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Obama's speech

Posted: Jul 16, 2012

There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t — look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.

He continued:

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.

Thoughts?

;

Glad to see the actual speech and not the fear mongering - that is being put out about this

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I knew there was more to what he said than what is being touted by all of the pundits.

OK, but what are your thoughts on this speech. - Zville MT

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There are a lot of people that did do things all on thier own, without money from the government or a bank, etc. Is it really fair to say business owners should pay more because the government provided the roads and the internet?

Obama's Speech - Liberty

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I pay taxes so I paid for the roads, etc. My husband and I put our money up to establish our business and we made all of the decisions. We worked 24/7 and paid our employee and didn't pay ourselves because the money wasn't there. There were so many taxes and regulations by the government. It infuriates me that Obama said we didn't do it on our own!

-

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My two cents... - (see message)

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I agree with everything he said except for this line: "If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen."

I think he should've said "....you didn't build that ON YOUR OWN" and "Somebody else HELPED make that happen." I know that successful small business people put lots of blood, sweat, and tears into building their companies, and I don't take away any of the credit they deserve for that; but I'd like to see them try to build the same success in some other country that doesn't have both the government and free society that we have here.

I believe that "no man is an island," and that small business owners ARE interdependent on friends, family, community, government, customers, vendors, and even competitors to achieve their success. Try taking away those government-built roads on which to transport your goods or bring your customers to you; taking away the SBA loans that are necessary for some to get off the ground; taking away the relatively reasonable USPS to ship your products; taking away government-developed GPS or satellite systems which enable people to view your location on Google maps, and then let's compare revenues. I can't say that a business's success wouldn't be POSSIBLE without these things, but I DO think they help make a business run and grow. Not every helpful sector is governmental, but I can't think of ANY business that makes it 100% on their own, if you consider everything it takes to make a business run.

I agree. - No man is an island. nm

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.

My two cents... - Liberty

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With all due respect...did you listen to his speech or did you just read what he said? Maybe it was the way he said,"You didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen." People were cheering, standing ovations... That makes me sad and mad that he is deligitimizing our individuality, criticizing our success with contempt. He and the people in his audience were vilifying the entreprenuer. Nobody from the government or anyone else stood by my Dad when he was wiring rat- infested grain elevators. The one group of people you didn't include to consider what it takes to make a business run is the men and women of our military...if it weren't for them - we wouldn't be here. And, as far as your statement about going to another country to build a business in another country - actually, it is alot easier. In another country it takes a few minutes to register as a business...it takes a month at least here. Why do you think there are so many companies that have outsourced their work? The regulations by the Government! Thank you for your time.

Liberty.... - (see message)

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I didn't mean to imply that every single person or entity I listed are the ONLY ones who make a business run....I was just listing SOME. I give all due respect to the men and women of our military; but, you kind of reinforce the point--who do you think supplies and supports our military? It's definitely not a private business, but I'm sure you know that. That IS another function of the government. Maybe I don't get your point about that.

Obama gives as much respect to our military men and women as any president in my memory, and you're probably aware that Michelle Obama is a huge supporter of military families.

But getting back to the topic of businesses--some small mom-and-pop business doesn't seem to have the same chance of success as they do here in the U.S. if they go overseas and try to start up a business, no matter how easy it is for them to register as a business.

I live in a farming state, and I LOVE and respect farmers and all the back-breaking work they do to keep us fed. I know you didn't say your dad was a farmer, per se, but I assume the rat-infested grain elevators he worked on had something to do with farms or agriculture. If he were bitten by one of those rats or suffered severe grain dust inhalation with long-standing medical problems (or even disability) as a result, would you expect him to just take care of himself....every man for himself kind of thinking? Would he have not wanted or expected government safety rules to protect him? Did he always have enough money to pay for possibly huge medical bills as a result of any work-related injury?

I can't understand why so many people think "government" is such a despised word. Yes, there has been and still is too much corruption, and some politicians are greedy, self-serving parasites. But with all its flaws, I can still see that there are many areas where government is needed to provide rules and services in a country this size.

I'm really not even sure where I'm going in this conversation any more...have kind of lost track! (LOL) Sorry for rambling....I was just trying to say that I can understand and agree with the fact that most businesses, large or small, have managed to make a go of it with SOME help in some way--it's not just "me, me, me" that does it all....nor would I want it to be if I was trying to start or grow a business.

You did a good job. I am proud of what our - sm

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government has done over the years to protect us. As far as small businesses go, no one is totally independent no matter how hard they work. We all depend on 20th and 21st century innovations including the internet. When you start a business you are dependent on a customer for your product, advertising, employees, delivery, insurance, etc. I think that is what the president was trying to say, not to diminish hard work by small (or large) business owners. In the end, we are all dependent on one another in one way or another.

You did a good job... - Liberty

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Hello there -
Did your parents ever tell you "Good Job!" when you got an A in school, or did they, instead, say to you,"You didn't get that A, it was the person sitting beside you that helped you get that A, and it was the busdriver that drove you to school or the person you walked with that helped you get that A. Just remember that because you studied hard to get that A, you didn't get it on your own."

IF the president was trying to say what you are saying, why did he say it in such a demeaning way to small business owners? Why did he say it with contempt? Why didn't he say,"The small business people went out there and did all the paperwork, paid all the taxes, researched all the regulations required of them, rounded up all of their employees, spent countless hours pouring over finances to achieve their American Dream, so let's give them a hand for their hard work." Why did he belittle the small business owner? He has NO idea what it means to open up a small business. I don't need the president to tell me I am doing a good job, and I surely don't need him to belittle me or any other small business owner.

He is trying to create divisions within all of us. Those people were giving him a standing ovation, applauding, etc.

Thank you for listening and for your time.

Fantastic point! - (nm)

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*

more comments from me... - Liberty

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It's a good thing I don't know where you live...I would have to come over a spank you! LOL!

First of all, my Dad was an electrician. When he went to these elevators to wire them, and if he saw rats, he would tell the owner/manager that if they didn't get rid of the rats, he wasn't going to wire the elevator. What! He didn't call the government! He handled it himself! It isn't that we are a "me,me,me" type people, we prefer to be responsible for our own welfare.

Also, name one Government agency that is profitible - just curious if you can name one because I can't. The only Government entity that works is the military. Government is too big, too much bureaucracy. Have you ever had to deal with a Government agency because of your small business? Nobody knows what the other person is doing. My point is: Is there one Government agency, besides the military, that couldn't be replaced by someone in the private sector?

I believe that Pres. Obama wants everyone to think they are dependent on the Government and that without the Government we are nothing.

Would you, please, want to address my question regarding the tone of voice Obama used when talking to his audience and saying "you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen." What did you think about the people cheering, giving him a standing ovation. He is creating division between the people. He said it with mockery and contempt, and people were applauding him.

And one more thing, so when a business fails, then the business owner can blame the president, the people that built the roads, the internet, etc. for their failure? If they are going to take credit for the building of the business, then they have to take the blame for the failure. How does one collect on that?

Take Care! Talk to you soon, I presume??? LOL!

As always,
Your token Republican friend

Liberty, NOW I've heard the whole context... - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
....of Obama's speech. I sort of wondered if the original quotes of it were some kind of snippets from Rush Limbaugh or Fox that were taken out of context. It seems they were. I found a story which explains that Romney (and others) just ran with the quote, putting it in people's minds that Obama was dissing the business owners; but the story goes on to say this:

But in his reaction to the remark, Romney ignored its original context. When he made the comment in Roanoke, Va. Friday, Obama was arguing that businesses needed infrastructure investment to succeed.

"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help," Obama said. "There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen."

The antecedent to "that" is not the business, but "roads and bridges," as well as the "American system" as a whole.

"The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together," Obama said.

If you go back to the OP, that whole quote - is given.

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Liberty said it best above - we are not a collective. Just because the government built the roads my business uses (paid for by taxpayers, including me) does not make them responsible for my success - or my failure. I did that, not some guy in New York and certainly not some politician in DC.

You're right, of course... - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
...now that I go back and re-read the OP's post. I hadn't HEARD the Obama speech myself--I had only READ the quote in the OP's post--so I didn't realize that the context of what he was saying was referring to the building of the roads, etc., in what the business owner didn't do themselves. His tone of voice might not have been the best, but then, if we're complaining about tone of voice, I didn't love the light-hearted and flippant tone of voice that Romney used when he told a table of unemployed workers, "I'm unemployed, too!"

But, anyway, those of you who seem so bent on disliking Obama here don't acknowledge THIS line of his from that same speech: "The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together." He's giving credit to the individual's initiative there. I'm certainly entitled to my opinion, whether you think my opinion is right or wrong, and I happen to agree with him that no one individual goes it completely alone.

