Government Motors

Now that our government is calling the shots for General Motors, give some thought to this. The same people who run Social Security are about to run our largest car company.

If past history is anything to go by, here's what we can expect:

- We are about to be required by law to pay for a car that we can never own, possess or maintain.

- When we die, the government will take the car away.

- We, who are paying for the car, can not choose anything about the car.

- We might not even ever get to drive the car, but we will certainly pay for the ride.

- People from other countries will be able to sneak in and get a car for free.

- Congressmen will get Mercedes Benz sedans for free, serviced by Germans.

- There will be one Warranty program for everyone…except large corporations, favored minorities, and politically correct special interest groups who will each have their own Warranty program.

- Warranty programs will be underfunded and overpromised…except for those warranties affecting large corporations, favored minorities, and politically correct special interest groups. Those will be lavishly funded, and any failure to meet expectations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as the failures will obviouslyl be the result of hate crimes.

- The guy who greets you at your dealership will barely be able to speak English. In the event he does speak English, he will be surley.

- Maintenance and repairs will be performed by mechanics hired to address social injustice. All errors will be the result of the failed policies of George W. Bush.

- Warranty claims will be reviewable only by a Warranty administrator, who is a civil service employee who can never be fired, or held accountable.

- Tremendous amounts of money will be wasted doing maintenance on automobiles that no longer exist.

Nero may have fiddled while Rome burned, but President Obama is carjacking the American Dream.

Rome or Weimar?

I have read the writings of some of those who were present at the fall of the Weimar Republic. The German economy had never really recoved from the Great War and was in shambles. The nation was strangled by a treaty which halted hostilities, but did not end the war. Worldwide, Germany alone was blamed for The Great War. Germans were split in all directions by political extremists. Out of the chaos following the war and the deprivation of the Great Depression, emerged an inspiring young leader full of soaring rhetoric and great plans for a reborn nation. Out of the dark and fog one night in March of 1933, a New Germany was born.

I have also read of the fall of Rome. Inflation, invasion, decay of citizenship and multitude of other contributors brought about a slow collapse that actually took several centuries to complete. Roman culture survived in bits and pieces throughout the West. Roman settlements became the towns that now populate Europe. From the Fall of Rome rose the world we know today. When the barbarians arrived at the gates of the last Roman palace, the last Ceasar, Romulus Augustus simply walked away.

In college a number of instructors pointed out to me and others, the startling similarities between the United States and it's relative state, and that of Rome during it's decline and fall. The similarites were shocking to young, relatively unread minds. I, like many, was enamoured with the comparison of the United States to Rome. Both reigned suppreme on the earth. No military power could challenge either. The economies of both utterly dominated every other economic system the encountered. Both enjoyed a prosperity never before imagined, much less achieved. In the end, both engaged in unwise military adventures, poor public policy, and economic mismanagement. Both, we all solemly concluded, would crumble in similar manner.

Today, I realized that we were wrong. We engage in self flattery and dillusions of grandeur when we compare our selves to the mighty Rome. Rome's influence has lasted 2000 years. Roman influence in education, military, and commerce is what dragged the world kicking and screaming out of the Bronze Age and started it toward the Information Age. Rome civilized the world. No, we are not Rome.

We are the Weimar Republic. We are quietly and meekly allowing our Congress to pass laws giving sweeping new powers to a president who will use them. We are about to create a 'National Civilian Security Force', and mandatory youth service. We are nationalizing businesses and banks. We are offering tax free status to the press in exchange for it's freedom. We are handing our individual responsibility for our health care over to the national government. We are taxing the engines of production, and subsidizing corrupt social organizations. We are ignoring the constitution and forgetting it's protections.

On Feburary 28 1933, Adolph Hitler, declaring a crisis following the Reichstag fire, asked the Reichstag of the Weirmar Republic of Germany to suspend many Constitutional protections. On March 23, the Enabling Act authorized the Cabinet to pass legistation without the approval of the Reichstag. The coup was done. The Weimar Republic died without a whimper. The echo of the vote had not yet died in the chambers when the brown shirts, Hitler's civilian security force, came. In the dark of night the first of their victims vanished. Some went quitely. Others ran away. Most died filthy, hungry, alone and cold, behind barbed wire.

No, we are not Rome. We are Wiemar. We did not elect Romulus Augustus. No, we elected a man who tells us he needs special powers and tools to handle the "crisis". Think you are a patriot? They will come for you first. What will you do when they come for you?

Remember, work will make you free.

It's Simply UnAmerican

This country has changed in ways unimaginable thirty years ago. The Democrat Party is still dominated by Unions, urban political machines, and corrupt political monsters, but today, there is a special brand of lawlessness among the players that we as Americans simply can not tolerate. In the old days, when you 'bought' a politician, he stayed bought. Not anymore, and that, my friends, is unAmerican.

