Romney sees choice between ‘entitlement society’ and ‘opportunity society’

[alp227]

Mitt Romney framed the 2012 presidential election in a speech here Tuesday night as a choice between an “entitlement society” dependent on government welfare and an “opportunity society” that enables businesses to flourish.

Trying to sharpen the contrast between himself and President Obama, Romney delivered what his campaign billed as a closing argument as Republican voters prepare to select a nominee in Iowa and in New Hampshire. Romney looked past his GOP opponents to present a preview of the campaign he would wage in a general election with Obama.

“Even if we could afford the ever-expanding payments of an entitlement society, it is a fundamental corruption of the American spirit,” Romney said. “The battle we face today is more than a fight over our budget. It is a battle for America’s soul.”

Romney delivered a speech, complete with teleprompters, before more than 150 supporters inside the picturesque Bedford Town Hall. In his 13-minute address, Romney lamented the “invisible boot of government” that he warned would bring the country down. In Obama’s “entitlement society,” Romney said, “everyone receives the same or similar rewards, regardless of education, effort and willingness to take risk.”

full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romney-sees-choice-between-entitlement-society-and-opportunity-society/2011/12/20/gIQAjXH57O_story.html

[Prophet 451]

1. False dichotomy framed by outright lies

I would very much like violence to befall those promoting this asinine idea that government is, by definition, antithetical to freedom.

[JBoy]

2. Fuck Romney and his 150 supporters.

Gimme a call when you get 15,000. Then I'll show you 100,000.

[PSPS]

3. The old GOP dog whistles

You pay into an insurance policy (Social Security) all of your working life. Then, when you retire, you get payments. In the real world, that's a defined benefit plan. But people like to call it an "entitlement" implying it's a handout (extra points if it subconsciously conjures up thoughts of 'lazy Negroes.')

[izquierdista]

4. Now that's what I want to hear!

Let's get rid of the entitled ones who are dependent on government welfare!

[EC]

5. Funny, when I read the head line

I was thinking that he was part of the "entitlement society" and we were the "opportunity society".


Aren't the rich the "entitled" in their minds?

[BeyondGeography]

6. Yeah, let's get out there and hump like bunnies until we're 80

Because Mr. Spoonfed says so.

Go fuck yourself.

[nineteen50]

7. He is right

I hate all those bailouts, subsidies and business write offs.

[primavera]

19. Agreed

The aristocracy's perception of itself as entitled to own 99% of the nation's wealth is obscene.

[saras]

8. Entitlement: You banked it, you're entitled to it back. Opportunity: I can steal it so I will.

[JDPriestly]

9. Wasn't Romney's dad a governor?

I guess he would know a lot about opportunity. He probably had many more opportunities than the rest of us. Talk about the 1%. That is Romney.

George Wilcken Romney (July 8, 1907 – July 26, 1995) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician. He was chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, and the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1969 to 1973. He is the father of former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney and the husband of former Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Lenore Romney.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Romney

[alp227]

11. By the CON ideology the Lucky Sperm Club(TM) like Romney's family

should be an entitlement system.

[SOS]

21. Romney's world...

Arrange for your father to be CEO of American Motors.
Use those connections to make a quarter billion on Wall Street.
Use your hedge fund to specialize in M&A to destroy as many American jobs as possible.
Arrange an exit deal that pays you millions for doing nothing.

Mitt complains about imagined "entitlements", but he is quite
comfortable being entitled.

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. Oh boy, new buzzwords to spin against "Income Inequality"!

Lotsa luck.

[sendero]

12. I love it when these government.

... FUCKS come up with this line of bullshit (from BOTH parties).

Hey FUCKS! There is one "opportunity" for every 5 people in the USA because you FUCKS have shipped all of our manufacturing jobs overseas, you are busy importing cheap labor to do almost everything else and then you have the FUCKING GALL to talk about opportunity? You have allowed the banking system to leverage itself into oblivion, backstopping their greed with our tax dollars and you talk about opportunity? You have gutted the constitution in the name of a phony ass war on terror and you talk about opportunity?

I can think of a few opportunities that desperate Americans will be taking in the not too distant future and you are not going to come out good when they do.

[sarcasmo]

26. Torches and Pitchforks.

[aletier_v]

13. too reminiscent of Bush's "ownership society"

Where is Romney's campaign manager to warn him about this?

[Shoe Horn]

14. Opportunity for who? Taxes and Income Mobility keep dropping.

At least for most of us.

An old link:
http://www.economicmobility.org/assets/pdfs/EMP_American_Dream.pdf

[Kingofalldems]

15. Same as 'Ownership Society'

Has he been talking to Frank Luntz?

[Vinca]

16. How about the people-who-like-to-eat-more-than-once-a-day society?

I can't believe we've got months and months and months to go of this bullshit.

[lonestarnot]

17. This freak knows nothing about any actual real society, but that of richie rich. Fuck him and his

horse.

[onehandle]

18. Onehandle sees choice between ‘status quo society’ and ‘total enslavement society’ nt

[Ferret Annica]

20. Considering the entitlements Mormons give their own when they are in need

this is high hypocrisy on his part indeed.

[LiberalFighter]

22. So he wants additional opportunties for businesses

to screw consumers, screw their employees, screw the communities, and rip off the government?

And there is a reason why they are entitlements. Because for the most part we paid for them.

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. We paid for it with our taxes and the taxes that employers pay on our behalf. Those taxes that employers pay on our behalf are in true sense from employee wages.

Unemployment. We paid for it when employers pay the insurance and again in the true sense they are part of the employee wages.

[canetoad]

23. Trouble with that is

Not everyone is an opportunist.

[high density]

24. "So old Republican people, please vote for me so I can remove all of your entitlements!"

After all, people like me need more tax cuts.

Kthx- Willard M. Romney

[sarcasmo]

25. Poor and disabled people vote for me so I can take away all of your entitlements.

[treestar]

27. They go on and on about that

As if it meant something!

Gawd, they are stupid!

No, social safety nets do not make everyone entitled. Jesus Christ on a trailer hitch!

[yurbud]

28. which side is he on? Entitlements for the rich or the opportunity for the rich to fleece us without

bailouts?

[Trillo]

30. That is pretty much the definition of "business" these days, and past decades, isn't it?

I wonder whether Romney's refusal to disclose tax returns is based in opportunity or entitlement, or the third curious possibility, both of them.

[bemildred]

29. "Let's put some lipstick on this pig." nt

[Marrah_G]

31. Dear Mittens- Your birth made you entitled to far more opportunities then the rest of us.

So please STFU.