In fact, the best thing we could do on taxes for all Americans is to simplify the individual tax code. (Applause.) This will be a tough job, but members of both parties have expressed an interest in doing this, and I am prepared to join them. (Applause.)
Flat. Tax. A flat percentage applied across the board from the poorest to the richest. everyone pays the same percentage of their income. My own math tells me the poor and the middle class will see their taxes rise some. Be that as it may..the "rich" will pay MUCH more. 10 times more at the minimum by my figuring. What? everyone keeps whining about leveling the playing field..THIS does that. So stop whinging like a puling babe who has shat his diaper, when I give you the solution that you SAY you want...or admit that you were full of shit.
So now is the time to act. Now is the time for both sides and both houses of Congress –- Democrats and Republicans -– to forge a principled compromise that gets the job done. If we make the hard choices now to rein in our deficits, we can make the investments we need to win the future.
Ahhh investments..a euphemism for "I'm going to spend your money in ways you don't want me to by increasing the size and scope of the governments power and waste.
Let me take this one step further. We shouldn’t just give our people a government that’s more affordable. We should give them a government that’s more competent and more efficient. We can’t win the future with a government of the past. (Applause.)
Competent and efficient..two words that currently do not belong in the same sentence with the word or concept of GOVERNMENT. Should be though..but not with people who think they're the parents who know better than us. You know US? The "children" that put these pinheads in their places of power?
We live and do business in the Information Age, but the last major reorganization of the government happened in the age of black-and-white TV. There are 12 different agencies that deal with exports. There are at least five different agencies that deal with housing policy. Then there’s my favorite example: The Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they’re in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them when they’re in saltwater. (Laughter.) I hear it gets even more complicated once they’re smoked. (Laughter and applause.)
Now, we’ve made great strides over the last two years in using technology and getting rid of waste. Veterans can now download their electronic medical records with a click of the mouse. We’re selling acres of federal office space that hasn’t been used in years, and we’ll cut through red tape to get rid of more. But we need to think bigger. In the coming months, my administration will develop a proposal to merge, consolidate, and reorganize the federal government in a way that best serves the goal of a more competitive America. I will submit that proposal to Congress for a vote –- and we will push to get it passed. (Applause.)
Now this one is a dandy...what we'd like is for those agencies to be defunded and eliminated..the employees sent to the unemployment line. What we'll likely get is some new super agency. You know..like the Department for Homeland Security? Yet another agency we don't need? News flash..Homeland Security is what the Military, National Guard, Coast Guard and Border Patrol are for!
In the coming year, we’ll also work to rebuild people’s faith in the institution of government. Because you deserve to know exactly how and where your tax dollars are being spent, you’ll be able to go to a website and get that information for the very first time in history. Because you deserve to know when your elected officials are meeting with lobbyists, I ask Congress to do what the White House has already done -- put that information online. And because the American people deserve to know that special interests aren’t larding up legislation with pet projects, both parties in Congress should know this: If a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it. I will veto it. (Applause.)
Sigh...1) the people shouldn't have faith in the government, they should have faith in themselves, and whatever deity they happen to believe in. They do however need to TRUST the people they send to work in the government to represent them with honor, integrity and humility. Something I might add, that the government is still sorely lacking in. 2) Ahhh...yet another "Transparency" promise? Anyone believe our Liar in Chief on this score? I don't. 3)Oh dear lord..you'll veto any earmark laden bill that crosses your desk? Oh. You mean like THIS one?
or perhaps you meant this one?
washingtonindependent.com/.../republicans-kill-omnibus-bill-including-their-
earmarks.omb.gov/
Yeah. Surrrrre. We believe you......NOT!
The 21st century government that’s open and competent. A government that lives within its means. An economy that’s driven by new skills and new ideas. Our success in this new and changing world will require reform, responsibility, and innovation. It will also require us to approach that world with a new level of engagement in our foreign affairs.
A government that lives within it's means? now there's a novel concept.
Just as jobs and businesses can now race across borders, so can new threats and new challenges. No single wall separates East and West. No one rival superpower is aligned against us.
And so we must defeat determined enemies, wherever they are, and build coalitions that cut across lines of region and race and religion. And America’s moral example must always shine for all who yearn for freedom and justice and dignity. And because we’ve begun this work, tonight we can say that American leadership has been renewed and America’s standing has been restored.
Uhmmm..what WORK have you begun exactly? I'm confused.
Look to Iraq, where nearly 100,000 of our brave men and women have left with their heads held high. (Applause.) American combat patrols have ended, violence is down, and a new government has been formed. This year, our civilians will forge a lasting partnership with the Iraqi people, while we finish the job of bringing our troops out of Iraq. America’s commitment has been kept. The Iraq war is coming to an end. (Applause.)
No thanks to you and your ilk.
Of course, as we speak, al Qaeda and their affiliates continue to plan attacks against us. Thanks to our intelligence and law enforcement professionals, we’re disrupting plots and securing our cities and skies. And as extremists try to inspire acts of violence within our borders, we are responding with the strength of our communities, with respect for the rule of law, and with the conviction that American Muslims are a part of our American family. (Applause.)
