Obama and free enterprise

Travis said:
According to Mitt Romney he exemplifies free enterprise while Obama wants to wage a war on it. :rolleyes:



Um....what?

Has Obama ever hinted that he hates free enterprise? I seem to recall he bailed out the financial sector. Bailed out a major auto manufacturer. Decided to privatize space exploration.

Those are the actions of someone that hates free enterprise?
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Nice strawman.

Can you point to where Romney said Obama hates free markets? I must have missed it:rolleyes:
 
Tricky said:
It's not a yes-no situation. Taking care of your own country implies a certain resistance to absolutely "free" enterprise. Big businesess like tax breaks. That's not free enterprise either. That's protectionism.

Each incidence of government incursion into "free enterprise" must be evaluated for the the benefits to the country versus the harm to the free market. It's not cut-and dried. So no, neither Obama nor Romney is truly for "free enterprise". But Obama's incursion into American enterprise have saved American compnies, for the most part. Romney's incursions, at least at Bain Capital, have destroyed American companies and sold them for parts. Is the hypothetical "free enterprise" worth harming your own country? I think Obama answers this question much better than Romney.
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Bain Capital destroyed more jobs than it created? Evidence?

If not, wouldn't you agree that your characterization is flawed?
 
Mitt's comment about Obama was in response to Obama criticizing Romney's work at Bain. Unless the posters feel private equity isn't free enterprise (a curious position), then Obama's criticism is attacking free enterprise.

ETA: I'm not saying it makes him a socialist, but we just had a thread disciussing how Obama would angle himself as a populist - and here we have it.
 
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IchabodPlain said:
Mitt's comment about Obama was in response to Obama criticizing Romney's work at Bain. Unless the posters feel private equity isn't free enterprise (a curious position), then Obama's criticism is attacking free enterprise.

ETA: I'm not saying it makes him a socialist, but we just had a thread disciussing how Obama would angle himself as a populist - and here we have it.
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So anything that is free enterprise is exempt from criticism?
 
IchabodPlain said:
Mitt's comment about Obama was in response to Obama criticizing Romney's work at Bain. Unless the posters feel private equity isn't free enterprise (a curious position), then Obama's criticism is attacking free enterprise.
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Do you see a difference between I don't like the way the Marlins play baseball and I hate baseball?
IchabodPlain said:
Please show where in Mitt's response he used the phrase "wage war." Thanks.
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I don't see those words I see this
President Obama confirmed today that he will continue his attacks on the free enterprise system
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Now can you show me where Obama was attacking the "free enterprise system". Thanks

Using my example, would you agree that criticizing the way the Marlins played baseball was attacking baseball?
 
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Spindrift said:
So anything that is free enterprise is exempt from criticism?
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What a foolish thing to say. You're not dealing with the articles, but projecting some convoluted scenario that isn't germane to the discussion, such as supporting a minimum wage makes one against free enterprise. I will not participate.
 
We are getting local attack ads against senator McCaskill from the "US Chamber Of Commerce" folks. They go on as to how she's for "big government" and for "job-stifling" regulations.
And of course, taxes...

When asked what would stimulate job growth, folks in the business community say..."Demand". Not less regulation.
We've had threads on this before. What regulations do they want removed? Job safety? Quality control? Product safety?
Price-fixing?
Sure, there are no doubt niggling regulations that are a pain in the keister to business owners, but many are also there to addess past abuses.
 
DavidJames said:
Do you see a difference between I don't like the way the Marlins play baseball and I hate baseball?I don't see those words I see thisNow can you show me where Obama was attacking the "free enterprise system". Thanks
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Didn't see your edit: look Travis used the words hate and wage war. Not me. Not Romney. If you want to go to bat over "this is what I think he meant to say" you're on your own.

I answered your last question in the post you quoted: Do you think private equity is free enterprise? If yes, then Obama was attacking free enterprise. Did Obama mention new reforms for eliminating or tightly controlling private equity? No? Then it isn't a matter of how one team plays baseball or whatever your silly analogy was meant to convey.
 
