2000-2009: America's Lost Decade
Harry Hope
http://www.opednews.com/articles/2000-2009-America-s-Lost-by-Bob-Burnett-091226-674.html
December 26, 2009
By Bob Burnett
When historians update the history of the United States, ponder when
we lost our way and punted the mantle of global supremacy to China,
they'll conclude this past decade was the turning point.
From 2000 to 2009, voters made a series of terrible political choices.
As a result, for many Americans the US ceased being a land of
opportunity and the light of freedom dimmed.
2000 - America chooses mediocrity:
The decade opened with a divisive election where George W. Bush - an
unsuccessful business executive - defeated Al Gore - a wooden but
seasoned political servant - in an election decided by the Electoral
College and the US Supreme Court.
2001 - America is traumatized:
Bush ran on a platform of lower taxes and less government; he wasn't
interested in or adept at governing. As a result, Bush failed to pay
attention to early warnings and, on September 11th, terrorists
attacked. The US went to war and the Bush Administration claimed near
dictatorial power.
2002 - America gets angry:
When our forces failed to apprehend those responsible for the attacks,
the White House launched a propaganda campaign to convince Americans
that Iraq's Saddam Hussein was the guilty party. Voters bought into
this deception and, in the mid-term elections, supported Republicans
as the war Party, resulting in GOP control of Congress.
2003 - America gets even:
The Bush Administration spin machine persuaded Americans that Iraq was
responsible for the 9/11 attacks and constituted an imminent threat.
On March 20th, US forces invaded Iraq and, on May 1st, President Bush
declared, "mission accomplished."
2004 - America gets bamboozled:
White House propaganda convinced a slim majority of Americans the US
was winning the Iraq war and George Bush was a competent President.
Bush defeated John Kerry in the Presidential election.
2005 - America wakes up:
As it became apparent the US occupation of Iraq had fomented a civil
war, Bush's approval ratings fell below 50 percent and continued to
deteriorate for the rest of his term. In August, the Bush's handling
of Hurricane Katrina branded him a failed President.
2006 - Democrats rebound:
As Bush's approval ratings sank, so did those of the
Republican-dominated Congress. In the mid-term elections, Democrats
retook control of Congress. This ended the destructive Bush
legislative agenda, but could not undo the harm cause by
Administration appointments and edicts.
2007 - The economy tanks:
Throughout the first years of the decade, America had a negative
savings rate as families borrowed against their home equity to
maintain their lifestyle. Faith that housing prices would increase
indefinitely led to gross Wall Street speculation. In 2007 the housing
bubble burst, resulting in the collapse of the financial system.
2008 - America chooses hope:
As the year progressed there were increasing signs of financial panic.
Meanwhile, the country was enthralled by the Presidential contest,
eventually won by Barack Obama, an African-American.
2009 - America is depressed:
Before Obama was inaugurated, it was clear the US was in the grips of
a severe recession. As unemployment rose and business activity
declined, the mood of the US soured. Divisive Republican political
tactics impeded Obama's legislative agenda, particularly healthcare
reform.
2000-2009 was defined by dreadful political decisions and missed
opportunities.
America stagnated because of poor leadership and negative public
sentiment.
In 2000, responding to the Republican claim that "government is the
problem," Americans elected an incompetent President.
After 9/11, the Bush Administration made a series of horrendous
decisions that mired the US in Afghanistan and Iraq and ensured that
billions continued to be spent on defense.
Meanwhile, as the Federal government and the deficit grew, America's
domestic difficulties were ignored.
Middle-class families saw their quality of life deteriorate, along
with their savings and home-equity.
When Americans chose Bush, they bought into his self-centered
conservative ideology: "what's in it for me?"
Greed became a virtue.
Citizens looked away while the rich and powerful looted America.
This "damn the common good" sentiment reached its nadir with Wall
Street's promotion of the housing bubble.
