EDITORIAL: Why I Am Not Voting For Barack Obama
I am a rare and endangered species in America - I am Black, and I am not voting for Obama.The racial undertones of this 2008 Presidential Election cannot be ignored…well, not by persons like myself. Although most Americans have done everything they can to stay away from the racial issues, the fact of the matter is that most Black people in America are voting for Obama simply because he is Black. As long as he doesn’t admit to worshipping the devil or being a serial killer, they will support his candidacy as the fulfillment of the dream that fostered the Civil Rights Movement and every struggle for justice that Black Americans have endured in this country. I get it; really, I do. I would hope that non-Black Americans are at least able to sympathize with that position, considering the circumstances. Such a unilateral and uncontested, even blind support of a candidate is charged almost purely by emotion, but in this case it is at least emotionally justifiable.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t vote for Barack Obama if you paid me to, which ironically enough, is exactly what he is doing.
Barack Obama’s economic policies often offend me. He has re-branded all out socialism as “Change” and “Hope”, or as MadTV so eloquently put it, “Chope”.
Among Obama's flawed economic policies are a “Windfall Profits Tax”, a “tax on excessive oil company profits to give American families an immediate $1,000 emergency energy rebate”, an indexed minimum wage increase that automatically rises with inflation, and a federal ban on the permanent replacement of striking workers. If you have a one-sided view of the economy, this sounds great; more money in your inelastic pocket. However, these kinds of anti-capitalist policies would actually contribute to the destruction of the balance that makes our economy strong in the best of times because it unfairly assures the underdog that he will never experience the worst of times. America cannot be the “Land of Opportunity” if those who take advantage of the opportunities are penalized as a result. Minimum-wage jobs are not designed to support families of 3 or more; that‘s what professional degrees, skilled trades, and even second jobs are for. Strikes are risky, and an employer has every right to fire employees who don’t show up for work, whether it makes him a cold-hearted miser or not. Unfair redistribution of wealth is socialism, pure and simple.
If you want to be a socialist, move to China.
On the other hand, while McCain is not as conservative as I would like, his economic policies are far more fair and balanced. For example, McCain's remedy for victims of the sub-prime mortgage lending bubble is to adjust their loans to reflect the current value of their homes as opposed to the former, inflated value. They still have to pay the debt they signed up for, but there is a compassionate act of good will on behalf of the government that demanded the banks begin lending to the sub-prime market in the first place. Instead of penalizing Americans who make over $250,000 a year (which is not rich, by the way), he wants to reduce prices on gas and food, which is fair to everyone. McCain also lists a number of economists who approve his economic plan on his website, which lends to it’s greater realistic soundness compared to Obama’s plan.
I enjoy my freedom too much to have my vote bought by someone who would rather see me live as a poor, minimum-wage earning worker for the rest of my life than help empower me to become a business owner who can afford to hire employees and make profits without being unfairly taxed. I can’t sell out to someone like that.
I don’t care if he’s Black or not.
Labels: economy, I_C_Jackson, inflation, Obama, taxes
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posted by I.C. Jackson | 10/22/2008 05:19:00 AM
12 Comments:
Mr. Jackson,
Your remarks are spot on. I am a white American, and I appreciate why most blacks are supporting Obama.
I am opposed to Obama because he is a socialist. He wants to increase taxes on corporations when we already have the 2nd highest corporate tax rate in the country. It will make it more difficult for our businesses to sell their products. In addition, who does Obama think pays those corporate taxes. I say that corporations do not pay taxes, they simply raise the price of their product and we pay those taxes.
MaCain is not great, but he is a lot better than Obama.
This is a good article. Thanks.
First off, you're turning people off by mentioning you're Black but you still won't vote for Obama. Who gives a fuck if you're black or white? Just tell us that you won't vote for him.
And then, I earn a comfortable salary, but below 100K, and it pains me to see that Bush and McCai are giving away more money in taxes to people earning twice as much as me, not necessarily because they are smarter than me. Every asshole who sould his soul at Lehmann and Merrill and AIG was given a tax cut, whereas I lost my money in stocks because of those bastards.
Thirdly, you're either insane or just wanna be a unique guy for the sake of it, if you oppose windfall taxes.Your Governor Palin did it too, by the way. Why do you support her then?
But more than that, when Oil went from 70 to 140, gas went from $3 to $4.
Oil went from 140 to 70, and gas it still 2.70.
Who do you think is responsible for that uneven rates of increase and decrease?
Just d your research before you set out to blog and make yourself sound cool.
Wow...
Anyone who doesn't agree with you is trying to 'sound cool'?
Like how you sound ultra cool with all the profanity? Yeah, that rocks.
Sir, I have principles and beliefs that are different than yours, period. I don't have to agree with everything Palin does to be a Republican, but that's beside the point.
BTW, her circumstances were a little different than Obama's and what he is proposing on a federal level. That's far from my only reason for not voting for him, though.
Simply put, I'm a capitalist, so I don't vote for socialists.
And concerning how my racial comments are "turning people off", someone like you would be turned off whether I was Black, White, or Purple because freedom, opposition, and individuality apparently turn you off.
Actually, in China there's no free health care, no adequate welfare safety net, very little public infrastructure, and no socialism - just totalitarianism.
