Old Ideas?

President Obama is out with his critique of the GOP convention; he says it was filled with tired old ideas that are no longer relevant. I think that statement is a great example of what psychologists call "projection". In other words, Obama was actually taking his own situation and putting it on the GOP instead. Let me explain:

The idea of government spending on welfare programs and "shovel ready jobs" as a method to stimulate the economy was first used in the 1930's by Franklin Roosevelt. It did not work to bring the country out of the Great Depression. Indeed, most economic historians would agree that only the onset of World War II and the huge demands that the war put on the American economy ended the depression. A majority of those economic historians would also agree that the very programs that Obama is now trying to use actually prolonged the depression (although there is less agreement on that point.) Obama brought back failed policies from 80 years ago.

The attacks on the rich as not paying their fair share of the taxes is also a throwback to the 1930's. Obama's class warfare rhetoric was a worldwide staple of that decade. The Soviets, the Nazis, the Fascists in Italy, and the Communists all over Europe all used one variant or another of the argument. The Democrats and Roosevelt also followed that line, although with less vehemence than the foreign examples. Obama has brought back another discredited view from 80 year ago.

The idea of speaking to foreign adversaries about the needs of the world rather than acting to protect the national interests of the USA is another retread. It was last tried under Jimmy Carter. Many remember Carter's inaction in the face of the Iranian government sanctioning the invasion of the American embassy where all the personnel were taken hostage and held for a year and a half. Now, Obama just talks to Iran but makes clear that he is against any military action to stop their nuclear program. He has brought back a failed policy from 35 years ago.

Obamacare is another failed idea brought forward to the present by Obama. In country after country around the world, the quality of healthcare has tumbled after the government took over the system. Look at the waits for surgery in places like Britain, Canada and other states with national healthcare. Obama is adopting old ideas that have failed everywhere else they have been tried.

The list could go on, but the point is clear. Obama is using projection when he says things like today's statement.