woah

Gee, politics. I thought I had outgrown it. Seriously. Whenever I talk politics, I just seem to piss everyone off.

So why now? Well, Mr. Obama threw a rock that bounced off my house, as well as quite a few others’, us small businessmen and businesswomen. Yes, the famous, “You didn’t build that,” speech. This morning, I read the indignant commentary of the Republican convention. It seems that the Republicans have jumped on a bandwagon and the Dems are not at all happy about it. The shrillest commentary appears to be: “He was taken out of context!”

Was he? Now, I am no stranger to the idiocy that suffuses our ridiculous political process. As such, I figured I would take a look at the context from which these quotes were taken. To paraphrase, it looks like Mr. Obama was going for, “No man is an island.” Considering his audience at the time, teachers, I believe, it is understandable that Mr. Obama would be courting teachers and praising them for their effects on students and former students. 

But Mr. Obama didn’t stop there. No, he picked up that ball and rushed into new territory. Small businessmen and –women get their materials and ship their goods on roads built by others. Why did he bring this up? After that, he drops the bomb: “you didn’t build that.” Huh? This wasn’t a slip of the tongue. I don’t think I misunderstood his point. He hammered it home pretty effectively…I didn’t build that. He or she didn’t build that. We owe our success to others…apparently to teachers and road builders. The teachers, sure, in that warm and fuzzy way that I feel about my teachers, (that doesn’t quite translate to the California Teachers Association). But road builders? Isn’t that the government?

Judging from the way the Republican convention apparently progressed, I am not alone in noticing this. Now, it is no secret to any small businessman that when times are going well for his business, he is generally the envy of his neighbors. When times are good, owning your own business is a real joy. For me, it has been exciting and lucrative. Oh, but when times are tough, owning a business is ugly—damn ugly. I am responsible for the welfare of my employees and it is heart-rending when I had to make tough decisions. Is this a sore subject for me? Yes, both in good times and bad times. I hate hearing, You are so lucky, and I hate hearing, Wow, that really sucks.  

So, Mr. Obama sort of rubbed my nose in it when he said I didn’t build that. I owe my success to the teachers and the road builders. I do? I don’t remember the comfort of the road builders when I had to lay people off, when I had to kneel before bankers, when the recession threatened everything, including my house. The government may have helped me here and there, but Uncle Sam is no business partner of mine. If taking money from the government is what led to success, you’d think that people that took welfare would be a lot more successful. Right?

Oh, and because I can’t resist, I have to laugh at the moronic commentators that include government contracts with government loans and calling both handouts. Really? The contracts I worked for, and the loans I am repaying. I guess I don’t understand what handout means.