MSNBC‘s O’Donnell: Obama‘s Wrong About ’Rugged Individualists’ — We’re All Socialists!
- Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:39am by
Scott Baker
- Print »
- Email »
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: This is an illusion, of course. We are not the rugged individualists we think we are. After getting an education paid for by the government, if we live long enough, we all get retirement income from the government and health care paid for by the government. That is a very healthy dose of good old-fashioned socialism, but we remain the country that pretends to hate socialism. Homeowners and the entire real estate industry float on a massive government subsidy written into the tax code called the mortgage deduction. The federal government gives millionaires and billionaires tens of thousands of dollars a year to pay, $50,000, to pay for their housing, a subsidy that none of them need, and yet our rugged individualist self-image continues.
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 707 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 560 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 376 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 367 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 363 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 367 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 376 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 298 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 149 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 367 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (122)
Molaki
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:41amPerhaps all of you “lite in the loafer” liberals are socialist but, there are still many of us rugged individuals out here in the hinterland. However, I am glad that I know that NBC is the home of the out-of-the-closet communists so that I don’t waste anytime on their network.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:36amNo, you sorry excuse for an AMERICAN! We all are NOT socialists, nor do MOST OF US every even consider that word except when speaking of “social engagements”.
You, and your lot, are certainly invited, no ~~~ make that URGED~~~ to leave our great REPUBLIC a.s.a.p. Head on out for cuba or venezuela, por favor, o muy mas lejos de aquí.
Your invitation to be an AMERICAN is about to expire.
Report Post »ezalbeht
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 11:27pmI am ready to lose my mortgage deduction. I work 40+ hours a week. I am ready to lose all of my deductions. My wife and I make less than 60K a year! I am ready to oppose the “TAKERS”. BUT I am NOT ready to allow people to take over the USA or change “OUR” Constitution!
Report Post »American_Alliance_for_the_Support_of_Sarcasm
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:17amThe HELL I am!
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:16amI think they need to open a new “Hunting Season” for socialists. Make it year round and issue about 50 tags per Hunter. Tags are 4 bucks a piece. It should generate some revenue for all states.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:16amI’ll bet you $5 that Lawrence wears women’s underwear.
Report Post »marine249
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 8:02amI would not take that $5:00 bet
Report Post »on a $10:00 bet
demint.disciple
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 8:03amwhy would anyone take a knowing lost bet ? May as well give that 5 bucks to the socialists if you take that bet..
Report Post »Windsong
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:15amThis is a start, Larry. Now that you have admiitted who and what you are, enlighten the American public about socialism. Tell us what life is like in a socialist country, and make a case for why you believe it is a better system than the one currently in the United States. There are many socialist countries in the world, and for the life of me, I can’t imagine living under the thumb of a government for my entire life. I can’t imagine being dependent on a government for everything I eat, wear and learn. I can’t imagine a country where there is only mediocrity…a country that doesn’t invent or have any legacy – other than free and open sex, ‘leaders’ who give other leaders ‘peace prizes’ that they don’t deserve, and a society that will live their entire life, never knowing or understanding individuality or success.
Report Post »You see, Larry, when I think of ‘socialists’, I think of under-achievement, mediocrity, and a society that is uneducated in the history of their country or it’s economy. I see people who don’t want war, yet burn down government buildings when they are asked to pay for something on their own because their life-long entitlements have bankrupted their nation. I see cowards, Larry. I see people who are unwilling to work hard in order to achieve freedom.
You are wrong about the United States, Larry. Although you and yours have tried, dependency on a government for survival never works. They are just discovering that in Greece and many other European style socialist countires.
raspberrytea
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:44amOMG! That was great. You said everything that I believe !
Report Post »I wish there were millions of you out there.
I just don’t think the generation coming
to the seen is going to know how to take
care of themselves. Can you imagine what
this world will look like in 10 yrs.
demint.disciple
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 8:02amexcellent post…
Report Post »OhioRifleman
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 4:55pm@ Raspberry Tea: There are millions of us out there. Few of us have the time to so eloquently state our grievances, which is why you feel alone.
