Yesterday was a great day for the Obama administration, liberals, and the unwashed radicals who are "occupying" city streets to call for the overthrow of capitalism. Because Apple founder Steve Jobs died - and if we are to believe Barack Obama's rhetoric, that must be a good thing.
After all, Jobs had accrued a fortune worth billions...meaning he must have stolen that money from the working class proletariat. He was surely not paying his "fair share" in taxes (after all, according to the president, no millionaire or billionaire is). And he was famous (or infamous) for leading in a personal way, not governing by committee, and insisting on excellence - all of which are anathema to the Left.
So the world in general, and Obama's America in particular, will be better off without him - right?
Of course not.
Steve Jobs earned his money by developing products that hadn't previously existed. He didn't steal market share from others...he created it by making innovative products for which there was new demand. And in the course of making a profit, he created more jobs (both domestically and overseas) than Obama could ever dream of.
And while amassing his evil, money-hoarding fortune he also revolutionized computing, telecommunications, and the entertainment business. He empowered innumerable people to accomplish things which would have otherwise been impossible.
In the next few days, Steve Jobs will be widely eulogized...but Hope n' Change doesn't think that the loss of this one man, however great, is the real tragedy. Rather, it is that this nation has changed so radically that inventors, innovators, and job creators like Steve Jobs are now reviled and attacked rather than celebrated.
Which is something that the Obama-inspired "Occupy Wall Street" protestors might want to think about...when they're not listening to their iPods.
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Oh boy! There's a new Arrogant Socialist app!
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30 comments:
How many American citizens manufacture Apple products?
Or did Jobs lead the way in decimating the California economy by not even trying to lobby to be able to manufacture here?
RIP, Mr. Jobs. Whether or not you had to move production to more business-friendly climes. The issue, Aaron's cc, is that businesses must make profits to invest in R&D to develop new products, pay employees, pay overhead, and, of course, pay taxes. A tax-heavy environment such as the US forces (we're Number 1, now. Yay.) these folk to find environments that allow the profits to allow that growth. Øbama and his ilk don't understand that, and continue to worsen the environment in the US. Or haven't you been listening?
California politics and their "welfare state" existence led to way to the decimation of California's economy; not Steve Jobs or any other "capitalist". The huge burden of their equally huge population of illegals is pulling the California economy to ruin; not Steve Jobs or any capitalist.
I am not a fan of Apple, but I am a big fan of entrepreneurs in any field and it frightens me to watch them being castigated and beaten down by our fecal-stain-in-chief. I hope God brings Steven's family peace. For his sake, I hope Steven was right with God. Cancer is the vilest of equal opportunity killers and it really doesn't care about your wealth or influence. It is a safe bet that every one of us has been touched by this in our families (my older brother (also a Steven) took his own life because he couldn't deal with the effects of his cancer). I pray for it to be vanquished someday very soon.
All too late have we learn what Obama really meant all this time by having Jobs "Shovel Ready".
In all seriousness, even though I also was not a fan of Apple, I do respect what Steve Jobs had accomplished in his short lifetime. He was an inspiring man, and an industry leader who overcame many of the hurdles that life had thrown at him. Even being fired from his own company, his creation, where should be a low point, he saw opportunity and came back stronger than ever. With the free world straining and seeming to fall apart at the seams, we need men and women like this more than ever.
The "Occupy Wall Street" protesters appear to be a combination of witless anarchists and socialists joining up to say...something, who knows what. I agree that they are Obama-inspired and they are helping, somewhat, to deflect attention from Duh Won's current and growing problems. I think they will eventually go home, take a bath (maybe) and wait for their welfare checks to show up. What will Obama do then?
Anonymous: Boo! THat was in poor taste (But really very funny :o)
The "Occupy Wall Street" boobs are, by the majority, absolutely clueless as to what it is really about, and why they are "wanted" there. Most think they're participating in an historical "American spring" uprising (oddly, they don't seem to notice it is now fall, closing on winter for the US economy...). For the planners, this is of no concern. They don't CARE that the attendees are not necessarily on the same page as they: the more the merrier, and the better the photo-op; the easier to convince the rest of the boobs in the US, via the "pocket media", that this was a hugely attended event and EVERYBODY is on board with what they want to do!
