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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele]
Can you point out an example of Obama demonizing business and business people?
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Pretty sure OP's referencing "You didn't build that."

But that was my first thought, too. I think Obama's scorn is really reserved for the idle rich and undertaxed.[/quote]

I agree with you about where Obama's scorn is directed. But, if the OP is truly referencing "You didn't build that", the OP is quite mistaken. That is more of an example of scorn for accurate reporting and advertising. Of course, businessmen didn't build the roads and other public infrastructure that serve their businesses.
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With all due respect, I think you are spinning things. I don't see how you can reach this conclusion when viewing the video. And further, well yes, businessmen did build the roads and other public infrastructure that serve their business in the sense that commerce is what leads to taxes that pays for that stuff. People taking raw materials and performing some kind of work that enhances value...that is what leads to commerce and to taxes. So I disagree on both your points.

To some other posters that have wondered, Obama never misses and opportunity to demonize business. This has been done with banks and with BP, for example. He is always looking for "whos neck to step on". I know what you are going to say...the banks caused the mess. Well did you see Barney Frank and Maxine Waters shout down Repbulicans in committee when they asked about Fannie and Freddie about 10 years ago? Are you familiar with Contrywide and Friends of Angelo and the influence pedling that was happening there? Exactly whose consituents were likely to get the NINJA loans anyway? With the banking mess, I would say we got just what we deserved and asked for.[/quote]

With similar respect, I'd have to conclude that you haven't seen the video. This page has the entire 42 minute speech:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2012/jul/18/context-obamas-you-didnt-build-comment/

Here is the relevant section:

"There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me -- because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t -- look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something -- there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.

"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. [b]Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.[/b]

"The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together. There are some things, just like fighting fires, we don’t do on our own. I mean, imagine if everybody had their own fire service. That would be a hard way to organize fighting fires.

"So we say to ourselves, ever since the founding of this country, you know what, there are some things we do better together. That’s how we funded the G.I. Bill. That’s how we created the middle class. That’s how we built the Golden Gate Bridge or the Hoover Dam. That’s how we invented the Internet. That’s how we sent a man to the moon. We rise or fall together as one nation and as one people, and that’s the reason I’m running for President -- because I still believe in that idea. You’re not on your own, we’re in this together."

I've bolded the critical passage. I am pretty sure that stating exactly what he said is not "spinning".

You are correct that businesses pay some amount of taxes or engage in commerce that generates taxes which help fund the government.  However, people like you and me purchase the products those businesses produce, which helps fund those businesses. You and I no more produce that product we help finance than those businesses build the roads that their taxes help finance. That seems pretty obvious, don't you think. Clearly, a road by itself produces no revenue. Similarly, a business that is devoid of public infrastructure is unlikely to succeed. These things succeed because "we do things together." That is exactly Obama's point.

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