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President Obama, speaking in Virginia, said, "We don't believe anybody is entitled to success in this country."
"This country doesn't just succeed when just a few are doing well at the top. It succeeds when the middle class gets bigger. Our economy doesn't grow from the top down -- it grows from the middle out. We don't believe that anybody is entitled to success in this country," said Obama. "But we do believe in opportunity. We believe in a country where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded, and everybody is getting a fair shot and everybody is doing their fair share and everybody is playing by the same rules."
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-we-dont-believe-anybody-entitled-success-country_653749.html
Replies
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Well...yeah. People are entitled to basic emergency medical care. They are entitled to food. They are entitled to a basic public school education through grade 12. They are entitled to many things, but success isn't one of them---success must be earned. I'm a Libertarian and even I agree with that. Survival is one thing, success is a different story. -
Success (n): accomplishment of an aim; favorable outcome...attainment of wealth, fame or position.
Succeed (v): have success, be successful
So, Obama is telling everyone that they are not entitled to success, ergo, not to succeed in their goals. Everyone is entitled (the right) to the success that they earn for themselves.
He really put his foot in his mouth on this one. Why should people aim for success, when the president tells you you aren't entitled to it....
It's one of the more ludicrous demeaning statements he's made yet.