Are the Rich Responsible for Their Own Success? (President Obama Thinks Not)

by Chris D Posted 2012/07/16 21:00:00

Related Topics: Obama, Independent, Virginia, UK, Quote, Pix, 2012, President, Business, News

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	Yes, of couse they are!	759 votes	50%
	No, they've gotten help from others.	524 votes	34%
	What the... ?	244 votes	16%

The quote in question is from a recent presidential speech in Virginia is: 'If you've got a business - you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.' What in the world could President Obama have meant by that?

DAILYMAIL.CO.UK reports:
In a speech in Roanoke, Virginia, the President said: 'If you've got a business - you didn't build that'. It sparked a furious response from the National Federation of Independent Businesses on Monday, who said it showed an 'utter lack of understanding'.

sparked furious response national federation independent businesses onmonday utter understanding

+51

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TheBorg 2012/07/16 23:22:21 (edited)

What the... ?

+45
WTF? Never seen a quote taken more out of context. What I heard was that the workers of a company have a part in making that company successful and should be recognized by the company for their hard work. It is not the CEO who is taking the risk when creating a business, it is the worker.

My case in point: in 2012 the Koch brothers made 11 billion in profit yet still laid off over 25% of their workers in Green Bay, many middle aged. Now they need to find retraining, find a job, and still support their families. Most ended up losing their homes or at the very least downsizing. What CEO has every lost their home, needed to be retrained, or lost their life savings trying to make ends meet after a business went under or they got fired?

What I heard from Obama is that one man cannot make a successful business without good workers and good workers should be recognized for their contribution to the organization. Currently the climate is that only the CEO is of any importance and should take advantage of their workers any way they can.

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AL to Yuki ~ ... 2012/07/18 08:47:53

So who takes the blame if they fail then, Would that be the public sector roads,bridges,teachers,fire men and police as well then?Give me a break, can't you people see this is all Marxism 101 Obama's beenusing on us all!

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Yuki ~ ... to AL 2012/07/18 17:25:03

+1
-raises eyebrow-

If they fail, there are often a lot of reasons for it. Poor management, bad retainer advice, failing economy.

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AL to Yuki ~ ... 2012/07/18 20:46:16 (edited)

LMAO! weill then,shouldn't they also blame the Government for their failures then as well?I mean all is fair in love and war right?

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Z-Wolf 2012/07/17 21:34:30 (edited)

What the... ?

+1
That seems like it was taken out of context. When a CEO has a great business and a bunch of money coming from it, they DIDN'T build it. The workers did. Like workers, they worked to make that company or business what it is. That's crap tio think otherwise and completely ignore their contribution. And yes, he was right.

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wordpress 2012/07/17 21:31:28

What the... ?

Are the poor responsible for their failures?

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daniel wayne 2012/07/17 21:24:47

What the... ?

in some cases, like steve jobs and bill gates, yes. in other cases its being in the right place at the right time, its doing something once that gives you a lifetime income, its inheritance. there's lots of ways to get rich. most of us just never get that lucky idea or record "achy breaky heart" or "the macarena" or win a lottery.

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Patent1 to daniel ... 2012/07/18 00:42:38

They didn't get rich by themself. They had a lot of help. What you might be asking is whether or not they screwed their employees in order to get rich.

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2012/07/17 21:24:12

No, they've gotten help from others.

He's partly right but should have worded it slightly differently, the statement he made taken away from the rest sounds horrible, but reading the rest you can see where he's coming from. If others hadn't made the things that came before some businesses would never have come to fruition. But business people do get credit for starting their particular business and making it successful in large because of their own ideas and their own Hard work. Part of their success is also due to others help though, ie their workers, their bankers, their community and their consumers. They are clever, they are smart, but if it weren't for the rest of society business wouldn't exsist.

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foobar 2012/07/17 21:17:04

No, they've gotten help from others.

I think that the question and the supporting content are at cross purposes. I have no idea what the president meant with the provided comment, but the question of whether the rich got that way on their own is pretty clear, and the answer is 'no'. We live in a world where lots of people are doing their best every day. The ones that get wealthy are generally in that group, but it is chance that gives them the break over others. It upsets me when people I know that have gotten wealthy by chance turn around and act like it was skill. I am prepared to accept their good fortune if they are prepared to admit that they got lucky.

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The Sane One 2012/07/17 21:07:53

Yes, of couse they are!

+1
Yes. They've provided huge amounts to politicians in order to get legislation passed that enables them to use offshore tax havens.

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DissidentRage 2012/07/17 21:01:35

No, they've gotten help from others.

Of course they're not. They've made their millions walking across the backs of their employees. Link to a managerial job posting that lists required skills other than just telling other people what to do.

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Julian 2012/07/17 21:01:24

What the... ?

+1
Yes and no. They are responsible for it in the sense that they worked to create it, but they weren't in the sense that most of the really wealthy people have used government to get rich, either with contracts or corporate welfare brought about by manipulating the system. Free market capitalism isn't the problem, the problem is CRONY CAPITALISM.

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hilllary 2012/07/17 20:59:15

Yes, of couse they are!

+4
Only an Communist, or Socialist would make a statement like that. Just shows how little this pile of crap knows about our great Nation.

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Patent1 to hilllary 2012/07/18 00:43:53

Garbage. We have had a midture of socialism and capitalism since at least the great depression. Get over it.

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hilllary to Patent1 2012/07/31 22:54:34

Yes and sorry lazy people are responsable for our nation embraceing communisom, and socialism. Why can people who work make it in the middle class and the rest of you think we owe your sorry a-- because you are to lazy to work for it. I was raised in a poor home. My parents had 8 children, and work and never needed any thing from the Federal government. All 8 of us got jobs worked hard paid for our children college. And yet you sorry blanks think I should pay more taxes so you can get things free. What a bunch of jokers.

