Who's Way Off?

Obama’s ‘Gaffe,’ History and Context - By Stanley Kurtz - The Corner - National Review Online: "In America we have this strong bias toward individual action. You know, we idolize the John Wayne hero who comes in to correct things with both guns blazing. But individual actions, individual dreams, are not sufficient. We must unite in collective action, build collective institutions and organizations.

Obama’s defenders argue that his “You didn’t build that” remark was just a clumsy attempt to make the obvious point that both government and the individual play a role in getting things done. Certainly, Obama’s 1995 comment leaves a place for both individual and collective action. Yet it’s also clear that Obama’s early remark paints the traditional American balance between individual and collective action as way off."