After 9/11 America was at war, however President Bush did not call for
common sacrifice.
Instead of asking Americans to pay higher taxes, Bush suggested they
"go shopping."
His conservative ideology promoted the notion that government is a
"free lunch," that citizens shouldn't have to pay for essential
services.
In the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the Republican
Party preached that government is the problem.
Rather than blame the current financial crisis on greedy bankers and
ravenous Wall Street CEOs, the GOP blamed Federal regulators.
Conservatives dogmatically argued that, left alone, the market will
fix whatever ails America.
Steeled in this nonsensical ideology, Republicans became the Party of
No, choosing to be part of the problem rather than contribute to the
solution.
Using the Senate cloture rule, Republicans blocked meaningful
legislation affecting healthcare, energy, global climate change, jobs,
and Wall Street reform.
George Santayana famously wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past
are condemned to repeat it."
At the end of a tragically lost decade, many Americans haven't learned
anything and seemed poised to repeat the same mistakes.
___________________________________________________________
Harry
edi...@netpath.net
moving jobs from America to Asia and Mexico under WTO and NAFTA -
which eventually inevitably was reflected in mortgage defaults and nil
car sales.
Just how long did anyone think how many good jobs could leave America
for Asia and Mexico without it being reflected in housing and car
sales back here?
http://www.Internet-Gun-Show.com - your source for hard-to-find stuff!
wolfagain
The REAL problems happened just after Pelosi and Barney Fag got
control of the House and with Sen Dud of CT put pressure on the banks
and Fanny May to loan money to poor people who never were expected to
make repayments!
Sid9
<edi...@netpath.net> wrote in message
news:fa0f0e25-ec59-417b...@j19g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
So fearful of the truth that you are compelled to delete it...try reading it
again:
JayPee Vee
> Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons - their
Why "Klinton" with a "K"?
What's the joke?
wy
> On Dec 26, 1:22 pm, "edi...@netpath.net" <edi...@netpath.net> wrote:
>
> > Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons - their
> > moving jobs from America to Asia and Mexico under WTO and NAFTA -
> > which eventually inevitably was reflected in mortgage defaults and nil
> > car sales.
> > Just how long did anyone think how many good jobs could leave America
> > for Asia and Mexico without it being reflected in housing and car
> > sales back here?
>
>
> The REAL problems happened just after Pelosi and Barney Fag got
> control of the House and with Sen Dud of CT put pressure on the banks
> and Fanny May to loan money to poor people who never were expected to
> make repayments!
You guys are always in such denial. It began in the Reagan years when
the banks began making a concerted effort to repeal the Glass-Steagall
Act. Get your history straight:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/wallstreet/weill/demise.html
And thanks to the Gramm Leachy Act that replaced the GSA in 1999, you
have today's misery. It was all the doing of bankers and Republicans
being in bed together.
Killing, Inc.
> On Dec 26, 2:37 pm, wolfagain <w...@provide.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Dec 26, 1:22 pm, "edi...@netpath.net" <edi...@netpath.net> wrote:
>
> > > Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons - their
> > > moving jobs from America to Asia and Mexico under WTO and NAFTA -
> > > which eventually inevitably was reflected in mortgage defaults and nil
> > > car sales.
> > > Just how long did anyone think how many good jobs could leave America
> > > for Asia and Mexico without it being reflected in housing and car
> > > sales back here?
>
>
> > The REAL problems happened just after Pelosi and Barney Fag got
> > control of the House and with Sen Dud of CT put pressure on the banks
> > and Fanny May to loan money to poor people who never were expected to
> > make repayments!
>
> You guys are always in such denial. It began in the Reagan years when
> the banks began making a concerted effort to repeal the Glass-Steagall
> Act. Get your history straight:
>
>
> And thanks to the Gramm Leachy Act that replaced the GSA in 1999, you
> have today's misery. It was all the doing of bankers and Republicans
>
> - Show quoted text -
Gramm-Leach-Bliley, the act you confusingly referred to, had huge
bipartisan support in Congress (362-57 House, 90-8 Senate) and was
signed into law by a Democrat president. Your obvious shilling for the
Democrats by blaming (read: lying about) everything you can think of
solely on Republicans has not gone unnoticed.
