U.S.S.R (Union of Socialist Soviet Republics) and theU.S.S.A. (United Socialist States of America) Will they Become Identical Economies?

The United States appears to be on a fast track into socialism.

This column presents a conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions. Now, on to the subject of the week:

Socialized banking, socialized auto manufacturing, and socialized medicine, where will our new leadership take us over the next four years?
"Here, auto industry, take a few billion dollars and stay in business for a while longer, but if you take it you must obey my commands". That is the message our leadership in Washington has delivered to the defunct automobile manufacturers, General Motors and Chrysler Motors. Soon after our capable bureaucracy issued the following orders to these two manufacturing giants:
● General Motors, thou shalt immediately fire your CEO, Rick Wagoner.
● General Motors, thou has only 60 days to atone for thy sins and develop a new restructuring plan for your future life, or thy shall be put to death. If a suitable plan is accepted thou shalt be awarded another twenty billion dollars to go with the previous bounty given to you of $13.4 billion.
● Chrysler, thou has only 30 days to give of thyself enough to partner with Fiat of Europe. If this union is consummated thy shalt be awarded another six billion dollars to go with the $4.0 billion already bequeathed to you.
● To both of you we order that thou immediately discontinue producing and selling SUV’s and vans, even though many of these models are still profitable. In our bureaucratic wisdom and political quest for environmental voters, we order you to begin producing only small (one cubit or less in length) , gas efficient vehicles….whether the public wants to buy them or not.
● GM, you are hereby ordered to immediately discontinue research and manufacturing of electric cars. From this time forward, thou shalt focus on increased fuel efficiency only.
● Remember, ecology and global warming are more important than profits.
● To our beloved Auto Unions, please be assured that thou shalt continue to receive your just share of these funds in continuing payments of dues from the
employees of these companies. We may be forced to ask for some trivial concessions from your group, but be confident we remember all of the generous tithing you gave to our political needs during our time of diminishment.
● Buyers of these government owned and produced automobiles, be assured that the Lord over all, your beloved Government, will guarantee all warranties involved with any of these government produced vehicles will be made valid for an eternity.
● To Ford motor company, since you have managed your companies well, and have demonstrated you can exist without any assistance from above, then you shall be excluded from all assistance and benefits. We also wish to inform you that since the Government now owns and manages GM and Chrysler, all government vehicles which are from this time purchased for government use….will no longer include any Fords.
And folks, this is only the beginning. I can hardly wait to see what astute management edicts are emanated from Washington loonies when they begin managing our health care systems and our banks.
Another distressing aspect of these changes in the free market, entrepreneur inspiring, capitalistic, economic system which over the past hundred years has built our nation’s economy into the largest, most vibrant system in the history of mankind, is Big Brother Government’s intrusion into the process. This automatically introduces elements of corruption, favoritism, political bias, and incompetency into the highest levels of the system.
Who is to decide which industries will live because of government "bail out" funds, and which will be allowed to die a natural death? Who will make these God-like life and death decisions? On what criteria will these choices be made? Who decided to let Circuit City go into bankruptcy while AIG was given life sustaining funding?
This type of uncontrolled decision making opens the door full width for political favor buying by companies, corruption, unfairness, and it tremendously increases the power and influence of our politicians and the federal bureaucracy. All of this is being paid for by the future taxes which will be paid by our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. What could be worse!
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
● Our commissioners had to declare a state of emergency, even though no emergency exists….in order to be eligible for emergency funding if an emergency does occur. This was done because of the way some wise, State Emerg-a-crat wrote the regulations. What wisdom!
● I offer a suggestion to our state politicians who are eagerly seeking our new sources of funds for the bureaucracy. They have already put a host of DOT (Dept. of Transportation) workers out on the interstates giving traffic fines just as if they were State Troopers, in order to increase revenues from those who dare drive over the speed limit. Our legislators have also increased the fines up to a mortgage financing level, but why not put even more state agencies at work harvesting this easy income? They should get our Fish and Wildlife Officers out of the woods where they only give a few fines per day and put them out on the interstates to increase the yield. Also, the DEP goons should be able to write speeding tickets, as well as bus drivers, street cleaners, garbage truck drivers, mowers and graders. The only problem will be finding enough spots for all of these ticket writers to hide…guess we will have to build more billboards.
● I saw where a man in Travares, Florida found a two foot alligator in his house and when he picked it up it managed to clamp down on his arm. His wife pried the varmint off his arm and took a picture before they threw it back into a nearby lake. It made the papers, and then he was visited by officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission who gave him a warning ticket for molesting an alligator. Big Brother is watching!
● I see where a group is planning a nation wide, Boston Tea Party type of tax protest on April 15. I think this also includes a local group which is planning a protest in front of the Jackson County Court House.
● Fears generated by our current economic woes are enabling radical elements of our government to push the nation towards socialistic and communistic solutions. Please remain on guard to resist these types of dangerous, long lasting changes. Do this and you will be "Getting It Right".
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.