The Fallacy of the Blame Game

There is a popular adage that approximately says, ' a bad workman complains/blames his tools'. In Nigeria today, it has become a 'theme song' to blame all our current woes on the PDP or on GEJ when it suits. The latest refrain with the passage of time & as it becomes more difficult to lay the failings of this 'regime' at the doorstep of the past administration(s) is that things would have been much worse if GEJ was still incharge. This begs the question, how true is that assertion? Would things have been really worse off or would the present situation have been better managed?

While one cannot say for sure what the situation would have been, it is a safe bet to state that if GEJ had won & things were actually this bad, the APC would have claimed that the 'present' situation is unacceptable & would call for the head of the 'clueless one'. They would have spewed statistics of how they would have hit the ground running, turned the economy into a vibrant one with 1m jobs in their first year, stable power etc. The yuan deal would have been ridiculed & the train service dismissed as locomotive contraptions. The war against BH would have been termed a failure & successes recorded deemed misinformation. News of Missing soldiers would have been prominently echoed. Foreign trips would have been deemed a waste of scare resources, the number of presidential jets outrageous. Fuel increase? Let's not go there... They would have occupied Africa.

The rise in the price of kerosine & gas would have been unacceptable. The budget padding saga? Evidence of corruption at the highest level. Who would dare want to remove an APC deputy senate president? They would pulled down the assembly gates. What if Amaechi, Fashola, Fayemi, Dambazzua & co were arrested on corruption charges, denied bail? That would be wizard hunting. What if Oshiomole & Aregbesola had their personal accounts frozen based on 'annexing' state funds for elections? There would have been mass protests. Exchange rate? Emefile & Okonjo's heads would have been on stakes. Price of crude would not have been sufficient reason for the economic downturn. Never!

The 'what ifs' are endless, but alas, we are stuck with reality of the here & now.

15m people out of 28m voters in a country of 170m listened to the yarns of the APC & gave them the needed votes. Its time to knuckle down & walk the talk.

ivandragon:
The Fallacy of the Blame Game

There is a popular adage that approximately says, ' a bad workman complains/blames his tools'. In Nigeria today, it has become a 'theme song' to blame all our current woes on the PDP or on GEJ when it suits. The latest refrain with the passage of time & as it becomes more difficult to lay the failings of this 'regime' at the doorstep of the past administration(s) is that things would have been much worse if GEJ was still incharge. This begs the question, how true is that assertion? Would things have been really worse off or would the present situation have been better managed?

While one cannot say for sure what the situation would have been, it is a safe bet to state that if GEJ had won & things were actually this bad, the APC would have claimed that the 'present' situation is unacceptable & would call for the head of the 'clueless one'. They would have spewed statistics of how they would have hit the ground running, turned the economy into a vibrant one with 1m jobs in their first year, stable power etc. The yuan deal would have been ridiculed & the train service dismissed as locomotive contraptions. The war against BH would have been termed a failure & successes recorded deemed misinformation. News of Missing soldiers would have been prominently echoed. Foreign trips would have been deemed a waste of scare resources, the number of presidential jets outrageous. Fuel increase? Let's not go there... They would have occupied Africa.

The rise in the price of kerosine & gas would have been unacceptable. The budget padding saga? Evidence of corruption at the highest level. Who would dare want to remove an APC deputy senate president? They would pulled down the assembly gates. What if Amaechi, Fashola, Fayemi, Dambazzua & co were arrested on corruption charges, denied bail? That would be wizard hunting. What if Oshiomole & Aregbesola had their personal accounts frozen based on 'annexing' state funds for elections? There would have been mass protests. Exchange rate? Emefile & Okonjo's heads would have been on stakes. Price of crude would not have been sufficient reason for the economic downturn. Never!

The 'what ifs' are endless, but alas, we are stuck with reality of the here & now.