Our current political environment is a maelstrom, and I personally believe it has been intentionally made so with malevolent intent. And I don't believe that Øbama is the head of this particular serpent. He's merely a useful idiot, much like those who blame the likes of Steve Jobs for economic woes of the US or any state therein.
(Man! I've gotta stop "peeking in". Spending to much of my time here!)
This is why the next election is sooo important...we need to try to salvage our country so the next Steve Jobs will have room to develop new things and continue to improve our technology.
One has to wonder what kind of legacy Steve Jobs would have left had Obama's wished-for policies been in place in 1978:
Let's imagine that Steve got lucky, and the Apple ][ was still a success by 1980. He might have even gotten "rich".
But then much, if not most of those riches would have been confiscated by the state. Steve would not have had the resources to go on and found Next, or to buy Pixar. His return to a failing Apple in the '90s would not have happened. The "i" products would not have happened, the music industry would have floundered or died under its old "album" model which iTunes revolutionized. Not facing the competition, Microsoft's products would be less "innovative" and more mediocre.
Can anyone suggest that America would be better off?
@Aaron's cc: Yes, Apple mastered the "design here, make elsewhere" model. But at the same time, Apple still employs tens-of-thousands in California, and is even building a massive new HQ there. Having lived in and experienced California during the early stages of its decline, I wouldn't have even done that.
By 2000, California chased out most of the manufacturing that had existed 20 years before.
Wall Street Protesters: There are some funny interviews on the web with these sheeple. They are amazingly aimless, goalless, and clueless. Some of these people make Miss America pageant contestants look brilliant. They are seemingly raging against the machine, and yet are proponents of the same machine. They're clearly anti-capitalist, and yet most of the things they are complaining about are products of statism. A truly confused lot. And as usual, their clueless antics hurt their cause far more than they help it.
A final note: I am in no way an Apple "fanboy". I don't think I've owned an Apple product since my Apple ][e back in the 80s.
But I do have tremendous respect for Steve Jobs as a product designer, promoter and businessman. I think we all have benefited from his existence in ways few will fully understand whether they use Apple products or not. He was forward-thinking and unique. He had great ideas, knew how to conceive them, and knew how to sell them. Very few people know how to do all three. The Steve Jobs story is the kind that makes America great. I wouldn't want to live in a country where a success like Steve Jobs was no longer possible.
@Readers- No need for me to address the comments of Aaron's cc, as Emmentaler and John the Econ have already handled them very well. I'll just say that you need an unusual worldview to think that Steve Jobs decimated the economy of California by... um... not making his money in California.
But when government (in this case state government) makes the business environment worse, business goes elsewhere. It's true on the national level too, and makes it all the more ironic that the Democrats debuted their new "Jobs Tax" yesterday to punish millionaires with a new 5% evilness surcharge.
Regarding the Occupy Wall Street protestors, I'd be amused at their shaggy, misguided filthiness and faintly entertaining idiocy if it weren't for the fact that these morons are allowed to vote. These are the people who believe in "Obama money," "Pie!," and the president's increasingly strident call for class warfare. And these are the people whom Barack Obama believes are better for America than Steve Jobs was.
@Angry Hoosier Dad- On a personal note, I just want to say that I'm very sorry for the loss of your brother. Cancer is a despicable and merciless killer. And sadly, the search for a cure is only going to be delayed by the government's increasing attempts to eliminate profit incentives for research and drug development.
To amplify what Stilton said above regarding the "Occupy Wall Street" simps - lifted verbatim from my blog:
His (Mr. Jobs's) is a story that those vacuous parasites marching on Wall Street would do well to study and emulate. NO ONE gets – nor deserves - any guarantees to success in life. These simpering whiners (save those manipulative Marxists who have pulled the event together) are, to a one, products of the liberal education they’ve received: no-one should feel bad; everyone should be allowed to play on the team, regardless of their ability – and no-one is allowed to fail. This policy has done exactly what was expected. It has produced an entire generation of people ill-prepared for life – and all too ready to suckle at the teat of government. They have no concept of what is at stake, of what they sacrifice by turning their well being - their very lives – over to government bureaucrats.