Clairbear
8d4ad5...@e37g2000yqn.googlegroups.com:
That is all to easy for liberal hacks like harry to overlook as all they
have is their hate of all thing non. lieberal
Clairbear
news:hh5p86$lh4$1...@news.eternal-september.org:
>
> <edi...@netpath.net> wrote in message
> news:fa0f0e25-ec59-417b...@j19g2000yqk.googlegroups.com.
> ..
>> Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons - their
>> moving jobs from America to Asia and Mexico under WTO and NAFTA -
>> which eventually inevitably was reflected in mortgage defaults and
>> nil car sales.
>> Just how long did anyone think how many good jobs could leave America
>> for Asia and Mexico without it being reflected in housing and car
>> sales back here?
>>
>> http://www.Internet-Gun-Show.com - your source for hard-to-find
>> stuff!
>
> So fearful of the truth that you are compelled to delete it...try
> reading it again:
>
Wrong yet agian you senile dumbass wrongtard He pointed out facts that led
to the last decade
Tim Crowley
> "Sid9" <s...@belsouth.net> wrote innews:hh5p86$lh4$1...@news.eternal-september.org:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > <edi...@netpath.net> wrote in message
> >news:fa0f0e25-ec59-417b...@j19g2000yqk.googlegroups.com.
> > ..
> >> Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons - their
> >> moving jobs from America to Asia and Mexico under WTO and NAFTA -
> >> which eventually inevitably was reflected in mortgage defaults and
> >> nil car sales.
> >> Just how long did anyone think how many good jobs could leave America
> >> for Asia and Mexico without it being reflected in housing and car
> >> sales back here?
>
> >> stuff!
>
> > So fearful of the truth that you are compelled to delete it...try
> > reading it again:
>
> Wrong yet agian you senile dumbass wrongtard He pointed out facts that led
> to the last decade
Buahahahahahahahahaha.
Beam Me Up Scotty
The big question is.... did the GSA stop congress from manipulating and
coercing our mortgage industry, if NOT then it had no effect on this
mortgage collapse that was caused by congress and their coercion to get
risky loans accepted in a system that had rejected that risk until
Congress leaned on the banks and then told Fanny and Freddy to buy the
more risky loans.
wy
wrote:
> On Dec 26, 4:10 pm,wy<w...@myself.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Dec 26, 2:37 pm, wolfagain <w...@provide.net> wrote:
>
> > > On Dec 26, 1:22 pm, "edi...@netpath.net" <edi...@netpath.net> wrote:
>
> > > > Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons - their
> > > > moving jobs from America to Asia and Mexico under WTO and NAFTA -
> > > > which eventually inevitably was reflected in mortgage defaults and nil
> > > > car sales.
> > > > Just how long did anyone think how many good jobs could leave America
> > > > for Asia and Mexico without it being reflected in housing and car
> > > > sales back here?
>
>
> > > The REAL problems happened just after Pelosi and Barney Fag got
> > > control of the House and with Sen Dud of CT put pressure on the banks
> > > and Fanny May to loan money to poor people who never were expected to
> > > make repayments!
>
> > You guys are always in such denial. It began in the Reagan years when
> > the banks began making a concerted effort to repeal the Glass-Steagall
> > Act. Get your history straight:
>
> >http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/wallstreet/weill/demise...
>
> > And thanks to the Gramm Leachy Act that replaced the GSA in 1999, you
> > have today's misery. It was all the doing of bankers and Republicans
> > being in bed together.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Gramm-Leach-Bliley, the act you confusingly referred to, had huge
> bipartisan support in Congress (362-57 House, 90-8 Senate) and was
> signed into law by a Democrat president. Your obvious shilling for the
> Democrats by blaming (read: lying about) everything you can think of
> solely on Republicans has not gone unnoticed.