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Patent1 to hilllary 2012/08/01 00:28:59

More garbage. Go back to school. Get your GED. You will be a better person for it.

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hilllary to Patent1 2012/08/07 22:45:54

I don't need to go back to school dummy. You need to get your sorry rear to work.

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Patent1 to hilllary 2012/08/08 03:25:17

I own 2 businesses and work both you ass. Just get your tinfoil hat fixed.

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hilllary to Patent1 2012/08/14 20:02:33

If you aren't getting walfare of some kind you would not support the crap that thinks he is a king. O I know you want to give your money, No it someone else money you want to give away.

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Patent1 to hilllary 2012/08/14 22:18:38

Its not your money. If you think it is, just try to keep it all and see what happens. Freeloaders like you are whats wrong with the country. You want all that America has to offer, but don't want to pay for any of it. It costs money to live here. If you don't like it, leave.

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hilllary to Patent1 2012/08/21 22:05:13

You Dumb B======. i HAVE WORKED ALL MY LIFE AND PAYED TAXES AND HAVE NEVER DRAWN ANYTHING FROM THE GOVERNMENT. YOU ARE A LIEING B------.

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Patent1 to hilllary 2012/08/22 15:07:26

I have worked all my life too, in addition to being a Vietnam veteran and have earned my social security, which I gladly draw. I also choose to continue working. So Screw you and the freeloading teabuggers along with their Mexican tax cheat leader and his atheist-worshiping sidekick.

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hilllary to Patent1 2012/08/29 00:14:46

You are a liar . You said you owned 2 businesses. you and you Obummer are the Mexican Boys.

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Patent1 to hilllary 2012/08/30 17:40:06
Geenie Nabottle 2012/07/17 20:55:20

No, they've gotten help from others.

+1
No man on this earth works alone.

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kgiexec 2012/07/17 20:54:51

What the... ?

+4
one more step towards socialism. then we can all be artist, musicians, and poets. I mean what to hell, why work harder than I have to if I've got to give more than 1/2 of it away. only question is once incentive is removed to work hard, who in the hell is going to be around to feed all those with their hands held out then. how can 1/2 the population who pays no income tax, many of which recieve handouts, then turn around and complain someone else isnt paying enough into the government machine? Slogan: he who pays none, complains others don't pay enough. how ironic.

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Stix to kgiexec 2012/07/17 23:19:01

If you rob from Peter to pay Paul....you can count on support from Paul.

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kgiexec to Stix 2012/07/19 17:33:40

go to where socialism is full bore and you may rethink your position

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Stix to kgiexec 2012/07/19 20:08:48

I have been in many socialistic countries. My point is that it all starts with a singel step...Obama has taken many small steps since taking power. America would never have voted for him if they knew his true motovations so Obie is moving slow but moving non the less.

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kgiexec to Stix 2012/07/19 22:52:00

i think i misunderstood your first response as in robbing peter to pay paul was a good thing

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Patent1 to kgiexec 2012/07/18 00:45:32 (edited)

We have had a mixture of Socialism and capitalism since at least the great depression. Get over it. You should be asking the question, "Did they get rich because they were screwing their employees?" Or offshoring jobs.

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Stix to Patent1 2012/07/20 19:01:43

You are right...and it is time to start to reverse the direction of our policy. Socialism is like cancer...it starts as a very small spot but in time grows to overtake the entire body ending in death. We need to get back to our constitution roots if America is to survive.

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joan.sloane 2012/07/17 20:50:03

Yes, of couse they are!

+4
Timing, suppliers, employees, location and other factors all play an important part in business success. With all of that said, the business owner is ultimately the force behind its success or failure.

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vinny 2012/07/17 20:49:23

Yes, of couse they are!

+6
It is true that they use government built infrastructure but that is available to all of us. It is also true that the government is not the ultimate source but the citizenship both business people and labor have worked and paid taxes that enables the government to operate. What happened to the idea that they, the goverernment, are our employees? Are they now our benefactors? God help America.

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darmyman 2012/07/17 20:46:04

What the... ?

+3
Hey Sodahead you idiots. Obama (who's clueless) didn't say the Rich, he said that business owners (by no means are all rich) aren't responsible for their success. This guy has no clue about business.

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Squatch 2012/07/17 20:45:33

What the... ?

+6
Obama would not have TP to wipe his butt with if it were not for the US taxpayer. I hate to break it to all you entitlement people, but the GOV does not generate cash. It comes from people who work. Since tax is percentage based, the more you make, the more you pay. People who make a lot know they are going to get raped by the IRS so they contribute large sums of money to charity, this could explain some of the tax discrepancy since donations are tax deductible, also contributions to retirement accounts, etc... The biggest thing Obama has done since elected is to turn the people getting entitlements against the people who work and have made something of themselves. It is the typical Democrat thought process, like the Bush blame game, "If I am not successful, it must be someone else's fault." Wake up America.

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lester1 to Squatch 2012/07/17 20:58:57

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

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Jo 2012/07/17 20:44:32

No, they've gotten help from others.

I don't think that Obama meant what everyone thinks he meant when he said that. Everyone has or has had a mentor. I am one of them that has been lucky enough to have had two mentors. Basically, if we didn't have the talents or know how to begin with we would not be a success even with all the help in the world, obviously. I have also had the good fortune to have had people help me along the way when needed.

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dimwit 2012/07/17 20:42:19

What the... ?

+4
What would Obama know about one creating his or her own success?
If any are aware of them, please list ALL the productive endeavors this
guy ever even attempted.

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Jo to dimwit 2012/07/17 20:46:17

Are you nuts? What planet are you from?? The planet of short memories obviously! LOL!

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