[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
The Obama Administration and its stalwart supporters, for the sake of all Americans, should accept a political reality as soon as possible: the stimulus bill of 2008 is a political flop, it didn’t work and it’s constant invocation as a success backfires.
We averted another Great Depression, it is so very much so, yes yes yes we freaking know, for the bankers and finance creeps are rolling in millions of dollars while all the rest of us are unholy screwed with a real unemployment rate of 20-25%. The whole edifice didn’t come crashing down, well what an accomplishment for our generation, any chance ordinary Americans can have a life like their parents did? Too much, all right, how about any life at all?
Note that this perfectly obvious reality is slammed home every day with zero opposition from the Republicans, this reality is in fact what they believe in, god, the oligarchs fat and giggling while the rest of us are ground down to serfdom.
There’s another viciously toxic political twist to our Great Recession, the insanity of Afghanistan. While State Governments reel and the unemployment rate is 25 freaking percent higher than the Obama administration itself projected nine months ago, soon Mr. President is going to ask for 30 extra billion dollars to wage another year of war, or whatever they’ve talked themselves into for what we’re doing there.
Needless to say this cute little move instantly moves beyond mere administrative and managerial spheres of competence into a dreadful moral position. Lance Corporals, mere children, come home in boxes, to say nothing of the heinous damage inflicted upon Afghanistan and its people.
Bankers laugh with billions while the rest of us get nothing and the war gets more. The Republicans haven’t said a word, yet of course everyone is acutely aware of this plain reality. Why can’t the Obama Administration see the perilous politics of this? Why can’t they push for more American employment and help? It’s hard for Bob Herbert to say today in the New York Times, but I’ll give it a shot.
As discussed, the primary factor is an embarrassing, classic human case of self-deception, the administration hosers strut around believing and telling everyone we averted the Great Recession, clueless that even if correct blunders right into a backfire.
Surely ego is involved here, oh yes, with such, well...plain examples of it in the endearing characters of Summers and Emanuel. Stressing Stimulus II would mean the dudes were wrong in 2009, they fucked up. It’s nothing, everyone knows it, but regrettably all must acknowledge that in the sorry world of DC testicles admitting wrong can be such a very big deal. That cretin Summers still yaps the Great Recession is over with our appalling unemployment rate.
Then there’s that little detail it wouldn’t work, not in time for the 2010 elections, anyway. This is an offensive, stupid way to look at the situation, for of course sometime in 2011-12 it would start to work, praise baby Jesus Americans would start to get jobs by doing the right thing, and if Democratic politicians can’t successfully sell help is on the way for 2010 they seriously need to get a life and another profession. Don’t forget Stimulus II would still deliver handsomely for 2012.
I would think it’d be fairly obvious why Obama makes no political or social impetus for our horrendous black unemployment: the last thing he would ever want is to somehow be open to the perception as the Angry Black Male. Not only is this so not his personal style, Obama wisely knows that stance—even the hint of perception—would likely not politically work in the United States. I think it’s a sad political reality and I’d be more than thrilled to see him take it on, but I understand why Obama doesn’t.
Which is closely related to the last reason we won’t see Stimulus II, passionately advocating for the little people in America means taking on a real political fight, something our "transformational" President, so above the fray of partisan "squabbles," well, he just isn’t up for that.
Self-deception, ego, poor managerial and ethics skills, delayed results, American racial reality and foolish endearment to a fantasy political paradigm, that’s basically why the little people of American won’t get Stimulus II, no matter how much our people continue to horribly suffer. If the Obama Administration finds such a conclusion offensive don’t say a god damn thing, Lord we’re all tired of yap, just go out and prove me wrong with Stimulus II. Soon, please.