15m people out of 28m voters in a country of 170m listened to the yarns of the APC & gave them the needed votes. Its time to knuckle down & walk the talk.

we're still in first half, first quarter sef
not over till its over
but we did not vote for economic emancipation
we voted to get rid of pdp and demystify federal might and power of incumbency
in this we are successful
for the economy
na siddon look o cos gej wouldn't have done anything
instead we would have witnessed some Dubai weddings et al

MIKOLOWISKA:
we're still in first half, first quarter sef
not over till its over
but we did not vote for economic emancipation
we voted to get rid of pdp and demystify federal might and power of incumbency
in this we are successful
for the economy
na siddon look o cos gej wouldn't have done anything
instead we would have witnessed some Dubai weddings et al

GEJ himself demystified power of incumbency by ensuring a strong & independent electoral system.

success is relative. what you term success might not be so for another.

saying GEJ wouldn't have done any better is making an assertion that can be heavily disputed. there are still weddings going on in Rome, officials still junket abroad for medical reasons as flimsy as 'ear check up'.

the fact remains that if GEJ was still president with all the hardship we presently face, would the opposition have said we should be patient that GEJ is finally getting it right?

or would they have cursed him for the hardship?

ivandragon:


GEJ himself demystified power of incumbency by ensuring a strong & independent electoral system.
he did not demystify anything
He needed jega to win first time but it backfired later
success is relative. what you term success might not be so for another.
agreed
saying GEJ wouldn't have done any better is making an assertion that can be heavily disputed. there are still weddings going on in Rome, officials still junket abroad for medical reasons as flimsy as 'ear check up'.
he didn't do well for 5 years
He was way out of his depth
He definitely wouldn't have done better
He was ineffectually buffoonish
the fact remains that if GEJ was still president with all the hardship we presently face, would the opposition have said we should be patient that GEJ is finally getting it right?
hey he asked for the job
He should live with the people's expectations

or would they have cursed him for the hardship?

that mumu no send curses

ivandragon:


GEJ himself demystified power of incumbency by ensuring a strong & independent electoral system.
he did not demystify anything
He needed jega to win first time but it backfired later
success is relative. what you term success might not be so for another.
agreed
saying GEJ wouldn't have done any better is making an assertion that can be heavily disputed. there are still weddings going on in Rome, officials still junket abroad for medical reasons as flimsy as 'ear check up'.
he didn't do well for 5 years
He was way out of his depth
He definitely wouldn't have done better
He was ineffectually buffoonish
the fact remains that if GEJ was still president with all the hardship we presently face, would the opposition have said we should be patient that GEJ is finally getting it right?
hey he asked for the job
He should live with the people's expectations

or would they have cursed him for the hardship?

that mumu no send curses
Nobody in pdp does

Bush Still Leads Obama in Blame for U.S. Economic Troubles


by Lydia Saad
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

More than six in 10 think Bush merits blame for economy's ills
Half of Americans point finger at Obama
Little change in these perceptions since 2011
PRINCETON, N.J. -- As Barack Obama's two-term presidency enters its final months, more Americans still blame George W. Bush than Obama for the nation's economic ills. When asked how much they blame each president for current economic problems, 64% of Americans say Bush deserves a "great deal" or "moderate amount" of blame, compared with 50% for Obama.


Both presidents receive slightly less blame in the June 14-23 Gallup poll than they did the last time Gallup asked this question in 2013, but the gap has held steady over the past three years, with Bush blamed more than Obama.

The overall percentage of Americans blaming Bush a great deal or moderate amount has consistently exceeded the percentage blaming Obama throughout Obama's presidency. However, it was much more lopsided in the first few years after Bush left office -- namely in Obama's honeymoon year (2009), and to a lesser extent in 2010. That, of course, was in the aftermath of the 2008 Wall Street financial crisis that occurred on Bush's watch, an event that 60% of Americans described at the time as the biggest economic crisis the U.S. had faced in their lifetime.

Only One More Year to Blame George W. Bush

by JOEL B. POLLAK1 Jan 2016

With the dawn of 2016, there is hope that the long presidency of George W. Bush will finally be over.
He served the maximum two terms, and tried to stay out of the spotlight. But President Barack Obama made sure that “W” was an integral part of his own administration.

His unofficial title for the past seven years has been Secretary of Screw-ups in the Department of Blame. And he has been the most reliable member of Obama’s Cabinet, always ready to serve.