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:13amSpeak for yourself creep!
Report Post »MaggieRose
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:21amExactly!
Report Post »StevenL1955
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:13am14 Trillion in debt. I’m sorry and sad to say this but, I think it’s to late to stop these people from collasping our economic system. We should have stopped this years ago, but we didn’t. I truly belive Christ will be back within the next few years, I think this is a part of that.
Look at the state of the world today gang? Is it any different than Sodom was? Do any of us think that God will simply stand by now that the world has once again rejected him?
2 Tim 3:1-7
Report Post »3 But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power therefore. From these also turn away.
6 For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts,
7 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Sgt.Crust
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 9:01amTruer words have not been written my friend, God Bless.
Report Post »Rob
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:12amThere are just too many damn people…. period.
Report Post »insight
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:54amAmen
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:59amyou mean just too many damn liberals and communists…
Report Post »drvestal
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:12amTo the best of my knowledge, my parents paid taxes that help pay for my “public education”, as my taxes are paying for the current “public education” for my own children, (and others) and I have paid into social security and medicare systems for the more than 30+ years that I have been working, so I don‘t see that I am or will be getting anything that I haven’t paid for, or at least into.
Report Post »Mainer forever
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:12amThis guy is a MA-ROOON, as buggs bunny is so fond of saying.
Report Post »amerbur
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:09amThe Government GIVES us a subsidy by GIVING us a homeowners deduction? It GIVES us a subsidy?Whoes money is the government giving us O’Donnell? The governerment takes our money idiot. It only takes less of our money with the homeowners exemption.
Report Post »BBReggie
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:09amWe are not all socialists you idiot. Conservatives like me don’t have to pretend about anything. That’s what you folks on the left do.
Report Post »Bushie
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:06amHey larry (with a small L):
Report Post »Why did your mother keep the afterbirth and get rid of the baby when you were born?
wolverine
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:04amI hate to tell this clown I paid into social security for 54 years and I don,t call what I get back socialism I think more along the lines of highway robbery if the government wants to give back all the money that my employers and I donated to my account with a fair interest rate I would take it and SS would never hear from me again
Report Post »raspberrytea
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:03amO‘Donnell doesn’t know what it’s like to work a real job,
Report Post »to come home so tired you can’t hardly take
another step. We work for what we get!!
And don’t want the government to take
care of us. If you don’t depend on others
to pay your way, you don’t miss it!! Too
many lazy people waiting for a hand out.
Ballyhoo1776
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:01amThis guy sux
Report Post »VermontPatriot
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:58amThis guy is just another Obot.
The sheeple mentality saddens me.
Report Post »These people have no hope of survival
when the scat hits the fan.
Edgar Bennet
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 4:08pmWell at least he’s honest. I‘d rather have a wolf be a wolf than wrapped in sheep’s clothing
Report Post »endgamer
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:56amThat’s why we are trying to END the FED and the IRS personal Income tax. Issue School Vouchers..End Farm subsidies, Lower taxes to keep businesses here.. The list goes on. The problem is the creeping socialist programs we’ve had over the last 100 years have ruined the nation. Second we,ve allowed businesses to create monopolies that should not exist. We must be rigid and enforce antitrust laws as well. There needs to be a balance of power in the private sector as well. the law was designed to keep the playing field even. That must be fixed too..
Report Post »dissentnow
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:54amHe’s right about one thing…..we aren’t a country of rugged individualists anymore. We’re a country that overwhelmingly elected President Obama. Also, the desire to live in a nanny state runs on both sides of the political spectrum. I remember when the majority of republicans ( many of whom later latched onto the tea party movement ) where willing to give all of their freedoms away so that big government could protect them from the threat of terrorism.
Report Post »NickDeringer
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:53amChill out, Larry. Obama didn’t mean it any more than his promise to “cut the deficit in half” back in 2009. You know it’s all just show biz.
Report Post »Ironmaan
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:50amWould D*^@! be dollar? Because thats exactly what they are trying to do.