And their efforts must be resisted at all cost.
Does anyone know if Mr. Jobs helped elect Mr. Job-Killer Obama? Does anyone know if Mr. Jobs helped to destroy the business climate in California by helping to elect all the Demo_rats who wanted to tax Mr. Jobs' company to extinction?
At the beginning of Apple, weren't their products made in the USA? Wasn't the production of Apple products forced to go overseas by the tax environment of California? It would be quite ironic if Mr. Jobs had helped to eliminate American jobs by helping to put those Demo_rat politicians in place who then went on to chase those same American jobs overseas, wouldn't it? "Evil" billionaires, indeed...
Oh my god. You are really turning the death of an innocent, inspiring, innovative man into a political speech. You are really taking this death, and using it to push your personal agenda.
Listen to yourself. You sound like a heartless political machine. The real tragedy IS that he died. He left behind a wife and children. He left behind an entire company. He left behind a legacy. And here you are, taking his name and using it to complain about taxes. His death was nothing political, and for you to turn into such is despicable in my eyes.
And don't tell me that if I don't like this, I should read it. I have these comics forced in my face every day by obsessed conservatives who use everything, including the death of fathers and husbands apparently, to force their political agenda down my throat. I'm not political, and I don't claim to be. This isn't about politics. This is about respect for the dead.
I hope you're happy.
You say you're not political. I'm afraid from my long history of knowing people who make that claim (including myself in the past) that means they are not really paying attention. More importantly, they are not thinking about what they hear and read. Have you ever really listened to the current president? Not once or twice, but whenever he opens his mouth? He is the heartless political machine you speak of. If you followed this blog you'd learn the details. Conservatives have plenty of good-hearted feelings. That's why they support their churches, charities, communities, families, you name it. Feelings are ok if they motivate you to examine all the facts. But feelings alone, accomplish nothing. Revisit what has happened to the Black family as a result of politicians and the feeling people who elected them.
@Jennypenny- First, let me send regards to your sister Henny Penny...who I believe is considered the calm one in your family.
First off, let's all take a deep cleansing breath and share a hug - okay? (Cough! Cough! Sorry - I didn't know that anyone wore patchouli oil anymore).
Now then, since this is a political blog, I'm not about to apologize for mentioning politics. And I've got a huge shock for you (you might want to sit down): politics is about people.
That's right. You know those millionaires and billionaires who Obama is railing against? The "sons of bitches" who the "Army" of teamsters plans to "take out?" They're all people too, with spouses, children, parents, homes and names. In fact, one of them was named Steve Jobs.
But apparently, you feel that it's alright to discriminate against and penalize any millionaires and billionaires you don't know personally - lumping them together in a nice faceless, nameless, heavily-stereotyped group you know nothing about. Which suggests that you're comfortable with a certain level of prejudice.
You say that I lack respect for the dead - but I'm not showing up at his funeral with a team of bookkeepers and armed agents to demand the payment of a "death tax" from his family. No, that would be the government doing that...and doing it in the name of people like you who "aren't political" and don't want to know where the money comes from, or from whom it was taken, as long as your own personal little boat doesn't get rocked.
And now that we know your position on "respect for the dead," perhaps you'd like to tell us your position on "respect for the living?" Or is that, like so many other things, unimportant to you?
But to answer your final question, no I'm not happy. I'm not happy that Steve Jobs died, I'm not happy that my own work output will probably suffer without his future innovations, and I'm not happy that the president of the United States continues to LIE about the amount of taxes paid by the wealthy.
And I'm particularly not happy that there are voters such as you in this country who are "not political and don't claim to be."
Ignorance and sloth may be unavoidable for some, but you should at least try not to brag about it.
