Wednesday, November 6, 2013

CALVIN COOLIDGE AND BARACK OBAMA: COMPARED




Article About Calvin Coolidge and Obama

On November 5, 2013 the Lakeland Times published an edited version of the article (unedited version below) which I wrote as an outcome of my recent studies in history and politics. I believe that President Coolidge deserves his rightful place on that Mt. Rushmore monument to our great presidents. 

Coincidentally this National Memorial project was promoted and started in 1927 during President Coolidge's presidency. (The more you learn about Calvin Coolidge, the striking contrast between him and our current president is obvious.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calvin Coolidge, Antithesis of Obama

As Obama and his hoards of blind sycophants and zero information voters proceed in methodically destroying our once great country, small glimmers of hope are evident when we review our presidential history. Besides the obvious list (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, etc.) we inevitably come to realize that our 30th President, Calvin Coolidge belongs in that list of great presidents. The recently published biography, “Coolidge” by Amity Shlaes provides extensive evidence in support of that assertion. His biography shows that Calvin Coolidge was a complete antithesis of Obama:

As a student at Amherst College, Calvin Coolidge was significantly influenced by a remarkable professor of philosophy, Charles Edward Garman. Garman’s influence firmed up the Coolidge set of basic ideas of public service, private property, frugality, strict work ethic, and religious morality. In his autobiography, Coolidge describes how Garman encapsulated his world view:

“In ethics he taught us that there is a standard of righteousness, that might does not make right, that the end does not justify the means . . . people are entitled to the rewards of their industry. What they earn is theirs, no matter how small or great .  .  . emphasis was placed on the necessity and dignity of work . .  . All kinds of work .  .  .  are alike honorable.”     

[Obama’s greatest influences were his mentors, Saul Alinsky (evil community organizer), Bill Ayers (domestic terrorist), Frank Marshall Davis (communist), and of course his puppet-master, George Soros (evil financier and destroyer of nation’s economies.)]   

As Coolidge completed his studies at Amherst he was encouraged to write an essay on “The Principles Fought for in the American Revolution” for entry into a national essay contest. In 1895 Coolidge won the 1st Place Gold Medal for his essay. He concluded that essay with the following:

 “It is our theory that the people own the government, not that the government should own the people.”

Observers noticed Coolidge’s ability to hear people out; later he was called an “eloquent listener.” His taciturnity was legendary. In his living room in Northampton hung a simple plaque. It read:

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?

Coolidge consistently expressed what he discerned in fewer words, better chosen words, than just about anyone before or since. He said:

“He who gives license to his tongue only discloses the content of his own mind,” and “By the excess of words he proclaims his lack of discipline.”

[Obama’s inability to listen combined with his incessant mendacious teleprompter campaigning turns the stomach of any intelligent human unfortunate enough to be in his presence.]

Coolidge possessed a coherent philosophy of government and was praised as “the most internally consistent and single-minded of modern American presidents.”

[Obama’s utterances exhibit an unbridled level of incoherency and inconsistency.]

Regarding the breaking of the policeman’s strike in 1919, Massachusetts Governor Coolidge felt certain that progressives could not be met. Conciliation would not work. There was no middle ground. He said:

“There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time.”

[Obama’s symbiotic relationship with unions (both private and government sector) provides the perfect environment for expanded union influence and uninhibited corruption.]

When President Harding died in 1923, Coolidge became President “a job for which his whole life had prepared him.”

As he became President he said:

“We come here to honor the past, and in doing so render more secure the present.”

Calvin Coolidge was the last Jeffersonian who believed strongly in the limits of government power, particularly the limits of federal power. He believed that the property of a nation belonged to the citizens of that nation.

Coolidge believed that raising taxes was wrong because it robbed from men money that was their property; lower rates were good because they encouraged enterprise and starved the big government “beast.”

[Obama’s five year big government policy assault on the freedoms of America’s citizenry proves his antithetical political philosophy to that of Coolidge.]
In the matter of legislating, Coolidge said:

“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”
[Obama concentrates only on passing massive, incomprehensible bad bills such as  the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (shovel ready stimulus), Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.]

By the end of WWI in 1919 the economy struggled with high war debt and President Wilson’s administration increased the upper tax rate on the rich to an incredible rate of 77%. Economists were dismayed that these high marginal tax rates on the rich didn’t yield the revenue increases desired. President Coolidge accomplished the lowering of this rate to 25% by 1926 with the result of turning budget deficits into surpluses for four consecutive years of his presidency and simultaneously shifting the overall tax burden away from the poor and middle class workers. (While increasing the revenue from the highest tax bracket from $77 million to $230 million, the tax burden on those making under $10,000 fell from $130 million to under $20 million.)

Coolidge’s economic policies reduced the national debt by 24% and the federal budget by 35%. Unemployment averaged 3.3% and GNP averaged an annual growth of 7% during his presidency.

[In comparison, Obama’s economic policies relative to tax burdens, national debt, GNP growth, and true unemployment can only be termed abject failures. Yet he continues to babble that nonsense that taxing the rich is the solution to all of our economic problems.]     

Coolidge’s sense of frugality, independence, and integrity also controlled the manner in which he conducted his own personal life. Earlier he and his family lived in a $27-per-month rented house in Northampton and after becoming President, the Coolidges moved their own personal furniture into the White House. He even paid the salary of the White House cook out of his personal Presidential income.

[Obama’s contrasting spendthrift lifestyle with his extravagant million dollar family vacations, and multi-million dollar trumped up boondoggles to all parts of the world couldn’t be more antithetical to that of Calvin Coolidge. Obama’s total lack of fiscal responsibility is epitomized by his recent use of a $68 million hybrid aircraft, the MV-22 Osprey to provide his dog, Bo with a separate flight to join the Presidential family vacation.]  

Finally the Coolidge Presidency was enhanced by the presence of his beautiful, elegant, and intelligent First Lady, Grace whose first name aptly describes the nature of her contribution to the 30th Presidency. In college she studied piano, voice, and elocution and during the years of WWI she tirelessly worked for the American Red Cross. Additionally she dedicated herself to the teaching of the hearing impaired at the Clarke Institute for the Deaf.

[The Obama Presidency was elevated to a higher level of racial hatred and corruption by his philosophically compliant First Lady, Michelle who spent her Princeton college days actively working with socialists, communists and other radicals who only want to destroy the United States. Her racial animosity towards Caucasians was clearly exposed in her written words and participation in the “minorities only” radical campus group, The THIRD WORLD CENTER. While Obama was a Senator, Michelle was installed in a ludicrous position as 'Vice President of Community Relations' at the University Of Chicago Hospital at a salary of $316,962 per year.  Since there were no actual duties associated with that job, the position was quietly eliminated when Michelle moved on.]   

In summary, the term “antithesis” could not be more appropriate in comparing Obama to Calvin Coolidge and our other great presidents in the past. It is indeed hard to imagine what we would have to install in the White House to dislodge Obama from his earned title of America’s “WORST PRESIDENT.”

Chuck Boyd

Northwoods Patriots - Standing up for Faith, Family, Country

No comments:

Post a Comment