I Didn't Build That?

I didn't build the great aqueducts of Rome, and shouldn't we give a nod to those who did? The remark by Obama may have been taken slightly out of context, but (if true) that was the fault of the speaker for using the singular ("that"), which sounds like he meant his statement to refer to a business ("You didn't build that"); if what he actually meant was 'infrastructure' -- roads and bridges -- he should have used the plural ("those"), which would have made the statement both clear and true.

I don't understand the whole point, though. While every single, solitary one of us can acknowledge that someone, somewhere, created or built something upon which we have built our own careers, how far back should we go? I created a Style Guide for use in my company, but I guess I have to credit... whom? Bill Gates? The inventor of the first computer? The inventors of the English language? The inventors of human communication? I mean, really -- what's the rule here? I have no problem acknowledging anyone's contribution, but I could spend so long doing THAT, I would have little time for anything else.

His point was that we all need government-created roads, bridges and such in order to build our businesses. As usual, he had half a point. Since government is not in the business of 'making' money -- producing goods and services in the marketplace which generate income and a profit -- then anything that 'government' creates it does with the money given to it by others. What others? Why, taxpayers and businesses, of course!

Government built a bridge. Terrific. Great job. Who bought the materials? Who paid the workers? Where did that money COME from? Answer: You and I. We paid for ALL of it by working for ourselves or someone else, by buying the goods and services produced by other people, and by paying taxes at every step of the way.

So you see, it's not that he was taken out of context, or not. It's that his philosophy simply doesn't fit with the spirit of this country. We ALL acknowledge that government does good works. We simply realize that we OWN those good works, because we paid for them, and continue to pay for them, every day.