Senator Chris Dodd of Connecuticut is a prime example. AIG has offices in Connecuticut. Senator Dodd recieved more money from AIG than any other politician. Many of his constituents work in the finance, banking or insurance industries. He sits on the Senate Finance Committee. He inserted into the AIG bailout bill language that not just allowed AIG to pay the bonuses, it guaranteed that they would pay the bonuses. He didn't do this on accident. It was deliberate. It was for stuff like this that the AIG gave him all that bribe money...excuse me,....all those campaign donations.

Now, we the people have found out about the bonuses, and we're pissed. Despite having come from this industry and having received bonuses of this type in the past, Geithner and Paulson are shocked that this occured. President Obama claims no prior knowledge of this, and Senator Dodd is scrambling to find a way to undo his clause and to cover his ass. All sorts of people are arguing that the money should be given back. Congressman Barney Frank is loudly lisping that the money should be taxed at 91%.

The real problem is that we are bailing out failing businesses. We should allow them to fail. If we let them fail, the others will realize that we won't save them. Those who can save themselves will save themselves. Those who can't will perish. In the case of GM, both GM and the UAW will be slapped with the reality that the American taxpayer isn't going to subsidize their health care and retirement programs. GM must become economically viable or die. Only then will the UAW either get reasonable with GM, get broken, or GM will fail.

In the case of AIG, everyone from Obama down knew about the bonuses. Because so many of the players either come from that industry, or are closely associated with that industry, it's simply not resonable to believe Gietner's, Paulson's and President Obama's claims that they had no knowledge of the bonuses. Geithner ran the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Paulson was CEO at Goldman Sachs. Didn't know? Hell, they were beneficiaries of these types of bonuses in the past. From the perspective of the Democrat Party, the real problem here isn't the bonuses, or even that the American public found out about the bonuses. The real problem is that the American public may realize that this particular bunch of crooks can be trusted even less than the prior bunch of crooks.

Senator Chris Dodd is the worst of the worst. AIG bought and paid for him, and now he's rolling over on them. If I am one of the executives at AIG who got the bonus, I'd be angry. If I have to give up my 'bonus' money, I'd be demanding, loudly and publicly, my bribe money back.....excuse me...my campaign donation money back. What good is it to buy a politician if he won't stay bought?

That's just throwing good money after bad.

Dissolving the Union to Create a Single State

The very thought of a civilian national defence force makes me shiver. That this civilian national defense force would be as well funded as the military makes me cringe. The idea that this civilian national defense force would be designed to be effective, efficient, and expedicious just scares the hell out of me.

"So that future Katrina's are averted...we need this force."

No. No, we don't.

I like the idea that our national government can not deploy troops inside this country to act in law enforcement. I like the idea that every tentical of our national government is ponderous, slow moving, incompetent and lethargic.

I like the idea that in all emergencies, our local govenment is charged with being the first responders. I especially like the idea that if my local government is ponderous, slow moving, incompetent or lethargic, I can vote and fairly easily throw the bums out. I like the idea that they are backed up by county and state resources. I like the fact that the national government has historically provided money and material, but not men.

I like this arrangement because I can go door to door, and help to change my local government if I don't like how they handled an emergency. I don't have to worry about hords of illegal voters in far away places like New York City, Phillidelphia, Miami, Los Angles over whelming my neighborhoods' voters and sticking me with a crook not of my own choosing. I don't have to worry about ACORN registering the bums, and dragging them in to vote. If I don't like the way things are done, it is in my power to affect change.

Consider for a moment, the consequences if the role of "first responder" is taken over by the federal government. Consider what would be involved with defying a federal order to evacuate, or assemble, or disperse. Were we to turn over to the federal governement to role of "first responder", the very role that this 'civilian defence force' is said to be designed to fill, we give up our right to make decisions for our selves. We surrender to nameless, faceless, risk averse, quota hired, unaccountable federal beaurocrats the authority to command our obediance; to require that we leave our homes, or go to our homes, or mass at a specified location, all under force and penalty of law and threat of detention.

Let that soak in.

Thomas Jefferson was afraid of this. Alexander Hamilton didn't see it as a problem. It's a classic debate.

How do you feel about history?

It has taken one hundred and forty four years to come to pass: This is the freedom that was lost at Appomatix Courthouse.

Outside the tent, pissing in.

I am pissed.

I am pissed because the SEC was supposed to be watching the theiving bastards on Wall Street and making them follow the rules and conduct honest business. Now we find out that someone didn't do their job. Bernie Madoff and serveral 'Mini-Madodd's' have bilked thousands of people out of gazilliions of dollars. Where were the SEC regularors during all this? Who are they? Why are they not being held accountable for allowing all these Ponzi schemes to occur? When their incompetence or corruption has cost thousands their jobs, why do these theiving bastards still have theirs?

