...but Trudeau's dead...

Correct, Obama is not the politician the American people hoped for, but he is what a pragmatist would expect. He could not get elected without owing several very powerful (wealthy) individuals and corporations no matter how much individuals gave to the campaign. He can not change a power structure that has developed and entrenched itself since 1776, at least not in two years. What he has done is concentrate on the one goal he had above all others, health care reform. This by itself raises the standard of living in the US for middle class Americans who make up the bulk of the source of both tax dollars and GDP. However, with the complexities of Washington and the perversely unyielding stance of the Republicans the White House has not achieved what the people who supported him expected Obama to achieve. Thus we had the backlash in the mid-terms. More of a throwing out of the incumbents over disappointment rather than enthusiasm for Grand Old Party candidates (in a two party system who else do you vote for when voting someone out?).

It seems that a new party needs to be created, Democrats being ineffectual even when owning both houses, and the Republicans denying any help to the people (failing to pass unemployment extensions as an example) and screaming small government and less spending while doing neither. The Tea Party seems to instinctively know this, however, judging by the members, they certainly did not seem to plan it in a planned,
sober or thoughtful way. America can use a third party but it will have to one that does not preach what seems to be thinly veiled anarchy (by the government, not the people) with a mind set bent on starting world war three. The TP are feeding off of the opportunity that the average American distrusts and fears the government. In Washington state the people voted down I-1098, which would have created a tax rate of 5 percent on annual income exceeding $200,000 for individuals and $400,000 for couples, and a 9 percent rate on income that tops $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for couples and cut the state portion of personal property taxes by 20 percent, about a 4 percent reduction in the annual overall property tax bill. Also, I-1098 also would have exempted an 118,000 businesses from the business-and-occupation tax on gross receipts. All of the money was to be spent on education (70%) and healthcare directly benefiting the poor and middel class. I-1098 lost with more than 65 percent of voters rejecting it, losing in every county. Obviously it was not only the people earning more than $200,000 that voted against it. My brother-in-law lives in Whatcom county Washington and I asked him why hew voted against the initiative. He said that if the state started to tax the rich they would not stop and soon he and everyone else would have to pay more income tax no matter how little they earned. He, like the majority, does not trust the government and the system in place is not working as anyone/everyone wants. But, it is stable and works to a degree that the standard of living in the USA has gone from thirteenth place in the United nations Human Development Index (HDI) list in 2009 to fourth (although in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index the USA places 12th) in 2010.

This leads us back to offshoring:

Since FDR reduced government controls of business in order to stimulate the economy in the thirties there has been less and less direct government control of the economy which, of course, led to the banking collapse of 2008-2009. This also caused more and more businesses to be able to move operations offshore or over border. Many large Manufacturing companies like GM increased profits (or be more competitive - depending on who you ask) by moving operations to Mexico. Oregon based Nike does not produce a single shoe in the US. Almost the entire US agricultural business is completely dependent on Mexican labor. IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and other IT firms have made large investments in India and other countries.

The American economy is no longer based on the American worker. The problem is that it is based on the American consumer which meets her/his obligation to buy stuff through debt rather than earnings. And this was fed by an unregulated (or unenforced rules) lending system giving bad loans to people that could not afford it and selling the paper to those who had money (near retirement boomers) as bundled instruments that other financial firms rated as top notch (for a large fee) knowing it was garbage. Then the W. Bush White House spends trillions bailing everyone out. Now Obama's got to tiptoe through the mine field trying to rescue the AMERICAN! way of life while surviving politically. The article cited above mentions how he alarmed Indian outsourcing firms (and the American companies that use them) when:

"While proposing to reform the U.S. tax system for companies earning profits abroad, he alarmed Indian outsourcers in May last year [2009] when he made a reference to jobs getting created by U.S. companies in Bangalore, the hub of India’s outsourcing industry. The tax code is broken as it's a tax code "that says you should pay lower taxes if you create a job in Bangalore, India, than if you create one in Buffalo, New York", the president said."

Obama may be the only politician you can trust - he does seem to be one of the few actually afraid of the people or at least trying to look out for them as best as can be.

So, how do you stop the offshore outsourcing, H1-B visa abuses (still ongoing according to these posts - even with the supposedly stricter rules), and moving jobs overseas? Make it an act of treason to not hire an American? Charge US companies a surtax on any goods made outside of the USA? IBM and Microsoft would partner up and set up shop in Pakistan next week, create a private army, crush the Taliban in three weeks, and install their own government and reunify with India in two more. General motors (even though mostly US taxpayer owned for now) would strike a deal with the military dictatorship and make cars in Burma.

Maybe the answer is that Americans become better at everything by improving themselves through education and self discipline and voting with more care.

One more thing: You can have peace and freedom together but not while an elite is getting rich from war.

I suppose it's because big-name mobile carriers are run by the same Ivy League taught greedy corporate dullards that run most other large US corporations and banks (nearly destroying the world economy 2 years ago) and can't think past three month quarterly earnings. Walmart management has a long term plan - fear them!

I use lighter fluid. I hate stickers: I am currently looking at four on this laptop and 5 on my desktop.

Uuuuuuuuuuuhuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh... drool, pass out. No wonder adding comments has been disabled for the video. This reminds me of anti-smoking ads that are so lame and stupid (usually directed at teens) that they make you want to smoke.

Yes, these are my thoughts too.

Playing GTA or Splinter Cell is probably a lot safer than Prozac or Paxil. As for the weight stop ordering to much Popeye's chicken and start using the Wii games, they really work up a sweat.

ha haha hahaha haha ha ha ha ha ha!

OMG! You are Rush Limbaugh!

Why is Google and Apple Missing? I think MS is blowing smoke up our collective backsides.

Yeah, Obama is evil and the Democrats are psychotic control freaks who want to do weird medical experiments on the US people and create an army of mutant zombie liberals that derive pleasure only by paying 80% taxes...

For crying out loud, boy, get a grip. The people at your HMO will do everything that they legally can to kill you rather than pay for your medical treatment. You should fear the people who want everything to be the same.

Stop listening to Rush Limbaugh.