Report Post »http://guerillatics.com
Ironmaan
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:49amYes Lawrence, we ARE rugged individualists; you and Chris Matthews are a couple of pathetic loosers that have no idea what damage socialism does to a society.
Report Post »http://guerillatics.com
Libertarian
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 11:52amYou know what I like about this guy. He’s honest, he reminds me of Dennis Kucinich. Of course they have been diagnosed with Reality Deficit Disorder (RDD) but nonetheless the first step to recovery is admitting your delusion or disorder.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:47amWe are not socialists as much as he would like to think so. We have had liberal progressives (socialists) ram things down our throat whether we want them or not and are tired of it. All this bozo is trying to do is justify government taking even more control over our lives by claiming that we are diluting ourselves by thinking that we are individuals, are in fact hive minded socialists, and should just shut up and let those wiser then ourselves who are government take even more control of our lives. He can take his nanny state and himself and stick it where the sun don’t shine.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 10:45amOne thing the Fench Revolution brought us was the guillotine (sp)!!
Report Post »sleazyhippo
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 12:24pmFench (sp)!
Report Post »OhioRifleman
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 4:48pmStrangely enough, I find I must applaud Hippo for the spelling correction in this case. The French have earned their respect for the day: they are presently showing more honor and courage than the average American at the moment. This is by design of the President, of course. He wants the rest of the world to take the lead, given he is incompetence and hesitation personified. He doesn’t want to see courage or honor, America has too much.
Oh, wait, the Marines provide transport for POTUS. He sees plenty of honor and courage on a daily basis, he just lacks the ability to command or generate it himself.
Report Post »justice
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:45amHopefully your Socialist will be out of funding and you can join a Socialist club LOON!
Report Post »wildjoker5
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:50amSo, does Lawrence give away his money that is above the national average income to the poor or government? That would be him practicing socialism, if he gave up his own income and lived off the national average of $60k/year. Bet he doesn’t.
Report Post »LSX
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 6:53amJustice:
LD is irrelevant. If the Blaze didn’t run snippets of his show, their would be less than the population of a small rural town of people, knowing who he is.
This man exemplifies irrelevancy.
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:10amMust be tough for Larry this week, what with Glenn being off doing his tour.
Report Post »The Judge sure does a great job subbing.
jeffyfreezone
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:26amThe problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people’s money!
Report Post »Marcobob69
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:38amHey Larry, I’M NOT PRETENDING! The thought of living in a “socialist” country DISGUSTS and ****** ME OFF to no end, so take your socialist “utopia” crap and shove it where the sun don’t shine!!!
Report Post »Sgt.Crust
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:49amCommunist baffoon, this monkey is a talking head of epic proportions, and the sooner we squash idiots like this the better!
Report Post »seeker9
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:52amSooo, it was socialism the caused the great recession, not Bush!
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 7:52amPretend Larry ? What a dope.. I HATE SOCIALISM !!! GET IT ?? I cant help that all that crap that you mentioned is forced down my throat.. What an idiot .. I cant believe this guy cancels out my vote..
Report Post »insight
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 8:09amHE IS RIGHT! These are all social programs, and look at the number of public sector jobs. He is pointing out that Obama is lying which is the real story here. MSNBC usually covers up for Obama and other socialists. To quote Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate, “The devil‘s greatest trick was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” And judging from the horrendously non-analytical, Hannityesque responses, the Devil (socialism) has you convinced socialism doesn’t exist in this country.
Report Post »UncleBuck
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 8:23amSad to say but he’s right! Time to change all of those things back to where we were in the beginning. We’ve become too socialist little by little. Social Security is soon to be a thing of the past, medicare, medicaid, and welfare are socialist programs instituted by Johnson to buy the black vote. All of these programs have ruined our health care system, economy and self esteem. God told Adam “and you shall eat bread by the sweat of your brow all the days of your life.” not until age 65. Lets wake up and fix this thing and boot out all of the socialists, communists, progressives, lying, self promoting, self aggrandizing, and self interested elected officials. We need patriots! If we stop paying our elected “servants” then we remove the “ruling class” from our necks.
