fallenarch, somehow I missed your post skydivr was referring to. While I didn't spill anything reading it, my eyes were opening wider and wider, my lips were getting tighter, and my head started shaking side to side. I do appreciate you being candid, and respect you coming out with your opinion which you knew wouldn't be very popular, but man, I feel quite different regarding most of what you are saying.
I don't want to turn this into a lengthy discussion, but my sentiment regarding BO can be summed up by my personal observations of his actions. He is a liar, a demagogue, and a lecturer. He is ignorant, arrogant, has his own agenda and is pursuing it like a tank. His objective is socialism. Most of you don't know what socialism really is firsthand and what it feels like, but here is my condensed impression from many years...
My typical life in socialistic country was challenging, depressing, hopeless, at times happy and fulfilling, and at times sad. There was no freedom of speech, no freedom to move, no political freedom, no entrepreneurial freedom; discrimination, indifference, shortage of everything all the time, bleak images, tired and frustrated people... It was possible to find happiness and peace, though temporarily. In short, you live in a huge prison, and can manage to find your way around. But it's still a prison, and light years away from our current US society. But slowly and gradually, we are getting there. New generations are born into a slightly transformed country. They think it's a norm, and as a result, the new transformations seem incremental.
I am neither a Democrat, nor a Republican. Both parties screw up in their own ways, causing the country to zigzag, causing us to fight with each other. However, I do dislike Republicans less. I didn't vote at all for his 2nd term as the result would be known ahead of time in NY, however, I wanted him to win. I also wanted Republicans to lose in midterms (although I voted for them), because people can only learn the hard way.
I predict the worst is yet to come - it's only logical. Republicans and Democrats will engage in more fierce standoff, which will only cause stalemates and a waste of energy. A few big cities declaring bankruptcy is not an aberration, but a sign of things to come.
Every six working people in the US have to support one government employee (all governments) - this is one real cause of high taxes! This situation is not changing no matter which party rules. On the contrary, this ratio is getting worse over time. While this would've been bad enough... Average salary in the US is $40k+, while average salary in Washington D.C. is $70k+. Only one word can describe this: unsustainable.
Forget about money. Money is simply a convenience tool to facilitate product and service exchange between people - a free exchange, mind you. When you hand someone your money, you effectively agree to work for them accordingly. So, when government takes away your money and gives it to someone else, they effectively make you work for someone else - a few days for welfare recipient, a few days for a government worker, a few days for a government project, and so on and so forth. When you are a) forced to work for someone who b) gives you nothing in return - this is a form of slavery. And the great thing about it that those who are enslaved do not even realize it because the use of money makes it faceless.
This entire situation is
Killing America Slowly. Frankly, there is nowhere else to run. This is the last bastion, regardless whether those who were born here realize it or not.