He was there on Day One in 2009, when Obama signed his executive order to close the Guantánamo Bay prison in one year, and blasted the “false choice between our safety and our ideals” that George W. Bush allegedly imposed. And, like that prison, Bush is still there today.

He is responsible for almost every mistake; he is the standard against which almost every achievement is measured. Lately, he is even cited as an example to follow. He is omnipresent.

In his last weekly address, Obama cited his “top 10 things that happened in 2015,” by which he meant things that he should be given credit for, perhaps because no one else will.

Bush still getting blame for economic woes
02/07/14
By Morgan Whitaker
More than five years after leaving office, former President George W. Bush is still getting blame for the country’s economic problems, a new poll has found. But the percentage of Americans who blame the former president and Republicans for the current state of the economy has fallen below 50% for the first time since Bush left office, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Thursday.

The poll (PDF) found that 34% Americans say “Barack Obama and the Democrats” are primarily responsible for the nation’s current economic problems, while 44% say “George W. Bush and the Republicans” are to blame. The percentage blaming Bush and the GOP has dropped in the last year and a half, while those putting the onus on Obama has remained largely unchanged.

In the fall of 2012, 57% blamed Bush and 35% blamed Obama. The percentage of respondents blaming both parties equally is at a new high, shooting up from 6% to 14% since September 2012.

When broken down by party identification, Democrats are unsurprisingly more likely to blame Bush and the GOP (75%) than Obama and the Democrats (15%). Republicans have a similarly predictable split, with 66% pointing the finger at Obama and his party and only 13% blaming Bush. Independents have a breakdown that more similarly reflects the overall population, with 31% blaming Obama and Democrats, 41% blaming Bush and Republicans, and 19% blaming both equally.

Tea party supporters are the most likely to blame Obama over Bush, 76% to 8%.

The same poll found Americans overall have a more positive view of the economy than they have at any other point in the last six years, but most still believe the country is in bad rather than good shape, 64% to 36%.

deji15:
Bush still getting blame for economic woes
02/07/14
By Morgan Whitaker
More than five years after leaving office, former President George W. Bush is still getting blame for the country’s economic problems, a new poll has found. But the percentage of Americans who blame the former president and Republicans for the current state of the economy has fallen below 50% for the first time since Bush left office, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Thursday.

The poll (PDF) found that 34% Americans say “Barack Obama and the Democrats” are primarily responsible for the nation’s current economic problems, while 44% say “George W. Bush and the Republicans” are to blame. The percentage blaming Bush and the GOP has dropped in the last year and a half, while those putting the onus on Obama has remained largely unchanged.

In the fall of 2012, 57% blamed Bush and 35% blamed Obama. The percentage of respondents blaming both parties equally is at a new high, shooting up from 6% to 14% since September 2012.

When broken down by party identification, Democrats are unsurprisingly more likely to blame Bush and the GOP (75%) than Obama and the Democrats (15%). Republicans have a similarly predictable split, with 66% pointing the finger at Obama and his party and only 13% blaming Bush. Independents have a breakdown that more similarly reflects the overall population, with 31% blaming Obama and Democrats, 41% blaming Bush and Republicans, and 19% blaming both equally.

Tea party supporters are the most likely to blame Obama over Bush, 76% to 8%.

The same poll found Americans overall have a more positive view of the economy than they have at any other point in the last six years, but most still believe the country is in bad rather than good shape, 64% to 36%.

the people were the ones deciding who they blame for their woes not the Obama administration playing the blame game.

also, how many people were 'probed' & arrested for the economic mismanagement by Bush?

did Obama just blame Bush or did he do something about revamping the economy without making the people pass through hell?

did Obama go about calling some citizens of America 5%, irritants etc? did he go around the world telling people how corrupt the last administration was & that his people are criminals?

as much as I understand that you wish to justify the blame game, I believe you also know that at some point in time, it just has to stop.

ivandragon:



the people were the ones deciding who they blame for their woes not the Obama administration playing the blame game.

also, how many people were 'probed' & arrested for the economic mismanagement by Bush?

did Obama just blame Bush or did he do something about revamping the economy without making the people pass through hell?

did Obama go about calling some citizens of America 5%, irritants etc? did he go around the world telling people how corrupt the last administration was & that his people are criminals?

as much as I understand that you wish to justify the blame game, I believe you also know that at some point in time, it just has to stop.