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IchabodPlain said:
Mitt's comment about Obama was in response to Obama criticizing Romney's work at Bain. Unless the posters feel private equity isn't free enterprise (a curious position), then Obama's criticism is attacking free enterprise.

ETA: I'm not saying it makes him a socialist, but we just had a thread disciussing how Obama would angle himself as a populist - and here we have it.
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IchabodPlain said:
What a foolish thing to say. You're not dealing with the articles, but projecting some convoluted scenario that isn't germane to the discussion, such as supporting a minimum wage makes one against free enterprise. I will not participate.
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Obama criticized Romney's work at Bain. You equated his criticism with "attacking free enterprise." So I will re-iterate, why can't free enterprise be criticized.
 
Spindrift said:
Obama criticized Romney's work at Bain. You equated his criticism with "attacking free enterprise." So I will re-iterate, why can't free enterprise be criticized.
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Hellooo? Who said you can't criticize free enterprise? I Didn't. Romney didn't. Is private equity not free enterprise? Did obama propose reforms to eliminate or tightly control private equity? No?

Then why is the POTUS disparaging an entire section of our economy?
 
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AlBell said:
Ya think? What do you think Obama meant?
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That laws and regulations must be designed not with the maximization of profits in mind, but to prevent exploitation and long term damage while the government should provide things like the necessary infrastructure (education, power, water, transport) that has external benefits not shown in a bottom line report. There's also probably an argument to be made for other details in the statement, but the prevention of exploitation and damage is probably the key.

Taking 'fair shot' and turning it into some socialist 'equal outcomes' is stupid, shoddy straw man building. The rules of football are designed to give players a 'fair shot' too, but no one would call it socialism. Well, besides the massive government aid and breaks they get.
 
IchabodPlain said:
I answered your last question in the post you quoted: Do you think private equity is free enterprise? If yes, then Obama was attacking free enterprise. Did Obama mention new reforms for eliminating or tightly controlling private equity? No? Then it isn't a matter of how one team plays baseball or whatever your silly analogy was meant to convey.
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Sorry, but I have no idea what you're saying. Maybe you could provide the specific quote(s) from Obama which lead you to think he is attacking free enterprise.
 
IchabodPlain said:
Hellooo? Who said you can't criticize free enterprise? I Didn't. Romney didn't. Is private equity not free enterprise? Did obama propose reforms to eliminate or tightly control private equity? No?

Then why is the POTUS disparaging an entire section of our economy?
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He's disparaging Bain Capital and you're making the leap to free enterprise.

What did Obama propose that would eliminate private equity?

What is wrong with controlling abuse in a sector of the economy that can be easily abused?
 
ponderingturtle said:
Which is why the free market solution would have been to nationalize the banks. They needed to fail.
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The free market solution for the banks (and for GM) was bankruptcy, and let the buzzards buy the pieces.

GM got a break from Obamaland to placate unions; the job losses I've read (no, I have no cite) were all non-union folks.
 
IchabodPlain said:
Didn't see your edit: look Travis used the words hate and wage war. Not me. Not Romney. If you want to go to bat over "this is what I think he meant to say" you're on your own.

I answered your last question in the post you quoted: Do you think private equity is free enterprise? If yes, then Obama was attacking free enterprise. Did Obama mention new reforms for eliminating or tightly controlling private equity? No? Then it isn't a matter of how one team plays baseball or whatever your silly analogy was meant to convey.
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Look Romney said this: "President Obama confirmed today that he will continue his attacks on the free enterprise system."

Now why would Obama attack free enterprise unless he either hated it. Or he wanted to wage war on it.

I stand by my terms of interpretation based on what Romney said about Obama attacking free enterprise.
 
Did Bush's bailouts of the auto industry bother you too, or is it only bad if it's a Democrat doing it?
 
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