I am pissed because banks made bad loans, and were encouraged to make bad loans, and now that the bad loans are bringing mortagage companies down, you and I are being asked to pay for it all. Why did the banks make these loans? Why aren't Barny Frank and Chris Dodd being asked these questions? They run the congressional committees that run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Why are they not sitting before a Grand Jury? Why are they still running those committee?

I am pissed because we are bailing out bad companies. When the government prevents companies from failing it screws everything up. Part of the 'reward' for operating with a sound business model is that when someone flies their company into the ground, you get to feast on the assets at bargain prices. When the governmment props up the incompetent, it takes away opportunity from the competent.

I am pissed because we have allowed financial institutions to grow so large that their failure represents a threat to financial security of our country. Our government is supposed to protect us from this stuff, but instead, because we have consistently elected self serving, corrupt, incompetent, lying weasels ( Social Democrat and Republican), the Federal Government has allowed merger, after merger. They have allowed the consolidation of financial resources in to a few huge entities whose existance must then be guaranteed by the government. This means that advancement in those companies will no longer be on the basis of merit, but on the basis of connections. Worse yet, many of the snakes who ran the financial institutions we are bailing out have found new jobs working for the new administration. Who thinks that is a good idea?

I am pissed because at a time when our stock market is cratering, our government thinks health care reform, and carbon credits are a bigger issue. They are lying about the impact of health care on bankruptcy. They are using 'global warming' as a means to further tax us. They are screaming 'crisis' every two minutes to pass legislation for programs that have nothing to do with solving the crisis. They say they are spreading the wealth, but all I see is that they are destroying it. Everytime one of them speaks, the stock market plunges. For the love of Mike, just shut up.

I am pissed because our government is failing us. The thing that made America unlike anywhere else in the world was our systematic honesty. An honest market place is the engine of our success. We have allowed the scoundrals we elect to our government to rig the game, and it has broken the engine of prosperity.

Now, the government, the very instrument of harm, the very people who broke the mortage industry, who let the thieves into the Stock Market, who thwarted captital recovery and bailed out bad bussinesses, and who aren't concerned with stock market meltdown, are telling us we must give them, the government, yet more power and more authority over every single aspect of our lives so that it can save us from ourselves.

Piss on them.

An Answer to Jimmy's Prayers

Jimmy Carter was a horrible president. He was the 'anti-Nixon'. He was everything that Nixon was not, and that is why he was elected, and, interestingly enough, why he was such an abject failure. He had absolutely nothing to offer the country other than a pure heart. For all his failures, President Carter was a undeniably a good man, and probably one of the most honest men to ever hold the office. Unfortunately, he was also incompetent and has become the embodiment of the Peter Principle.

As even brief examination of the Carter years will clearly illustrate, the Carter era was an unmitigated disaster. After four years of Carter policys, the economy was in absolute shambles. Interest rates were sky high. Unemployment was high. The stock market was down, and lingering. Gas prices were rising. With the singular exception of the Camp David Accords, his international relations were like a bad sitcom. Iran fell to the Islamo-Nazis, the Russians took Afganistan, and he gave the Panama Canal away. Finally, with his housing redevelopment act, he put in motion the sequence of events that has brought our mortagage industry to it's knees.

We are not yet 100 days into the Obama Administration and already we are seeing massive and profoundly interesting changes. These changes will funamentally alter the American lifestyle for years to come. The Obama Administration is slashing the tax protections for charities. Do you tithe? You won't next year. Do you own your own home? Have you read what is happening to your deduction for interest? Want to change you vote yet? Got a retirement account? He's planning on taxing that twice...once going in, and once coming out. The stock market is so scared that it has been in virtual free fall since his election.

It's no better in the International arena. The Russians laughed at the Obama Administration's attempt to link the missile shield in southern Europe to their help in curbing Iranian nuclear ambitons. Watch for Russia to have more adventures in Georgia, too. The Brits are pissed because President Obama insulted them with the return of the Churchill Bust, and his treatment of Prime Minister Gordan Brown. We are now funding Hamas with $900 million to 'rebuild' the West Bank. More accuratly put, rearm the West Bank. Do we now put ourselves on our list of nations who support or sponsor terrorism?

Domestically, do you think freedom of the press is a good thing? Kiss that good by. The 'Fairness Doctrine' or something like it will soon force a lot of voices off the radio. Several Congressmen in the Social Democrat party have already started talking about this. How do you feel about having the political pack in the White House running the Census? Why is this important? Because it controls your representation in the House of Representatives. Do you want your medical records private? Too bad, the stimulus bill had a provision for a national database to track your treatments. Think Karl Rove was bad? Meet Rahm "Never waste a crisis" Emanuel. Eager for your state to get bail out bucks? Don't be. Taking the money makes your state agree to committments that will force your taxes up in the future.

Jimmy Carter is dancing in the streets because we finally elected a president who will make us forget 1976-1980. President Obama claims he's spreading the wealth. He's not. He's destroying wealth and the means of production, and in it's place, spreading poverty.

Welcome to the third world.