@Earl- Good post. Jenny is clearly unaware that "feeling" does not trump "thinking." Nor does she appear to know that, with time and practice, you can do both.
I'm trying to figure out how to tie the South Park "They Took Our Jobs" meme in with both Steve's passing and the Occupy cretins.
I have these comics forced in my face every day by obsessed conservatives
Oh my gawwwwwwwd! That sounds soooo a-political to me.
Liar.
Ohhhhh Stilt, that was GOOD POSTING.
@Anonymous- Sometimes you know you've got the idea, and you just need to wait until it all coalesces in your subconscious. Occasionally, the process can be accelerated with whiskey.
@Emmentaler- By the way, whichever "obsessed conservative" forced the cartoon on her, I'd like to buy them a beer! (And JennyPenny, I don't like scolding anyone who doesn't scold me first. I'd be delighted if you'd come back and we could have a real conversation. Much like an evangelizing Christian, I feel like it's my duty to try to bring liberals to the light and truth whenever possible.)
@Suzy- Thank you! If politics wasn't about real people then I wouldn't have cared. But "apolitical" basically means that you lack both interest in, or empathy for, your fellow man. That's just sad.
Ya wanna know something, Jennypenny? EVERYBODY DIES. That's right, nobody gets out of here alive. Politics lives forever, unfortunately. I can guarantee you that very soon, some liberal type will use Jobs' death to attempt to make some liberal point. Just wait for it. Will it be acceptable to you then?
@JennyPenny- I checked the link from your signature and see that you're just 18. This being the case, I want to apologize for assuming you were an adult instead of someone who is just painfully inexperienced in the world. When I was your age, I wasn't political either...and for far too long after that, I didn't pay attention and considered myself to be a liberal. After all, those were the "good guys" - right?
But as you age, you see what happens when liberal "good intentions" play out. I've seen the destruction of black families, the failures of our schools and public institutions, and unbridled spending which has taken us to the brink of extinction as a nation. And so I'm very concerned.
I don't want to scare you off of conservatism, and I encourage you to stop being apolitical and start trying to inform yourself about issues which will affect your life in huge ways. One great way to do that is to read the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal. It's a good (and very reliable) "reality check" which can help balance the left-leaning mainstream news and (sorry to put it bluntly) lies that this administration specifically targets to the young and impressionable.
I also hope you'll drop in here at Hope n' Change from time to time to read the cartoons, commentary, and remarks. We're really a pretty friendly group (and we even have hearts).
Did Jobs ever kvetch about the business environment of California? He had the ability to humiliate many in Sacramento... but chose not to advance the anti-statist ideology of Ayn Rand, an early influence of his.
@Aaron's cc- I think Jobs was more focused on following his passions (in an environment which he could control) rather than trying to make government work better/smarter. And to an extent, he still advanced the Ayn Rand philosophy by using his own inflexible personal standards to develop successful products.
Wow - Cheeseheads 3, assorted pennys (and cc's) NOthing.
Jenny, I was about to 'scold' Stilt for jumping on you with both feet (well, ok, ONE foot - but WELL placed) as if you were the troll who signed itself 'Stupid Liberal'.
He REALLY bent over backwards, trying to get that one to engage, dialog, defend opinions. In short to THINK, and be RATIONAL, as opposed to just FEELING everything.
Stupid Liberal was apparently not up to the task, continued to spew unsupported 'facts' (demonstrably false), use flawed "logic" (including building off erroneous premise [premises? primixii?) and such that several of us, most especially including the amazing Dr J, jumped w/ all three feet, splattered it good, and washed it down the sewer.
Haven't heard from since, may / not have received the infamous "ban stick" treatment.
Hopefully, s/he is still out there, lurking, and hopefully learning.
Anyway, I said 'was about to' - Then I got to his 'apology' post. Well put, I think. Please, stick around, engage a little if you wish, offer opinions if you're willing / able to defend them (see a debate a week or two ago where I was getting hammered for being opposed to vouchers) and maybe things will change for you (maybe not - STILL opposed to vouchers ((-'pb ). Anyway, this is a diverse group, and most of us are not all bad (and Jim H is reputed to be decidedly cuddly - if you're a "sissy smoocher")
Hope to hear from you again.
