http://avc.disqus.com/enTue, 31 Mar 2009 15:01:33 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7683226<p>Well said! Even better if he did include new immigrants on that list!</p>Jamie LinTue, 31 Mar 2009 15:01:33 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7557944<p>Judging from the latest developments, Obama is is a defender of corporate socialism rather than healthy capitalism. </p>PhotoHandFri, 27 Mar 2009 10:52:38 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7545199<p>Fred that would be a good line if the Prez actually matched his talk with his walk but he doesn't. He never has either, IMHO. He talks about this drive being what fuels our prosperity, it's what will get these banks lending again, moving our economy once more. Well golly gee, didn't the Prez say in the very same speech that investment in healthcare, energy, and education is what will get our economy moving?</p><p>Since when did an investment in digitizing records (his healthcare plan) ever create the enormous profit the Prez talks about? Since when did the investment of taxpayers dollars in education create the educational excellence that produce the economic benefits he's saying will be realized? Since the inception of the Dept of Education our children's standing in the world has been destroyed - not even maintained - destroyed. Energy? The world runs on Petroleum, coal, &amp; nuclear. Let's maximize that completely to our advantage, not stifle it as the President and Company have done. Yes, the investment in actual alternative energy sources needs to be continued. But reality needs to set it in - the economic fuel Obama is talking about with alternative energy will take years to even start to make a difference.</p><p>The Presidents speech was the same as the one before it and the one before that and so on and so on. His message is stale and has no substance anymore. It never has IMHO when examined closely.</p><p>As I read this line from the President's press conference, another line came to my mind. It was a line uttered over 40 years ago by the President's father:</p><p>"What is more important is to find means by which we can redistribute our economic gains to the benefit of all," said the senior Obama, a Harvard-educated economist. "This is the government's obligation." The "means" he had in mind were confiscatory taxes on a scale that redefines the term "progressive taxation."</p><p>Now if Obama would've said this then he truly would be walking his talk. You can read more and see how eerily similar Barack's father's socialist ideas match exactly what our President is doing right now.</p><p><a href="http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=303952499910291" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=303952499910291">http://www.ibdeditorials.co...</a></p><p>Thanks.</p><p></p>Peter FleckensteinThu, 26 Mar 2009 20:19:02 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7538312<p>We need to decriminalize most illegal drugs and regulate them (to various degrees) and tax them</p><p>What is going on in mexico is scary and we are partly (or mostly) to blame because of our puritanical views on drugs</p>fredwilsonThu, 26 Mar 2009 18:24:30 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7537862<p>Yup</p>fredwilsonThu, 26 Mar 2009 18:21:26 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7537813<p>Sweet!</p><p>It will go up today or tomorrow</p><p>Fred</p>fredwilsonThu, 26 Mar 2009 18:19:19 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7536851<p>thieves, not thiefs</p>JackThu, 26 Mar 2009 17:39:40 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7536719<p>I just watched a documentary about heroin use in America. One million addicts and an incalculable human toll, the billions of wasted money and billions more spent trying to stop the violence in cities and along the border. And recently Americans enjoyed an unprecedented opportunity to ask questions of the President directly. What did thousands upon thousands want from him? To legalize marijuana. America is becoming a wasteland of liars cheats thiefs and dope addicts. Two million serving time in prison? We're doomed. </p>JackThu, 26 Mar 2009 17:33:18 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7533254<p>According to a number of news reports, the "big guns" in the AIG divisions that got into trouble have been gone for over a year. Those divisions are now staffed with folks from AIG divisions that did well and continue to do well and new folks.</p><p>It's unclear why trashing them is a good idea.</p><p>And, wrt the "bonuses", the financial industry makes heavy use of back-loaded compensation. It keeps folks from leaving in the middle of the year.</p><p>In related news, I heard that Bloomberg reminded folks that half of NYCs tax base comes from 40k people. If they leave....<br></p>Andy FreemanThu, 26 Mar 2009 15:10:22 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7533209<p>"every" is the key word.</p><p>He's fine with those investors who will participate in HIS programs.</p>andyswanThu, 26 Mar 2009 15:08:36 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7532253<p>Sent to your e-mail address today. Enjoy your vacation!