Referring to immigrant workers, Obama said, “All of us take offense
at anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on
the responsibilities of living in America.” Who is he talking about? Who
is reaping rewards without taking responsibility?
Such terms apply with much greater justice to the parasitic ruling
elite that Obama and the congressional Republicans and Democrats
represent. These gentlemen were bailed out to the tune of trillions
following the 2008 financial crash. But no banker or hedge fund mogul
has had to repay these infusions of taxpayers' money or been held
accountable for the financial manipulations and fraud that wiped out the
jobs and living standards of tens of millions of working people.
“Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that
they must be held accountable,” Obama declared. The Obama administration
has refused to apply this standard to bankers and speculators who broke
laws against swindling, or CIA agents who broke laws against torture,
or top officials of the Bush administration who waged illegal wars and
lied to the American people. And, of course, the Obama administration
itself operates outside the law, trampling on the US constitution in its
assertion of unlimited presidential powers to spy on, arrest, detain
and even assassinate American citizens.
-- Patrick Martin, "Obama announces right-wing immigration 'reform' in national address" (WSWS).