# "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen." **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503 "2012-07-17T08:54:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/1 "2012-07-17T08:54:53Z")
[Well, refreshing honesty at least, I suppose](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-ZO7XOpwa8). So, I know quite a few Dopers here have been in business for themselves. How does this make you feel? And is the private sector still doing fine in your books? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/2 "2012-07-17T09:16:44Z")
There’s a bit of selective quoting in that video. > [@](#): > > Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. gets repeated as: > [@](#): > > If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. I took “you didn’t build that” to refer to the roads and bridges necessary to conduct the commerce of the business. The second usage makes it sound like he’s saying people didn’t build their own business. The title of this thread repeats the mistake. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/3 "2012-07-17T09:20:14Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > [Well, refreshing honesty at least, I suppose](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-ZO7XOpwa8). > > So, I know quite a few Dopers here have been in business for themselves. How does this make you feel? And is the private sector still doing fine in your books? Well from the exact same speech… > [@](#): > > The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/4 "2012-07-17T09:21:55Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > There’s a bit of selective quoting in that video. > > gets repeated as: > > I took “you didn’t build that” to refer to the roads and bridges necessary to conduct the commerce of the business. The second usage makes it sound like he’s saying people didn’t build their own business. > > The title of this thread repeats the mistake. I think you’re being very generous in describing it as a “mistake”. Nobody could read that speach and think that Obama was trying to take anything away from business owners. It looks more like a deliberate attempt to mislead and obfuscate to me. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/5 "2012-07-17T09:27:20Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > I think you’re being very generous in describing it as a “mistake”. Well, it’s late here, and my observations aren’t as trenchant as they ought to be. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/6 "2012-07-17T09:48:41Z")
I started a reply (small business owner; reliant on the Internet, subsidized student loans, public education, etc.) then realized that the entire premise of the OP is so fundamentally flawed that \*\*this thread should be moved to the Pit \*\*as an example of how malignant Fox News is and to openly mock those gullible enough to hear something egregious on Fox and not instantly suspect selective editing or other chicaneries. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/7 "2012-07-17T09:51:34Z")
Guess it was the OP that had his true colors shown. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/8 "2012-07-17T10:45:42Z")
What I find remarkable is that there is never a point, seemingly, at which right-wing people become embarrassed about sharing fundamentally flawed quotes linked to Fox. If something like the OP happened to me, I would be embarrassed, and would stop going to that source since they are unreliable. Fox viewers never seem troubled by this kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/9 "2012-07-17T11:26:57Z")
Au contraire - I have every confidence **Koxinga** will be back to offer a revised view now that it is apparent that the linked video inappropriately edited the statement. Every confidence. Back very soon. Definitely. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/10 "2012-07-17T11:43:54Z")
I’m sure this will give Romney the same boost that the “cling to guns and religion” quote did for McCain. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/11 "2012-07-17T11:53:51Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Au contraire - I have every confidence **Koxinga** will be back to offer a revised view now that it is apparent that the linked video inappropriately edited the statement. > > Every confidence. Back very soon. Definitely. I have [del]every[/del] confidence **Koxinga** will be back to offer a [del]revised[/del] view [del]now that it is apparent that the linked video[/del] inappropriately [del]edited the statement[/del]. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/12 "2012-07-17T11:57:51Z")
**Koxinga** will retroactively retract this thread. It never happened. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/13 "2012-07-17T12:06:00Z")
Sorry, but I don’t see where it was edited. “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business – you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” It seems like a complete statement to me. Where was the context removed from it? And again, I’m genuinely curious what a small business owner – someone who actually employs ten to 100 people – would think about this statement. Whether the president is referring to infrastructure or to the business itself, the small business owner is clearly being chastised here. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/14 "2012-07-17T12:11:01Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Sorry, but I don’t see where it was edited. > > “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business – you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” > > It seems like a complete statement to me. Where was the context removed from it? Your original quote implies that people didn’t build their own businesses. The full quote indicates that the business didn’t build the infrastructure that allows their businesses to succeed. Things like roads, bridges, airports, railways, etc, are typically built by government funding, via dreaded taxes. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/15 "2012-07-17T12:13:55Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > It seems like a complete statement to me. Where was the context removed from it? For starters, from your thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/16 "2012-07-17T12:14:38Z")
I do think it can be read either way – plausible deniability, if you will – but I’m willing to stipulate, Counselor. But from either angle I think Obama’s getting a bit too excited about the Bain attacks, forgetting that not every business owner is a cigar smoking outsourcing fat cat. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/17 "2012-07-17T12:15:53Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > But from either angle I think Obama’s getting a bit too excited about the Bain attacks, forgetting that not every business owner is a cigar smoking outsourcing fat cat. Redirection FTW! ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/18 "2012-07-17T12:16:15Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Sorry, but I don’t see where it was edited. > > “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business – you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” > > It seems like a complete statement to me. Where was the context removed from it? > > And again, I’m genuinely curious what a small business owner – someone who actually employs ten to 100 people – would think about this statement. Whether the president is referring to infrastructure or to the business itself, the small business owner is clearly being chastised here. [Quote=Barack Obama] ``` There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me -- because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t -- look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something -- there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. (Applause.) If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet. The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together. ``` [/quote] He’s making a point that I’ve repeatedly made here on these boards to counter the idea of the independent success story. America is strong because of Americans and what we have built. We are successful because of all that has been built to give us the environment we have to succeed. All the infrastructure has been built by other people. How is this chastising anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/19 "2012-07-17T12:19:53Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > I do think it can be read either way – plausible deniability, if you will – but I’m willing to stipulate, Counselor. But from either angle I think Obama’s getting a bit too excited about the Bain attacks, forgetting that not every business owner is a cigar smoking outsourcing fat cat. Do you disagree that America here and now is the product of a whole bunch of people who came before and those who are working together now? Do you hate America? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/20 "2012-07-17T12:21:05Z")
Ah, the main point reveals itself. Do you believe “people” are equivalent to “the federal government”? In order to “give something back” to that teacher or parent who inspired you in third grade, are you now morally obligated to write a check to the IRS? (And for that matter, did Al Gore (PBOH) invent the Internet with the aim of helping companies make money off it? Or was APANET funded with the sole intention of making sure that come what may we could still blow the Russkies to kingdom come? Enquiring minds want to know!) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503.md?page=2)