</p>JLMThu, 26 Mar 2009 14:32:38 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7530536<p>The jig is up. Sorry for the investors and entrepreneurs who have bought into a system of greed and kept their mouth shut the whole time, but our economy has been overrun by people who are not the good kind of business people. People shorting the economy and spreading rumors, hedge funds deciding which way the market is going to go, corporations pumping money into lies in their marketing and making products crappier and crappier, the rich lobbying away any legislation that promotes the commons if it costs them an extra dime. As someone who has been disgusted with what I have seen in the tech world and the VC world, I have no desire to spend any energy defending innocent entrepreneurs and investors from a general backlash against American greed and self-interest. This economy stopped working for honest hard-working people a long time ago and if anger is what is going to steer it back, then so be it. I know plenty of people who have worked hard and honestly and had it stuffed up their rears by the greed and self-interest of entrepreneurs and investors. This culture of me, me, me has got to go. Stop glorifying people who spend their energy amassing wealth without concern for their overall impact. </p>sickenedThu, 26 Mar 2009 13:27:15 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7528358<p>My g-d is logic. Logic says Americans have been living in a full blown fascism particualary in the last 60 years.</p><p>Who is your g-d?</p>New West LivingThu, 26 Mar 2009 12:13:00 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7528028<p>Good article - I wonder if it's a matter of time until this starts happening in the US. Or is that just a European reaction?</p>KyleThu, 26 Mar 2009 12:01:34 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7524412<p>Cool.</p><p>Don't sweat it if you can't make it happen.</p>fredwilsonThu, 26 Mar 2009 09:57:23 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7524332<p>That's legit. I can deal with that.</p>fredwilsonThu, 26 Mar 2009 09:54:18 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7524251<p>obama did not pass that bill, congress did, and he killed it</p>fredwilsonThu, 26 Mar 2009 09:50:24 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7523105<p>My biggest problem with Obama is that he says one thing, and then does another. The scary part is that he is SO eloquent that when he says it, you believe it. Here's the best example from his "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday night: He said something like, "This administration will not govern out of anger." I liked that, but then he turns around and passes a bill to tax the AIG executives at 90%. He passed a bill aimed at a small group of people and was purely governing out of anger. Maybe well-justified, but don;t say one thing and then do another. I would have liked him to say that he will govern out of anger for citizens that abuse the system, and then tax these guys at 90% - that would have been so much more effective. It's subtle, but it makes ALL the difference.</p>toddsavageThu, 26 Mar 2009 08:53:21 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7522852<p>A related sentiment from today's Times here in the UK (following the vandalisation of a paid-off banker's house).</p><p><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5977153.ece" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5977153.ece">http://www.timesonline.co.u...</a></p>johndoddsThu, 26 Mar 2009 08:40:49 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7522294<p>I would love to see that post. Your reply to me alone opened my eyes and got me to look deeper into the situation and do more research like any good citizen should.</p>BmoreWireThu, 26 Mar 2009 08:20:05 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7520828<p>My favorite line - Thank you and Good night</p>HockeydinoThu, 26 Mar 2009 06:19:08 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7518065<p>Wall Street is going to have to take some sort of hit on this. It's unfortunate in some cases and quite justified in other cases.</p><p>Why does it have to take a hit? Because this is the beginning of a depression. And according to the Kubler-Ross model, we have to move through this anger stage. We were in denial for a long time and that has finally turned to anger. Eventually this will give way to bargaining, then depression, and finally acceptance.</p><p>Anger is ok, but only when it's pointed at the true guilty party -- ourselves. We let ourselves get here. It's understandable and probably unavoidable, but that's how it is.</p><p>Sadly, we'll just have to sit and watch this play out. For the next several years an MBA will be a sign of shame. Investment firms will be pariah. And the stock market will be viewed as a disreputable casino. It's unfortunate to be sure, but like the expansion that got us here, it's all part of the process.</p>David B.Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:43:39 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7516425<p>lol, no, the baby bottle is for those who live in ignorance and denial of the facts.</p>kidmercuryThu, 26 Mar 2009 00:45:37 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7516184<p>Well here is a baby bottle! get a life!</p>Jesse C AndersonThu, 26 Mar 2009 00:29:32 -0000http://avc.com/2009/03/my-favorite-line-from-the-presidents-press-confer/last-night.html#comment-7516127<p>Well Jefferson ain't here now! And those that love freedom are here to stand for what right, if you don't believe me ask God!</p>Jesse C AndersonThu, 26 Mar 2009 00:25:43 -0000