Posted by
Saltwater on Sunday, May 17, 2009 1:17:23 PM
“Some regard private enterprise as if it were a predatory tiger
to be shot. Others look upon it as a cow that they can milk. Not
enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon.” ~
Winston Churchill
Barack Obama spoke at the Arizona State University commencement.
Now, most keynote speakers take such opportunities to offer words of
encouragement for those assembled graduates as they embark on new
adventures in the world outside of academia. Not Obama, instead he
chose the occasion deliver some very disturbing remarks. After
threatening the Board of Regents with IRS audits for refusing to
confer an honorary degree upon him – abuse of power is always good
for a laugh – Obama began by using material left over from his “We
Suck Tour, 2009”:
Now, some graduating classes have marched into this stadium in
easy times – times of peace and stability when we call on our
graduates simply to keep things going, and don’t screw it up.
Other classes have received their diplomas in times of trial and
upheaval, when the very foundations of our lives, the old order has
been shaken, the old ideas and institutions have crumbled, and a new
generation is called upon to remake the world.
It should be clear to you by now the category into which all of
you fall. For we gather here tonight in times of extraordinary
difficulty, for the nation and for the world. The economy remains in
the midst of a historic recession, the worst we’ve seen since the
Great Depression;
Stop the tape! I cannot let that lie pass. Today's economy is
not even close to what Ronald Reagan had to deal with in the first
two years of his administration. During that time, we had interest
rates over 17% (compared with today's near record low rates),
double-digit inflation (36 straight months of inflation rates over 9%
from Jan '79 – Dec '82), and double-digit unemployment (over 12
million unemployed at its peak). All thanks to the failed policies
of one James Earl Carter – policies that Obama seems determined to
resurrect. OK, back to that speech:
The economy remains in the midst of a historic recession, the
worst we’ve seen since the Great Depression; the result, in part,
of greed and irresponsibility that rippled out from Wall Street and
Washington, as we spent beyond our means and failed to make hard
choices. We’re engaged in two wars and a struggle against
terrorism. The threats of climate change, nuclear proliferation, and
pandemic defy national boundaries and easy solutions.
Hardly the stuff to invigorate young hearts anxious to go forth
and make their mark, but what the heck, they had still persevered.
Four years of book bag bruising, endless monotone lectures, mid-paper
blue screens of death, all night cram sessions, living on Red Bull
and Fritos – that was behind them now. The hard work required to
maintain a decent GPA, and keep those scholarship funds coming in,
had finally paid off. This was their night of triumph. Until Obama
told those gathered exactly what he thought about their drive for
excellence.
Now, in the face of these challenges, it may be tempting to fall
back on the formulas for success that have been pedaled so frequently
in recent years. It goes something like this: You’re taught to
chase after all the usual brass rings; you try to be on this “who’s
who” list or that top 100 list; you chase after the big money and
you figure out how big your corner office is; you worry about whether
you have a fancy enough title or a fancy enough car. That’s the
message that’s sent each and every day, or has been in our culture
for far too long – that through material possessions, through a
ruthless competition pursued only on your own behalf – that’s how
you will measure success.
Now, you can take that road, and it may work for some. But at this
critical juncture in our nation’s history, at this difficult time,
let me suggest that such an approach won’t get you where you want
to go; it displays a poverty of ambition. That in fact, the elevation
of appearance over substance, of celebrity over character, of
short-term gain over lasting achievement is precisely what your
generation needs to help end.
Talk about a buzz kill. Instead of honoring their
accomplishments, Obama told them they were misguided in their
efforts. There was no place for competition. That they actually
displayed a “poverty of ambition” by trying to reach the top of
their class. That must have done wonders for the valedictorian's
self-esteem. Jack Kevorkian would have been a better choice as
motivational speaker.
With the opening act over, Obama launched an attack against our
free enterprise economic system, complete with a collectivist riff
calling on the graduates to join his “citizen of the world” feel
good brigade.
So, graduates, it’s now abundantly clear that we need to start
doing things a little bit different.... And as a nation, we’ll need
a fundamental change of perspective and attitude.... I’m talking
about an approach to life, a quality of mind and quality of heart; a
willingness to follow your passions, regardless of whether they lead
to fortune and fame; a willingness to question conventional wisdom
and rethink old dogmas; a lack of regard for all the traditional
markers of status and prestige, and a commitment instead to doing
what’s meaningful to you, what helps others, what makes a
difference in this world.
That’s a great motto for all of us, find somebody to be
successful for. Raise their hopes. Rise to their needs.... You may
look in the mirror tonight and you may see somebody who’s not
really sure what to do with their lives. That’s what you may see,
but a troubled child might look at you and see a mentor. A homebound
senior citizen might see a lifeline. The folks at your local homeless
shelter might see a friend. None of them care how much money is in
your bank account, or whether you’re important at work, or whether
you’re famous around town. They just know that you’re somebody
who cares, somebody who makes a difference in their lives.
The hubris of the man is amazing. The economic fascist no longer
tries to hide who he really is. He tells the next generation that
competition is bad. No one should reach for the brass ring on the
Obama carousel, and those who do are plagued by “ poverty of
ambition.” The desire for excellence is now described as a
personality flaw.
Working for a non-profit, joining the Peace Corps, volunteering
time at a homeless shelter or food bank, and other acts of personal
community involvement are commendable. However, Obama's contention
that “ None of them care how much money is in your bank account”
is ludicrous. The organizations that actually help those in true
need care very much about the available wealth of potential donors.
It's the people with money who can give the money necessary to
support those organizations so they can continue to serve the needy.
If everyone works for non-profits, where will the funds come from to
keep the non-profits open?
“When the shallow critics denounce the profit motive inherent in
our system of private enterprise, they ignore the fact that it is an
economic support of every human right we possess and without it, all
rights would soon disappear” ~ Dwight David Eisenhower
Dennis P. O'Neil