*raised eyebrow* Tell me something I don't know Barry old boy. You condescending twit.
We’ve also taken the fight to al Qaeda and their allies abroad. In Afghanistan, our troops have taken Taliban strongholds and trained Afghan security forces. Our purpose is clear: By preventing the Taliban from reestablishing a stranglehold over the Afghan people, we will deny al Qaeda the safe haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11.
Thanks to our heroic troops and civilians, fewer Afghans are under the control of the insurgency. There will be tough fighting ahead, and the Afghan government will need to deliver better governance. But we are strengthening the capacity of the Afghan people and building an enduring partnership with them. This year, we will work with nearly 50 countries to begin a transition to an Afghan lead. And this July, we will begin to bring our troops home. (Applause.)
Grand..bring our troops home before the job is finished. Sounds like a WONDERFUL idea.
In Pakistan, al Qaeda’s leadership is under more pressure than at any point since 2001. Their leaders and operatives are being removed from the battlefield. Their safe havens are shrinking. And we’ve sent a message from the Afghan border to the Arabian Peninsula to all parts of the globe: We will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat you. (Applause.)
Yep. Sure. You almost had me believing you that time Barry. Keep working at it.
American leadership can also be seen in the effort to secure the worst weapons of war. Because Republicans and Democrats approved the New START treaty, far fewer nuclear weapons and launchers will be deployed. Because we rallied the world, nuclear materials are being locked down on every continent so they never fall into the hands of terrorists. (Applause.)
Brilliant..while terrorist states like Iran and others scramble to acquire nuclear weapons to hit us..we're going to gut our ability to respond in kind. *facepalm* And if you trust Russia to keep their word on this your an even bigger fool than I thought. We won't even go into the other nations that are trying to get their hands on nukes. *sigh*
Because of a diplomatic effort to insist that Iran meet its obligations, the Iranian government now faces tougher sanctions, tighter sanctions than ever before. And on the Korean Peninsula, we stand with our ally South Korea, and insist that North Korea keeps its commitment to abandon nuclear weapons. (Applause.)
Sanctions? Sanctions are a joke. They don't work..perhaps you've forgotten that was part of the reasoning behind the invasion of Iraq? Because they were laughing at the "sanctions" imposed on them and going about on their merry way. I don't even trust the Iranians..or the North Koreans for that matter, as far as I can throw them. I trust them not at all. They're going to be a headache for many years to come.
This is just a part of how we’re shaping a world that favors peace and prosperity. With our European allies, we revitalized NATO and increased our cooperation on everything from counterterrorism to missile defense. We’ve reset our relationship with Russia, strengthened Asian alliances, built new partnerships with nations like India.
Revitalized Missle Defense? Riiight..this from a US government who caved when we were getting ready to install a missle shield in the country of Georgia because the Russian Gov't screamed blue bloody murder? And what happened after that capitulation? Oh yeah..that's right..the Russians invaded Georgia.
www.washingtontimes.com/.../russias-invasion-of-georgia-what-to-do-about-
This March, I will travel to Brazil, Chile, and El Salvador to forge new alliances across the Americas. Around the globe, we’re standing with those who take responsibility -– helping farmers grow more food, supporting doctors who care for the sick, and combating the corruption that can rot a society and rob people of opportunity.
Ahhh the same kind of kinder, gentler nation you'd turn us into Mr President?
Recent events have shown us that what sets us apart must not just be our power -– it must also be the purpose behind it. In south Sudan -– with our assistance -– the people were finally able to vote for independence after years of war. (Applause.) Thousands lined up before dawn. People danced in the streets. One man who lost four of his brothers at war summed up the scene around him: “This was a battlefield for most of my life,” he said. “Now we want to be free.” (Applause.)
Great..want to bet they devolve back into warfare, bloodshed, and tribalism within a few years?
And we saw that same desire to be free in Tunisia, where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. And tonight, let us be clear: The United States of America stands with the people of Tunisia, and supports the democratic aspirations of all people. (Applause.)
Sigh..which is why we're going to gut the military right? I can see this one coming.
We must never forget that the things we’ve struggled for, and fought for, live in the hearts of people everywhere. And we must always remember that the Americans who have borne the greatest burden in this struggle are the men and women who serve our country. (Applause.)
Yes that's true and I salute those brave men and women who fight for it.
Tonight, let us speak with one voice in reaffirming that our nation is united in support of our troops and their families. Let us serve them as well as they’ve served us -- by giving them the equipment they need, by providing them with the care and benefits that they have earned, and by enlisting our veterans in the great task of building our own nation.
Our troops come from every corner of this country -– they’re black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American. They are Christian and Hindu, Jewish and Muslim. And, yes, we know that some of them are gay. Starting this year, no American will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love. (Applause.) And with that change, I call on all our college campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and ROTC. It is time to leave behind the divisive battles of the past. It is time to move forward as one nation. (Applause.)