You too, Aaron's... your points are honed, sharp, and, well, pointy.
Misdirected, perhaps, but it does appear you have multiple functioning neurons - there may be hope for you yet..
On a completely OT point - is it just me, or do others think that 'soap boat boy' might be related to 'duck girl' in Johnny's world. Not like a brother, so much, but maybe a cousin?
Or do we ALL have a "cousin" like 'duck girl'...?
@Pete(Detroit)- Thanks for following up on an important point; that I'd like Hope n' Change to be a site where conservatives AND liberals can come and debate with mutual respect.
Because the Jennypennys of the world may not know it, but a lot of us were like her once. And we saw the "solutions" she wants put into practice...and we saw them fail. So we STILL have the same goals: equal rights and respect for all, a clean environment, care for the sick and impoverished, etc...but we have a different and more pragmatic approach than we did in our idealistic (and unrealistic) youth.
We'd like to actually accomplish good things for others, rather than feeling good about ourselves for our well-meaning but failed attempts to do good.
And I'd like to hear more from Aaron cc, too. I'm definitely not a one-note conservative, and you might be surprised at the points we agree on.
Regarding the world of Johnny Optimism, I think "soap boat boy" is almost a perfect opposite of "duck girl." He's introspective and empathetic, she's hostile and quite likely psychopathic. But still, that could make them related in an odd, symbiotic way.
@Pete(Detroit)- one other note; "Stupid Liberal" was never banned. Anyone who wants to come and offer up their opinion is welcome to do so, whether I agree or not. And if you search the archives for a really long time, you may actually spot an instance or two where I've had my mind changed. It can be done...if the arguments are airtight.
Stilt - didn't think so (that doesn't seem to be your style) but s/he 'went away' and we never knew... so, the possibility existed. Glad that card was never played.
Jenny - 'nother point - you "have these comics forced in my face every day by obsessed conservatives who use everything,>snip< to force their political agenda down my throat. I'm not political, and I don't claim to be."
I suspect, if you ask them, you'll find it's becuase they respect you as a person, and hope to recruit you to The Cause, to enlist your support and aid to return this to a country where success is rewarded, not punished. Where indolence is NOT rewarded, nor accepted (nor supported) as a way of life. I, personally, can think of NO one that I respect (if ANY one that I know) who is unwilling to help care for those who CAN not take care of themselves. I unfortunately know many (and respect none) who are willing, if not eager to FORCE us to care for those who WILL not take care of themselves.
It's about Makers, and Takers.
And the supporting of parasites.
Trust me, I think you'll find the folks 'forcing this down your throat' are doing it because they think you may not yet be a 'drone'... (To geek out a bit) when Paul Atreides was tested with the Gom Jabbar, the Reverend Mother said "Let us say I suggest you may be human" (Dune)
http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Gom_Jabbar
Likewise, I suspect your friends see in you the potential to rise above the 'sheeple' and become a 'real' person.
If you haven't yet, read Atlas Shrugged. Yes, it's long. It's also fairly well written, and moves pretty well. Written 50 - 60 years ago, it reads (much) like a newspaper digest of recent times. Kinda scary / creepy.
Some few truths become self evident -
1) The current policy of penalizing the successful to reward the indolent and subsidize parasites is not sustainable.
2) When the productive people are going hungry so that the parasites may eat, they will move to eliminate them. (Kill or convert - your choice)
3) The Politicians that promoted (1) will ALSO be eliminated
4) No one will miss either the parasites, nor the poli's that promoted / supported them
Certainly, I'd prefer to get people Off welfare, Off unemployment (by having more jobs avail).
Unfortunately, the only way to DO that is to get the folks who derive personal power / privilege from promoting parasitism and penalizing success OUT of office.
Which means converting 'apolitical' folks, such as your self into caring, compassionate people who will work with us to vote the scumbags (in both parties) the hell out.
Beats shooting folks ALL to hell.
Just sayin'...
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