Should we blame the president or the people?

[jahasafrat]

The president doesn't write laws, he can only sponsor or veto them. Our useless and greedy Congress and House are to blame for the United States' current political, economical, and cultural stagnation. And it's the citizens who continuously put the power in the hands of the same partisan legislators.

[Ausr]

Like George Carlin once said: "If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders."

[Stir]

I watched part of the debate yesterday and wondered to myself, why do people blame the president for everything that goes bad instead of seeing that many of our issues are caused by the people? It seems to me like there is no personal responsibility anymore.

For example, the mortgage crisis. People blame the president and/or the banks. Shouldn't we however, blame the people that did not realize they could not afford the $500,000 mortgage? Yes, some people have lost jobs and their income but MANY people think they need 5,000sq ft and bought a house they cannot afford.

Then we have social welfare programs, where someone with 5 kids with 5 different mothers or fathers can go and get food stamps/rent paid/tuition/free health insurance etc...and keep having more kids. Again, where is the personal responsibility to not have children you cannot afford?

Because, like it or not, if a government does not protect its people (even from itself), then what use is a government exactly?
A President is the one who is ultimately responsible for the government. It's their job. So by taking that responsibility, the President must carry the blame for what goes wrong. This is one of the main principles of leadership in feudal systems such as Honour and Bushido; it has been the main principle for thousands of years. On the one hand, by being in a position of power, you have the means of gaining wealth and more power. On the other hand, since all of that is provided by the people, you, as a leader, have the responsibility, the dúty, to make sure that the people are well tended, protected, supported.
Being a leader should be about being a sérvant. A servant of the people. If a leader is not a servant of the people, the leader has no use at all, and you're basically living in a state of slavery and exploitation.

[Catta]

of the people
by the people
for the people
(EAGLE!)

[theredviola]

Both. The President because (sometimes) he has the final say and occasionally passes something. But also the people because they vote for the dumbass, leeching, stick-in-the-mud politicians in the Senate and the House. And yes, that's Politicians... not just Republicans, and not just Democrats; both.

[KDSwain]

This president is keen on taking credit for positive things and passing blame on negative things.

That's his entire campaign...

Honestly, I pray for a day when we don't blame the President for anything because these despicable, lying, scumbag, loser politicians have nearly no control over my life or the business I am involved in.

[PizzaSHARK]

I bought a home in '04. (only 1500 sqft mind you.) I was stupid, and young. It was my fault. I also take full responsibility, and will not foreclosing like many others have. I'm underwater, I need a larger home for my family. I'm going to lose years of work and savings to do it, but I'm going to meet my obligation to the banks that credited me the money to make the loan in the first place. At least enough that when I do sell, I break even.

Part of the reason the boat I am in (and many others are in) is due to these people who are foreclosing in such large numbers. It's driving the home values down. The question is how did all these people who could not afford the loans in the first place (myself included) get approved.

Because the banks themselves are irresponsible, and instead of being punished for it... they got bailed out. Stupidity all around.

Ostensibly, this is why credit checks are performed and some people are denied approval. But the problem is the banks getting greedy and looking at the money they'd gain... if the person they're loaning the money to could actually afford to fucking pay it.

Then the banks foreclose on the properties, and because this is so common, it's putting a glut of houses on the market, lowering the price of those houses, and houses are not free - empty houses still have to be maintained, and it's not free. So banks process even more loans to try and make up for the shortfalls they're already experiencing and their rampant irresponsibility and stupidity increases quadratically with every iteration.

Of course, it's not just the banks being financial idiots, either - the people running around acting like credit cards and bank loans are free money (protip: they aren't) are as much at fault as the banks.