Yep and next is going to be putting women in front line ground combat units. This is not going to float..unless you make the women perform to the 'exact' same standards of men. Even then it's going to be..interesting...I'll leave the arguments why to those who have served or are serving to explain why..this is going to be a complete clusterfluck if it goes through.You may not LIKE those arguments but you'd damn well better listen.
We should have no illusions about the work ahead of us. Reforming our schools, changing the way we use energy, reducing our deficit –- none of this will be easy. All of it will take time. And it will be harder because we will argue about everything. The costs. The details. The letter of every law.
Oh you can bet your smiling skinny but we're going to argue.
Of course, some countries don’t have this problem. If the central government wants a railroad, they build a railroad, no matter how many homes get bulldozed. If they don’t want a bad story in the newspaper, it doesn’t get written.
Yep, and those governments are called Dictatorships. Or Communist or Fascist.
And yet, as contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy can sometimes be, I know there isn’t a person here who would trade places with any other nation on Earth. (Applause.)
Again, something I agree with whole heartedly. I'm stunned...just stunned I tell you.
We may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our Constitution. We may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. We may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same dream that says this is a country where anything is possible. No matter who you are. No matter where you come from.
Again I'm stunned. Something else that the liar in chief says that I believe? This truly is a time of miracles.*snort*
That dream is why I can stand here before you tonight. That dream is why a working-class kid from Scranton can sit behind me. (Laughter and applause.) That dream is why someone who began by sweeping the floors of his father’s Cincinnati bar can preside as Speaker of the House in the greatest nation on Earth. (Applause.)
That dream -– that American Dream -– is what drove the Allen Brothers to reinvent their roofing company for a new era. It’s what drove those students at Forsyth Tech to learn a new skill and work towards the future. And that dream is the story of a small business owner named Brandon Fisher.
Brandon started a company in Berlin, Pennsylvania, that specializes in a new kind of drilling technology. And one day last summer, he saw the news that halfway across the world, 33 men were trapped in a Chilean mine, and no one knew how to save them.
But Brandon thought his company could help. And so he designed a rescue that would come to be known as Plan B. His employees worked around the clock to manufacture the necessary drilling equipment. And Brandon left for Chile.
Along with others, he began drilling a 2,000-foot hole into the ground, working three- or four-hour -- three or four days at a time without any sleep. Thirty-seven days later, Plan B succeeded, and the miners were rescued. (Applause.) But because he didn’t want all of the attention, Brandon wasn’t there when the miners emerged. He’d already gone back home, back to work on his next project.
And later, one of his employees said of the rescue, “We proved that Center Rock is a little company, but we do big things.” (Applause.)
We do big things.
From the earliest days of our founding, America has been the story of ordinary people who dare to dream. That’s how we win the future.
We’re a nation that says, “I might not have a lot of money, but I have this great idea for a new company.” “I might not come from a family of college graduates, but I will be the first to get my degree.” “I might not know those people in trouble, but I think I can help them, and I need to try.” “I’m not sure how we’ll reach that better place beyond the horizon, but I know we’ll get there. I know we will.”
We do big things. (Applause.)
The idea of America endures. Our destiny remains our choice. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it’s because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong.
Thank you. God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
Let us sum up boys and girls:
"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
And that last bit boys and girls is where a good chunk of our problems start. See Obama and others like him believe that our government should control our destiny..that everyone should be "equal". Where we differ is our definition of 'equal' To me..just like it says PURSUIT of Happiness. That word 'pursuit' is the critical one. It means your free to chase your dreams of happiness, it does NOT mean you are going to succeed. Obama and those like him believe that everyone should be GIVEN their dreams, at the expense of other peoples happiness in some delusion driven, ego maniacal attempt to make us all EQUAL. Which in the end makes that happiness, to me anyway, meaningless. If you are GIVEN something every time you want it..without having to work or strive for it..you fail to appreciate it, to respect what it means to have actually attained it.
"that to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of those Ends, it is the RIGHT of the PEOPLE to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying it's Foundation on such Principles, and organizing it's Powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
And there in lies the seeds of the current bloated governments FEAR. They fear that the people have had enough of the abuses of power. Enough of the infringements, attempted and actual, on our Rights. That we may indeed say..screw you..we don't need you anymore. We are self reliant. Reliant on ourselves and our neighbors, you no longer have the consent of the governed. You know longer effect our Safety and Happiness in anything but a negative aspect; because you have gotten to caught up in your acquisition of power and wealth, a purpose for which we did NOT elect you. WE sent you to Washington to represent us for some period of time. Then after a time of service to return to your lives. We DID NOT elect you to play your own games of power, self aggrandizement, nor to see yourselves as our masters. You have forgotten who truly holds the reins, who truly has the power.
THAT is what the last election was about. We the People..no longer trust our servants to actually represent us as we elected them to do. For the last several decades, our government has been slowly erroding our freedoms, seeping into every aspect of our lives. It's time to tell them to take a hike, and fend for ourselves. To be self reliant, to have some self respect. Otherwise...we'll continue down this road of 'bread and circuses' that we're on, and well.....you know how well that ended for the Romans if you've studied history at all.
Be well...and I'll see ya later.
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