Obama Proposes “Labor Battalions”

AZCONSERVATIVE ^ | 23 Feb 2008 | John Semmens

[John Semmens]

In a move the candidate characterized as having the dual purpose of restoring “a sense of community” and “combating obesity,” Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill) said one of his first policy initiatives if he is elected president will be to ask for legislation establishing government-run “labor battalions” wherein people will be called upon to “toil for the collective benefit of society.”

“Americans have become too self-centered, too greedy,” Obama said. “This isn’t their fault. Our society doesn’t insist that they put aside their petty personal concerns for the good of the whole. As president I will be giving Americans the opportunity to do just that.”

While all the details of this proposal haven’t been laid out, the gist of the plan calls for every working American to contribute one month a year to community projects. “People will get their hands dirty investing their sweat for a better America,” Obama rhapsodized. “They’ll be out in the fresh air getting exercise, too.”

Those reluctant to contribute to the effort “will be asked to attend special education sessions to try to help them overcome their selfish aversion to work for the common good,” Obama continued. “We will change America, one soul at a time if that’s what it takes.”

[kittymyrib]

LOL...I guess the Obesity Police will be rounding up the likely “volunteers” at the local McDonald’s. We laugh now, but this does have the ring of “working for the common good” that Hillary and Obama are so enamored with.

[FlingWingFlyer]

...government-run “labor battalions” wherein people will be called upon to “toil for the collective benefit of society.”

This is called Communism in most places.

[Eva]

I would have thought that this was from the Onion if I hadn't read an article on the WSJ about Obama's Patriot companies.

Mr. Obama's proposal would designate certain companies as "patriot employers" and favor them over other, presumably not so patriotic, businesses.

The legislation takes four pages to define "patriotic" companies as those that: "pay at least 60 percent of each employee's health care premiums"; have a position of "neutrality in employee [union] organizing drives"; "maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in the United States relative to the number of full-time workers outside of the United States"; pay a salary to each employee "not less than an amount equal to the federal poverty level"; and provide a pension plan.

In other words, a patriotic employer is one which fulfills the fondest Big Labor agenda, regardless of the competitive implications. The proposal ignores the marketplace reality that businesses hire a work force they can afford to pay and still make money. Coercing companies into raising wages and benefits above market rates may only lead to fewer workers getting hired in the first place.

[aruanan]

In a move the candidate characterized as having the dual purpose of restoring “a sense of community” and “combating obesity,” Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill) said one of his first policy initiatives if he is elected president will be to ask for legislation establishing government-run “labor battalions” wherein people will be called upon to “toil for the collective benefit of society.”

He really is a freaking moron, isn't he? He's going to demand over 8% of every working American's time in addition to the thousands of dollars worth of time already taken in taxes? Screw him.

[aruanan]

Those reluctant to contribute to the effort “will be asked to attend special education sessions to try to help them overcome their selfish aversion to work for the common good,” Obama continued. “We will change America, one soul at a time if that’s what it takes.”

This, however, has got to be satire.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Yeah, I’ve been staring at this for several minutes now trying to figure out if it is a joke. It’s for real?

[prairiebreeze]

mark

[RightWhale]

Sure, but Obama’s ‘Yes we can’ battalions would quickly find themselves too busy to do this.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

BTW, who is going to police these things. I mean, who passes out the patriot label for companies (labor unions?), how long is it good for, etc. Doesn’t overseeing it cost something?

[callisto]

Can the Fuhrer say that in it's original German?

[prairiebreeze]

Check out the comments Janet Reno supposedly said about burning as a way of interrogating terrorist suspects. Makes me wonder as to the source’s veracity.

Although Reno is a nut job, to be sure. And Barack Hussein Obama is most certainly a socialist turning communist.

Hmmm..

[FReepapalooza]

Blatant communism.

C’mon, don’t be a piker./s

[snowsislander]

Yeah, I’ve been staring at this for several minutes now trying to figure out if it is a joke. It’s for real?

It's satire; all postings from azconservative.org by Mr. Semmens are mere japes, though the articles generally are based on real world events.

[FReepapalooza]

It’s satire, folks.

[reg45]

When I’m conscripted, can I wear my tee-shirt with the picture of a noose on it.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

It's based on truth but it is satire. The Obama part is about his very real Patriot Employer Act proposed in 2007. You can find info about it through google or at Obama's senate.gov page. The satire spin is pretty on the mark.

The Reno part is obviously about her tactics in Waco.

[NathanR]

Arbeit macht frei!

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

It's satire; all postings from azconservative.org by Mr. Semmens are mere japes, though the articles generally are based on real world events.

Thanks. I came back and clicked on the link, so I figured it out myself. LOL! I also went to google and checked it out. He did propose the Patriot Employer Act that pretty much rewards companies that do everything labor unions want them to do.

Obama scares me.

[snowsislander]

Obama scares me.

Yes; interestingly enough, Senator Obama is very popular with the Communist Party USA. They apparently are giddy at the prospect of Mr. Obama's nomination.

The Democrats have drifted so far to the left that the Communist Party USA no longer bothers to run their own candidates since the Democrat candidates have been acceptable to them for a long while --- and Senator Obama is more than just acceptable to them, they are quite eager to see him nominated.

[Eva]

The dirty little secret is that the Democrats have a fully fascist government planned for us that stops short of nationalizing industry. They are opting for incrementalism, to avoid shocking the electorate. They plan to place what they call government liaisons inside industry which will act as overseers and a link between industry and the government. These government overseers would be paid by the industries and be required to file monthly reports to the government.

Governor Gregoire in WA State laid it all out in one of her speeches, but this is the first that I have been hearing about in on the federal level. They, of course, plan to use environmentalism as the whip.

This is a big reason that I oppose John McCain, because he is buying into the Democrat global warming scam that we have been fighting so hard in WA.

[callisto]

Arbeit macht frei!

Thank you! Your contribution is greatly appreciated!! I've noticed seveal of Barack Hussein Obama's statements and ideas sound straight out the 1930's.

[syriacus]

Yes, Lord Obama, we will be your serfs.

[El Cid]

Hah!
Funny article. Janet Reno's critique of water-boarding was worth a chuckle...

[bert]

I guess Habitat for Humanity will get nationalized.

[prairiebreeze]

Thanks, I’ll look that up. Leave it to a democrap to consider socialism as patriotic.

[Thrownatbirth]

I thought we already had these “battalions” that toil for society. They’re called chain gangs.

[C19fan]

This is great satire. Given Obama’s and “Mrs. Palmer’s” rheortic Obama making such a statement is all too beliveable.

[FlingWingFlyer]

It’s getting harder and harder to tell anymore. Satire is becoming reality and reality is becoming satire.

[COgamer]

I hope these comments are advertised. I was once planning to vote 3rd party in this election. Obama is right out of a nightmare, and I no longer have that luxury.

[Doofer]

Those reluctant to contribute to the effort “will be asked to attend special education sessions to try to help them overcome their selfish aversion to work for the common good,” Obama continued. “We will change America, one soul at a time if that’s what it takes.”

[A CA Guy]

Didn’t he also propose flying saucers for all that had endless MPGs?

[arthurus]

New Soviet Man

[tuckrdout]

What? Is this real? Is this a spoof?

Sounds EXACTLY like the Chinese “cultural revolution”...complete with “re-education” camps....

[tuckrdout]

OH, I SEE, IT IS SATIRE!! FOLLOW THE LINK....

Scared me. Don’t do that, I am not as young as I once was!