Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said he and his administration have pursued a “fundamentally business- friendly” agenda and are “fierce advocates” for the free market, rejecting corporate criticism of his policies.
“The irony is, is that on the left we are perceived as being in the pockets of big business; and then on the business side, we are perceived as being anti-business,” Obama said in a Feb. 9 interview in the Oval Office with Bloomberg BusinessWeek, which will appear on newsstands tomorrow.
Well, those on the left are correct- the Administration is in the pockets of big business. Note how he did not say, 'and then on the big business side...'. He said, 'then on the business side, we are perceived as being anti-business'. That's an important distinction, and business (generally) is correct in its' criticism as well.
What is fundmantally business friendly about considering compelling all business owners to provide health insurance for their employees, whether they can afford to do so or not? Or, about considering environmental regulations that would make our energy costs skyrocket? What is inherently 'free trade' about the huge tariffs the Administration slapped on Chinese tires? Or, in taking a huge stake in GM?
It seems like Obama recognizes some inherently beloved aspect of the terms 'free market' and 'business friendly' such that he can sling them around without meaning.
“We are pro-growth,” Obama said. “We are fierce advocates for a thriving, dynamic free market.”
Yeah, right. I can tell how much you respect a free market by how much you meddle in it. Bollocks.
2 comments:
"Business friendly" and "free market" aren't necessarily synonymous. He was willing to add to the deficit for bailouts but not for health care. Huge piles of cash went to businesses.
So, that opens him up to allegations that he is more pro-business than he is pro-individual *and* to allegations that, despite being pro-business, he is not pro-free market. From that limited sketch, I'd put his priorities as:
1. Business
2. Individual welfare
3. Free market
Exactly right. That's a limited sketch of three priorities. I expect that if we added 47 other priorities randomly, 'free market' would be rank anywhere from #48-50.
And as to being pro-business, it's more like corporatist. Are they big businesses with huge lobbying efforts? Or, with huge unions attached to them? And best of all- big businesses with huge lobbying AND huge unions? Then they are Obama's kind of businesses.
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