Economic Freedom Underpins Human Rights and Democratic Governance

[kelvin070]

In the opening of the speech
Quote:
Originally Posted by Obama
It's because of this spirit -– this great decency and great strength -– that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight. (Applause.) Despite our hardships, our union is strong.

But in just over an hour, we fell apart.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Obama
Let's seize this moment -- to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.

His speech writer screwed up on that one.

 

[Accountable]

Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow. (Applause.) From the first railroads to the Interstate Highway System, our nation has always been built to compete. There's no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains ...

No reason other than the minor detail that they have demand for a high speed railroad and we don't.

Tomorrow, I'll visit Tampa, Florida, where workers will soon break ground on a new high-speed railroad funded by the Recovery Act. (Applause.) [running from Orlando to Tampa, a whopping 85 miles] There are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help move our nation's goods, services, and information. (Applause.)

Move goods, services and information at high speeds for 85 miles? Not people?

 

[kelvin070]

Economy in U.S. Grew at 5.7% Pace, Most in Six Years
But where are the jobs?

Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) -- The economy in the U.S. expanded in the fourth quarter at the fastest pace in six years as factories cranked up assembly lines and companies increased investment in equipment and software.
The 5.7 percent increase in gross domestic product, which exceeded the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, marked the best performance since the third quarter of 2003, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. Efforts to rebuild depleted inventories contributed 3.4 percentage points to GDP, the most in two decades.

Economy in U.S. Grew at 5.7% Pace, Most in Six Years (Update3) - Bloomberg.com

 

[Accountable]

Not sure how that fits either the op or the current subject the thread's evolved.

 

[kelvin070]

Not sure how that fits either the op or the current subject the thread's evolved.

Since this is my thread I hav the option but of course it has to lead to a constructive debate.

 

[Accountable]

Your thread? Can you close it? Delete it? The original post was your idea, but the thread belongs to V.

 

[Accountable]

... families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The federal government should do the same. (Applause.) So tonight, I'm proposing specific steps to pay for the trillion dollars that it took to rescue the economy last year.

Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. (Applause.) Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will. (Applause.)

... And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason for why we had record surpluses in the 1990s. (Applause.)

Senate OKs new debt limit, raised by $1.9T - Washington Times

Now, I know that some in my own party will argue that we can't address the deficit or freeze government spending when so many are still hurting. And I agree -- which is why this freeze won't take effect until next year -- (laughter)

 

[kelvin070]

Economy in U.S. Grew at 5.7% Pace, Most in Six Years
But where are the jobs?

Economy in U.S. Grew at 5.7% Pace, Most in Six Years (Update3) - Bloomberg.com

Roubini Calls U.S. Growth ‘Dismal and Poor,’ Predicts Slowing

Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- New York University Professor Nouriel Roubini, who anticipated the financial crisis, called the fourth quarter surge in U.S. economic growth “very dismal and poor” because it relied on temporary factors.
Roubini said more than half of the 5.7 percent expansion reported yesterday by the government was related to a replenishing of inventories and that consumption depended on monetary and fiscal stimulus. As these forces ebb, growth will slow to just 1.5 percent in the second half of 2010, he said.
“The headline number will look large and big, but actually when you dissect it, it’s very dismal and poor,” Roubini told Bloomberg Television in an interview at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. “I think we are in trouble.”
Roubini said while the world’s largest economy won’t relapse into recession, unemployment will rise from the current 10 percent, posing social and political challenges.
“It’s going to feel like a recession even if technically we’re not going to be in a recession,” he said.

Roubini Calls U.S. Growth ‘Dismal and Poor,’ Predicts Slowing - Bloomberg.com

 

[kelvin070]

Dow tumbles nearly 270 on recovery worries

NEW YORK - Stocks buckled Thursday under the growing belief that the global economy is weaker than many investors expected and likely to stop companies from hiring. The Dow Jones industrials briefly traded below 10,000 for the first time in three months.
A flood of bad news, including rising debt levels in European nations and an unexpected jump in the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits, had investors pulling money out of assets like stocks and commodities that look increasingly risky. Fears of more disappointing news Friday, when the government issues its January employment report, contributed to the slide.

Dow tumbles nearly 270 on recovery worries - Stocks & economy- msnbc.com