Up till last month during the DNC convention, Obama was still blaming George Bush for the economic situation he inherited from his predecesor.
There are many Nigerians who blames the last administration for the current Nigeria Economic situation. It might only depend on what part of the country you hail from.
Up till 3 years of Obama Presidency, the US economy was still losing jobs, so Obama and the democrats continued to blame George Bush until the economy starts to improve.
Get a transcript of what Buhari said about 5%. Many GEJ supporters have tried to twist his comments with the hope that will bring Jonathan back. But it amounts to waste of time. In that interview, Buhari maintained that evry state will get what is due to them. Hopefully the criminals among us will desist from their criminal activities. Buhari did not say all Nigerians are criminals except for the twisting of facts by wailers.



Obama Blaming Bush For Everything

October 4. 2010




According to an article published in the Sun Sentinel, U.S. President, Barack Obama continues to blame former Commander-in-Chief, George W. Bush, for the financial crisis that has refused to release its grip on the American economy.

[quote author=deji15 post=48938959]

Up till last month during the DNC convention, Obama was still blaming George Bush for the economic situation he inherited from his predecesor.
There are many Nigerians who blames the last administration for the current Nigeria Economic situation. It might only depend on what part of the country you hail from.
Up till 3 years of Obama Presidency, the US economy was still losing jobs, so Obama and the democrats continued to blame George Bush until the economy starts to improve.
Get a transcript of what Buhari said about 5%. Many GEJ supporters have tried to twist his comments with the hope that will bring Jonathan back. But it amounts to waste of time. In that interview, Buhari maintained that evry state will get what is due to them. Hopefully the criminals among us will desist from their criminal activities. Buhari did not say all Nigerians are criminals except for the twisting of facts by wailers.



Obama Blaming Bush For Everything

October 4. 2010




According to an article published in the Sun Sentinel, U.S. President, Barack Obama continues to blame former Commander-in-Chief, George W. Bush, for the financial crisis that has refused to release its grip on the American economy.

still, how many members of the past administration did Obama chase around?

as for the interpretation of buhari's 5% speech, every speech can be interpreted as the listener deems fit. including justifying what should not be justified.

so many Buhari supporters have suddenly developed double standards providing excuses, you talk of corruption, what has this regime done about the corrupt people in its own cabinet?



& why bring up this prism of because of where one is from? so because I might not come from your tribe, am now a wailer? that's a very shallow mindset please & if you insist on bringing tribal sentiments into what I felt was a civil discussion, don't bother responding. I have no time for tribal bigots please.

if we want to insist on the blame game, then you might as well blame all the past military leaders who have in one way or another contributed to the mess we are in because it seems some people tend to conveniently forget the fact that Nigeria existed before 2010.


http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/09/fact-check-obama-had-more-to-do-with-2008-economic-meltdown-than-bush-ever-did/

Jim Hoft Sep 5th, 2012 2:02 pm — 20 Comments
Here’s something you’ll never read about in the liberal media.
Barack Obama played a leading role in the mortgage crisis of 2008 that sunk the US economy.
In his early activist days, Barack Obama the community organizer sued banks to ease lending

.... from the above, you will see that the blame game can be extended & interpreted in various ways.

[s]

ivandragon:


GEJ himself demystified power of incumbency by ensuring a strong & independent electoral system.

success is relative. what you term success might not be so for another.

saying GEJ wouldn't have done any better is making an assertion that can be heavily disputed. there are still weddings going on in Rome, officials still junket abroad for medical reasons as flimsy as 'ear check up'.

the fact remains that if GEJ was still president with all the hardship we presently face, would the opposition have said we should be patient that GEJ is finally getting it right?

or would they have cursed him for the hardship?