To find a 'socialist' paradise that provides these things free to all citizens you'd have to move here to Oz - or to one of the more wealthy and enlightened Euro or Scandinavian democracies.
By the way - this year every citizen of Alaska (of all places) will be paid in excess of $3000 US - in oil revenues very like those which you denigrate.
I may live on the other side of the planet, but I know who the Governor of Alaska is.
see http://newilluminati.blog-city.com
http://hermetic.blog.com
I.C. Thank you for your post. I really enjoyed it. It was intelligent and well thought out. Thank you for being an American who pays attention to issues and policies that candidates support. We don't need the government to be successful. I want the opportunity to do that on my own. Socialism takes that opportunity away from us.
zd
Many people that make over $250,000 a year employ people like you and me. When you you have a heavily graduated tax system, they compensate by cutting expenses ie employees or raising prices to consumers, which eventually get passed on to you and me. The same goes for corporate taxes. Corporations don't pay taxes people do. They pass it along in prices to consumers, or employees get laid off, or they just don't get raises and the cost of their personal monthly expenses still goes up. This eats away at your comfortable salary which limits what you can spend, save, or invest. That is if you don't get laid off.
McCain is not my first choice either, but he's infinitely better than the socialist NObama.
Great article, and well written.
Black people overwhelmingly for the Democrats. The fact that black people are projected to vote for Obama is just the continuing the same trend that has been happening for the past 40 years, black people vote Democratic, no news.
I think more black people should (hold their nose) vote Republican. This will give them a voice should a Republican win. Please continue to always vote Republican
I compliment the author of this article. Well said and well written.
What America needs right now is FDR-style leadership, and Barack Obama is the right man for the job. He's smart enough and has a lot of character.
Let's look at the Republican candidate from a tax perspective. He wants to cut the capital gains tax in half. What will this do? It will make those who get rich by producing no useful goods or services in the economy get richer. These are the kind of rich people who buy German cars, French wine, Italian suits and Asian electronics. Their kind of spending doesn't drive economic growth in the USA, and they know it. They will not create the kind of jobs Americans want and need. American don't want to be shoeshine boys or chauffeurs. They want to be doctors and engineers and architects. With a Republican in the White House, be prepared to watch even more jobs go to India and China; be prepare to watch your standard of living go down even further; be prepare for more crime in our cities as the unemployment rate rises.
Help the small business owner and you will help America get out of this recession sooner rather than later. Republicans believe in trickle-down economics, which, in reality, only helps the Hank Paulson's of the world stay rich. That's great if you plan on cleaning the Republican nominee's many homes for a living. Put Barack in charge and we'll get the kind of spending and policies we need. Infrastructure spending, enlightened tax policies, helping worthy students get affordable student loans, etc.
Look at what a Republican has done with 8 years in the big chair. Two wars and yet the economy is a mess. The Bush administration could have intervened when the subprime monster was small and had no teeth. Now it's devouring the whole planet. No Child Left Behind is a joke, and everyone knows it. He put a Goldman Sachs fox in charge of the U.S. Treasury chicken coop and look at the result: banks are getting billions of dollars on the cheap, and hoarding the cash, while many folks who are struggling to save their homes from foreclosure are still waiting for a helping hand. That bailout money is being used to help the top 1% in America stay rich instead of helping the average American.
Americans did the right thing by giving the Democrats control of the House and Senate. The power shift purged the halls of power of corrupt, dishonest and dishonorable Republican "leadership." Let's give Barack at least 4 years to show us what he can do. Give the job to McCain, and he will continue with the Republican modus operandi: pull the wool over the eyes of the people and help those Americans who don't need help.
If it's socialist to cut taxes for low and middle class Americans then I could surely denounce McCain as an elitist because he wants to cut taxes on the rich, resulting in a $600 billion deficit? Where is that money going to come from? No talk about that, just an ignorant accusation with a label that's meant to strike fear into the hearts of older Americans that remember a time when socialism was deemed a real threat to America.
Capitalism is great, until you get companies destroying the fabric of our lives in the name of profits. If it weren't for government stepping in to moderate, big businesses would continue to engage in atrocities against people and the environment.
Further, you can see by the economic turmoil we experience in today's markets, that capitalism is a farce. Capitalism requires the continued growth of consumption--a model for economic growth which will eventually destroy the planet.
You so proudly call yourself a capitalist, and so many Americans would think that so valiant, and yet, that very term should be more feared than any label of socialism.
Obama is clearly a man of character, a man with intent, and a man with heart. For those who lack vision and understanding, you see only fear and I'm sure you are frightened. Your way of life MUST change in order to create a sustainable future in harmony with nature. And those who seek such change will rally against you, and the illusionary life that capitalism has created.
I am black but not American. An African. Today is the 13th of November and Obama has won. I don't care about what happens in America but we have to note that an African American ascending the sit of great people like Lincoln in the white house is historical. Taken into consideration centuries of struggle by the Afro Americans to gain their rights. I have not slept for days watching every single news on Tv afraid I might miss something. This election has shown that America is no longer(or less) than what it used to be. At last the white Americans see. The world is moving forward you either be a part of the band wagon or you will be lost.
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