Report Post »DTOM_Jericho
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 8:39amI’m not pretending. I hate Socialists.
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 9:21amRepaid student loans….check, don’t owe socialist government squat……check
Not planning to claim SSI or Medicaid…check, don’t owe socialist government squat….check
Nope Lawarenca O’commie, one of us is most likely a socialist but it’s not me. Just because a man exists in a geographic area doesn‘t condem him to culpability in it’s governments wrongs. Failure to speak against them, and using them …………?
Report Post »nptden
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 9:35amAs usual this idiot and the rest of the ‘progressives’ really believe the ‘money we give to the govt’ is ‘theirs’. The govt produces nothing. Earns nothing. Exists by the grace of the people. And most importantly, still in this Republic ‘we the people’ rule not our Govt.
Report Post »gman46
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 10:04amNothing drains a country of it’s creativity, pride and drive than Socialism. Are we on the road, sure, can we turn off it, yes. Will we?
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 10:41amI dont want to hear Larrys wet dream on TV. Which is probably why I dont ever watch MSNBC.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 10:43amCan we kill this rumour NOW!!! The governement doesn’t “give you retirement money”….every pay stub I have recieved has “given” the governement some money to be put aside for my “retirement”!!!!! Get those f’ing criminals AWAY from the Social Security Fund!!!! If you feel so bad about giving a person “interest” on their “investment” just give all of us Americans the money back that we put in and close the damn Social Security Ponzi scheme!! Go ahead raise the damn retirement age so you can make more “free money”….
Report Post »RJO
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 10:49amThere you go again………
Well…ya know what? Larry “Square-Head Sponge Pants” O’Donnell is partially right. Out culture has been attached to the federal government for enough decades now that what he states is partially true. HOWEVER…that does not mean that I agree with him…in that the “spirit” of America has been placed under a heavy wet blanket known as “Socialism.”
For the past 2-plus years we have witnessed the “socialist” mask being removed from politicians, power-brokers and sympathetic news media……… and America IS waking up…I just hope that it’s not too late.
Report Post »TexasCommonSense
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 11:00amHey, LAWRENCE O’DONNELL. Get a clue. We pay for our “Government Education” with our taxes. It’s not free. I would love to opt out of Social Security, and Medicaid, but I can’t. It’s mandatory. We’re not socialists by choice; we’re forces into it with a threat of jail time if we try to be “Rugged Individualists” and not pay for these Ponzi scheme programs.
Take your socialism and shove it! I’m more than intelligent enough to manage my own life without big-government. How about you, O’Donnell?
Report Post »gman46
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 11:08am@RJO,
We have to remember, for most American’s, they are at their best when things are at their worst! a cliche, but a true one nether the less. It’s not to late, American’s have pulled themselves out of bad situations before, they will do it again!!
Report Post »sleazyhippo
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 12:24pmI don’t think everyone is socialist, the socialist institutions are mostly churches and military who have lots of money to spread around without taxation.
Report Post »59 Fender Pro
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 1:37pmI SEE FROM YOUR COMMENT THAT YOU WANT TO TAX CHARITY AND SPEECH, HIPPO. People like yourself need to find God, and fast. Do you really believe that the majority of Americans with the resources to care for and defend themselves will sympathize with your Marxist views? Were it not for the Christians in this land, anarchy would be the norm, no room for the weak, social Darwinism at it’s finest. Strange that those who promote this thinking would surely suffer the worst if it came to fruition.
Report Post »SWFLA
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 4:02pmCan’t speak for anyone else here, but my mother paid property taxes on our home, which helped fund our public school system. Went to 4 years of college on scholarships and with help from family members.
Student loans, if repaid by the student upon graduation do not cost the government any money. In fact, it used to be that banks made student loans with the guaranty of the federal government if the student didn’t pay it back.
Report Post »@Adeyami
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 4:30pmExcellent point Lawrence. One day the Teabaggers will wake up, cut the strings and take off the blind fold. It makes no sense for poor people to allow themselves to be used by the rich people.
Report Post »