[/s]


For some wildly dull reason some people feel slighted when ex president jonathan is called to account for his terrible useless and extremely wasteful administration. Thre is nothing like blame game, rather thats responsibility. You are coming from a regime where $2.1bn was given to a single individual for free, no questions asked. So how do u expect not to face hardships. GEJ regime is the worst we have ever had economically. It was a free for all, everybody doing anything they like.


This is a regime of responsibility and accountability. No more chop I chop.

If we are to tell ourselves the truth, APC/PMB is a failure with nothing to offer than blame GEJ/PDP.
The dollar brouhaha started when the APC govt tried to peg dollar when the country isn't exporting anything else aside from crude. All I see in the administration is propaganda from January to December, if after one year the govt is still blaming opposition for their woes then, it's obvious that they have nothing to offer. Lack of economic blueprint, adoption of 1980's obnoxious and outdated fiscal policies amidst others in a 21th century capitalists economic itself is a disaster.
I bet you guys be on the watch dollar is going for N500 n then to a thousand naira.
PMB restricted medical and educational tourism by making access to foreign difficult but he went abroad to treat ear infection, his kids all graduated from foreign institutions, what do we have to say about that, they claim to give Agriculture priority yet no tractor or fertilisers for farmers hitherto, all we hear is that people can't go to farm again in some part of the country because of his herdsmen atrocities, yet, the presidency is silence because of obvious ethno-religious sentiment explicitly display by the Presidency. The local content agenda is obviously part of political campaign just like 5k for the unemployed. Let me not waste ma data cause if I must continue with this, I will spend my whole day discussing deliberate failure.

blackpanda:
[s][/s]


For some wildly dull reason some people feel slighted when ex president jonathan is called to account for his terrible useless and extremely wasteful administration. Thre is nothing like blame game, rather thats responsibility. You are coming from a regime where $2.1bn was given to a single individual for free, no questions asked. So how do u expect not to face hardships. GEJ regime is the worst we have ever had economically. It was a free for all, everybody doing anything they like.


This is a regime of responsibility and accountability. No more chop I chop.

ahhh...

the famous 'blank'... sorry, blackpanda.

so the rhetoric is now that someone got $2.1b for free?

in 1978, someone got N2.8b for free (note the exchange rate please).

in 1991, someone got $12b for free.

between 1995 & 1998, someone 'misplaced' over N30b while carrying out PTF projects.

between 1999 - 2007, someone got $16b for free...


yet, its only GEJ's own that irks you? jeez, talk about selective amnesia...

ivandragon:


ahhh...

the famous 'blank'... sorry, blackpanda.

so the rhetoric is now that someone got $2.1b for free?

in 1978, someone got N2.8b for free (note the exchange rate please).

in 1991, someone got $12b for free.

between 1995 & 1998, someone 'misplaced' over N30b while carrying out PTF projects.

between 1999 - 2007, someone got $16b for free...


yet, its only GEJ's own that irks you? jeez, talk about selective amnesia...

Pls grow up!

jerusalem101:
If we are to tell ourselves the truth, APC/PMB is a failure with nothing to offer than blame GEJ/PDP.
The dollar brouhaha started when the APC govt tried to peg dollar when the country isn't exporting anything else aside from crude. All I see in the administration is propaganda from January to December, if after one year the govt is still blaming opposition for their woes then, it's obvious that they have nothing to offer. Lack of economic blueprint, adoption of 1980's obnoxious and outdated fiscal policies amidst others in a 21th century capitalists economic itself is a disaster.
I bet you guys be on the watch dollar is going for N500 n then to a thousand naira.
PMB restricted medical and educational tourism by making access to foreign difficult but he went abroad to treat ear infection, his kids all graduated from foreign institutions, what do we have to say about that, they claim to give Agriculture priority yet no tractor or fertilisers for farmers hitherto, all we hear is that people can't go to farm again in some part of the country because of his herdsmen atrocities, yet, the presidency is silence because of obvious ethno-religious sentiment explicitly display by the Presidency. The local content agenda is obviously part of political campaign just like 5k for the unemployed. Let me not waste ma data cause if I must continue with this, I will spend my whole day discussing deliberate failure.

they won't listen.

its easier to blame GEJ.