Just because Congress passed the act doesn't mean they did right.
They agreed to go to war in Iraq and that was no brilliant decision
either. And Clinton had no choice but to sign it because there were
enough votes for it to overturn any veto he might've used against it.
The Democrats weren't even that crazy about going along with it until
they got an agreement from the Republicans to strengthen aspects of
the Community Reinvestment Act. And since the Republicans controlled
both the house and senate at the time, the odds against sanity calling
the shots were stacked too high. It's interesting that after the
meltdown happened last year, the country that came through it in the
best shape of any country in the world was Canada, which has much
stricter controls on what banks can and cannot engage in. Lesson to
learn: you don't loosen things up for the banks, you make them tighter
so you don't put all your eggs into one basket and end up with yolk
all over yourselves by being Republican stupid.
Killing, Inc.
dog.com> wrote:
> On 12/26/2009 8:02 PM,Killing, Inc. wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Dec 26, 4:10 pm, wy <w...@myself.com> wrote:
> >> On Dec 26, 2:37 pm, wolfagain <w...@provide.net> wrote:
>
> >>> On Dec 26, 1:22 pm, "edi...@netpath.net" <edi...@netpath.net> wrote:
>
> >>>> Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons - their
> >>>> moving jobs from America to Asia and Mexico under WTO and NAFTA -
> >>>> which eventually inevitably was reflected in mortgage defaults and nil
> >>>> car sales.
> >>>> Just how long did anyone think how many good jobs could leave America
> >>>> for Asia and Mexico without it being reflected in housing and car
> >>>> sales back here?
>
>
> >>> The REAL problems happened just after Pelosi and Barney Fag got
> >>> control of the House and with Sen Dud of CT put pressure on the banks
> >>> and Fanny May to loan money to poor people who never were expected to
> >>> make repayments!
>
> >> You guys are always in such denial. It began in the Reagan years when
> >> the banks began making a concerted effort to repeal the Glass-Steagall
> >> Act. Get your history straight:
>
> >>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/wallstreet/weill/demise...
>
> >> And thanks to the Gramm Leachy Act that replaced the GSA in 1999, you
> >> have today's misery. It was all the doing of bankers and Republicans
> >> being in bed together.- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > Gramm-Leach-Bliley, the act you confusingly referred to, had huge
> > bipartisan support in Congress (362-57 House, 90-8 Senate) and was
> > signed into law by a Democrat president. Your obvious shilling for the
> > Democrats by blaming (read: lying about) everything you can think of
> > solely on Republicans has not gone unnoticed.
>
> The big question is.... did the GSA stop congress from manipulating and
> coercing our mortgage industry, if NOT then it had no effect on this
> mortgage collapse that was caused by congress and their coercion to get
> risky loans accepted in a system that had rejected that risk until
> Congress leaned on the banks and then told Fanny and Freddy to buy the
Here is Clinton's HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo from April 1998 laying
out how their administration intended this to happen:
Tim Crowley
> Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons
Who?
hint: your hatred of America makes your view meaningless. dismissed.
Tim Crowley
> On Dec 26, 1:22 pm, "edi...@netpath.net" <edi...@netpath.net> wrote:
>
> > Bullshit. ROOT of economy cratering was under the Klintons - their
> > moving jobs from America to Asia and Mexico under WTO and NAFTA -
> > which eventually inevitably was reflected in mortgage defaults and nil
> > car sales.
> > Just how long did anyone think how many good jobs could leave America
> > for Asia and Mexico without it being reflected in housing and car
> > sales back here?
>
>
> The REAL problems happened just after Pelosi and Barney Fag
And yet another American hating twerp speaks up. hint: dismissed.
Tim Crowley
She hates America