semblence of the life they thought they had. But virtually everyone has lost the quity in their homes (which has historically been the single largest source of wealth for families). And if you really believe the unemployemnt rate is 10% you clearly have never actually read the 'jobs report'. The functional unemployment rate after all the number juggling is removed is closer to 25%. And some age/ethnic cohorts are far, far worse off. That is the fact.

And how did they get there? because they're not smart enough or ambitious enough to start their own businesses? No, because the government that 'We The People' entrusted to regulate and guard our economic and banking systems sold us out to the Wealthy-Elite and those aholes tanked the system out of simple, unbridled greed. We then got to bail them out (either through the bailouts or the under-the-table trillions of dollars in Fed 'loans') and they then coninued their decased long consenctration of wealth into the upper 3%. You personally may be doing OK at the moment but just wait. You're turn is coming as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow.