The Case for Barack Obama

The government has to tax somebody, or else it can't pay for its military, social services (Soc. Sec., Medicare, etc.).

If we don't raise taxes, which programs do we cut? The largest single expenditures are the aforementioned military and social services. Defense accounts for 20% of federal spending, while Soc. Sec. / Medicare account for 41%. Assorted other spending accounts for 32%.

If we don't cut taxes, we need to raise taxes. Who pays for these services? Who benefits?

I'd argue that the rich owe more for the payment of the military than any other group. The military is not staffed by wealthy people, but the wealthy are safe to live better than most, thanks to the military.

Social Security and Medicare are slightly skewed against the poor because of the ~100K cap on income tax. Is it fair for richer (and probably healthier) people to pay for the illnesses of poorer people? I don't know.

Nevertheless, a case can be made that for at least 1/5 of federal spending, the rich ought to pay more. Or the military should be cut back.

Yes, Mr. Zakaria, my vote too has been from the beginning for Barack Obama! I always believed that he was a "phenomenon" and not an 'enigma' as many Americans kept feeling for months - and some still do. My support for him is not because of his 'color' or his so-called 'exotic' background or the 'fact' that he is 'different' than all other presidents on the dollar bills so far, but solely because of his Leadership abilities: Barack Obama is a Genuine Leader and not a politician, 'only', which is of course a rarity in today's global polity. Moreover, he is not only a 'Leader', he is a Global Leader! Americans are really fortunate to have him! Wish India and every country of this world had their own Barack Obama! May he live long and serve the US and and the world for years and years to come!

1) 2,050,000 US home foreclosures, 2) a 700 billion dollar financial bailout 3) 46 million Americans without health insurance 4) 6+ years of an unsuccessful war in Iraq 5) America's dependency on oil 6) nearly 550,000 high school students annually fail to graduate 7) the US has the highest CO2 emissions rate of any industrialized nation on Earth......just 7 of a 100 reasons to vote this Nov 4th. God Bless America

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined -- Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected -- The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed -- Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts -- Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment -- Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses, and even forego civil liberties, in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption -- Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions, and who use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Sounds an awful like the US government!

The 14 characteristics of Fascism
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/14_Characteristics_Fascism.html
 1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism -- Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights -- Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to 'look the other way' or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause -- The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military -- Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism -- The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and antigay legislation and national policy.
6. Controlled Mass Media -- Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or through sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security -- Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

Again, Mr. Zakaria demonstrates deep substantial consciousness and thinking. Until more people become aware of Mr. Zakaria's mental faculties and courage. many Americans run the risk of becoming crystallized in outmoded cause-effect beliefs, and missing opportunities to contribute to a sustainable culture. Thank you Mr. Zakaria for your insights and courage in expressing the truth about so many current subjects including the underpinnings and opportunites associated with the current global financial crisis, the qualifications of Sarah Palin and the "case for Barack Obama.

This has got to be one of the most biased articles I have read yet, which is saying a lot since most of the media seems to have lost their minds and become deaf, dumb and blind.

Posted By: Floridave @ 10/21/2008 11:45:44 AM
Comment: What are you so grumpy about? Is it because we haven't had any of our own airplanes crash into our buildings since 2001? Why does that bother you socialists so much? Why do you hate the idea of America being kept safe by our military? You guys really should start playing for the home team.

American corporations sending our jobs overseas so they can increase their profits by employing people who work for slave wages. American wages dropping and having their salaries cut. An exploding unemployment rate (10% in my county). Health care costs that are increasing at the tune 18% a year while the top 23 CEOs of health insurance companies, Rx,companies and Labs made a combined income of 559 BILLION dollars over the past 5 years while 50 million Americans who can't afford health insurance or are under insured because of the same greed which created the financial crisis. Watching the CEOs of Fanny Mae, Freddie Mac, Bears Stern, and AIG (to name a few) walking away with millions of dollars after their collapsing their companies and the economy while millions of Americans have just lost their retirement funds. The US Government hiring the very people who caused this problem to solve the problem. The fact that Social Security will and Medicaid will be non-existent when I retire and I am forced to pay into it any way. Warrentless Wiretapping. Guantanamo Bay. The US officials torturing prisoners in violation of international law. The illegal invasion of Iraq. The lies that convinced Americans to support that illegal invasion. The fact more soldiers have died in Iraq than on 9/11. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children killed or maimed as a result of the US invasion of a sovereign nation without provocation. US tax dollars Building schools, roads and infrastructure in Iraq while our infrastructure is falling apart. The increase in the National Debt of nearly 5 trillion dollars during the past 8 years (not including the Trillion+ on this bail out). The ever increasing divide between the obscenely rich elite and the rapidly disappearing middle class. The slow but sure destruction of the American way of life and the American dream.

Apparently, it is unpatriotic and anti-American to take the words of the Declaration to heart and speak out against despotism, tyranny and the rising head of fascism if the despotism, tyranny and fascism is perpetrated by the US Government.
(http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/14_Characteristics_Fascism.html),

I guess you would have me ???Be Happy??? about it all, keep quite about the fact the McCain's policies are the same Republican policies that have been slowly but surely destroying the very fabric of this nation and not care what all of this means for the country (and majority of Americans).

I'm a little surprised that Fahreed Zakaria, the marketing guru, hasn't caught on to the idea of America as a marketing concept. We had a product we want to "sell" - namely democracy. We have a target market - the Islamic world. If we want to "sell" democracy, to our target audience, we need to think of who would best represent our product.

McCain looks like the guy who bombed your village during a wedding celebration and killed half of your relatives. Worse, he has permitted his followers and Sarah Palin to demonize Muslims, Arabs and people with funny names - like Hussein. McCain is the last person I'd hire as a marketing representative to the Middle East.

To many people in the Middle East, Obama looks a little like a trusted friend of the family or everyone's favorite cousin. He even shares two names with millions of people in the Middle East: Barack, which means blessing, and Hussein, which means both good and handsome at the same time. In addition, Obama has the ability to reach out and relate to the young - and let's not forget that the Islamic world, demographically, is a very young world.

If we are thinking of marketing - than Obama is the man for the job.