General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This is what a REAL Democrat sounds like. [View all]JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)Last edited Sat Dec 6, 2014, 07:18 PM - Edit history (1)
Barack Obama's big problem is that he is too close to the interests of big money in the country, too cowed by the Kochs and the big Republican propaganda machine. If he just called out the corruption and instructed the federal regulatory agencies to enforce law in the business community including environmental and food and drug and telecommunications law and asked Congress to pass laws that supported more regulation of these business sectors, he would be viewed by a lot of people as a hero.
Instead, he for example sponsors the TPP, an agreement so noxious that we ordinary Americans are not allowed to read most of us and does not really fight Congress and that segment of the wealthy people whose greed knows no boundaries.
Roosevelt maintained capitalism. But he increased regulation. And he won majorities in Congress because people realized in part thanks to his rhetoric that they had to choose more regulation and better government.
Both Roosevelts are to be admired. I wish one of them were here today to run for office and make some changes. Corruption is the big problem confronting us. The two Roosevelts understood corruption and were able to deal with it.
Obama's health care program is great, but it does not adequately deal with the corruption in our health insurance sector. We shall see whether the way that it shifted liability for the costs of medical care of the poor can succeed. There are a lot of problems with the ACA although its goal is commendable. I hope it works well.