In the student's "good job" for the "A" example that I think it was Liberty gave earlier--no, the school bus driver and the kid sitting next to them didn't earn the "A" for them...that would be nonsense for anyone to claim. Yes, the kid worked hard and earned that "A" for themselves. But, I sure don't believe that ANY grade-school-aged kid could earn the money to feed themselves, put a roof over their own heads, make sure they did their homework and got themselves a good night's sleep, got off to school in time in the morning, and, oh, by the way, walked a number of miles to school (or drove themselves while all the other "lazy" kids had a bus driver take them), and then taught themselves the lesson plan! You take away all those things which the parent(s), bus driver, and teacher do to help that kid, and the only thing you're left with is an abandoned kid who is sitting alone at home...not achieving much at all.

Sorry, I just don't think that ANY of us "do it all" by ourselves.

Lively discussion!... - Liberty

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This was great fun talking to everyone...I can appreciate the fact that many will not understand my point of view if you have never been a small business owner.

I really hope Obama isn't re-elected because I can't afford any more taxes...tax on my health insurance, tax on any medical devices, tax on my insurance provider, tax on small businesses, and more.

Thank you.

I agree! - Zville MT

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Differing opinions and we all stayed polite and respectful - it can be done :)

My hubby and I started a business about six years ago and it's just now starting to turn a bit of a profit - not enough for me to stop typing, but better than we had been doing. We put a lot of our own money and all of our free time into it and we never got a penny from anyone to start out or to continue. I agree that if you've never been there, you won't get what goes into making it work. I'm with you Liberty - Romney wouldn't be my first choice (or second, to be honest), but the country can't afford four more years of Obama.

I agree with both Liberty and you. - Trigger Happy

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As the wife of a general manager of a car dealership, my husband and I know what this administration is doing to hurt businesses. Obama wants nothing more than to create or help sustain union jobs...and yet he ignores the private sector and ridicules business owners. We cannot afford 4 more years of Obama. He just doesn't get it. I've never seen an administration so hateful to anyone who has been blessed enough to be successful in life. I don't know if Romney can help pull us out of this hole we are in, but I know Obama will just dig it deeper if he gets another term. God help us all if that happens.

Zville and Trigger Happy and anyone else... - Liberty

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Thank you for understanding where I am coming from. I appreciate it.

I enjoy a good discussion, too... - (see message)

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....without getting over-pompous or name calling. When that starts, that's when I no longer want to be involved in a discussion. :-)

Actually, my husband ran his own business for almost 20 years as a subcontractor; and he now works for someone else, but they're also a very small business, with only about 3 employees plus the 2 owners. So, I think I DO know what it's like to be a small business person.

I'd be interested in knowing what changed for small businesses 3-1/2 years ago when Obama took office? Were there new rules and regulations which he put in place that have prevented small businesses from thriving? Zville: You and your husband have been in business for 6 years, starting before Obama was in office, and you are now starting to do O.K.....? I know, from experience, that it takes a lot of hard work on your part to succeed (especially in these last 4 years), so congratulations on that; but I'm not sure I understand your point.

What I see in my area is that with the small businesses which have been hurting in the past 5 years or so, their troubles began before Obama even won the last election. The problems, to me, seem to be more a matter of all the people who WOULD be their customers--the middle class--have lost more and more of their buying power. I'm sure you'll probably disagree with this, but I started to see the beginnings of our problems from after the 9/11 tragedy....when so many companies lost business, soooo much of our national treasure started going for security and the war expenses, and so many people got deeper and deeper in debt because they thought going out and shopping would help.

Believe me, my husband HATES all the OSHA rules they have to follow in his business....they seem excessive and are soooo much trouble to comply with. But then, somebody who's not following the safety rules falls off a roof to their death or a crushing disability injury....and that exact thing has happened around here since my hubby first started complaining about OSHA crackdowns....and THEN the employer has to deal with all the tragedy and fallout from that. Even if there were no OSHA rules and no worries about lawsuits or huge workman's comp claims and expenses--if our ethic was "just let me do my job and get the government out of my face"--should a decent American employer WANT their employees to be in danger of being so badly maimed or killed, and then they or their families left to move on--handle it yourself? Like I tell my husband (and believe me, I do sympathize with how hard it is to comply with some of their stupid rules): "It's all a-bunch-of-crap regulations until someone gets killed." Many, many Americans CAN be trusted to be honest, protect their employees, do things the right way.....but, unfortunately, it's been proven time and time again that there are way too many that can't, and I don't want to end up working for one of them.

Amen...Trigger Happy - Liberty

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I agree with you...we cannot afford 4 more years of Obama, and I, too, have never seen an administration so determined to turn one group of people against another group of people. All the best to you and your husband on your car dealership!

Congratulations Zville MT on your determination... - Liberty

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Zville,
You and your husband have a lot of determination, and you deserve to be applauded for that. We know that if a business doesn't make any money, we can't go out and print money like the Government. I admire you and your husband. All the best to you!

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