Fascism in our Government is taking hold

dirty

EOG Master
Yesterday on the program you heard a bit of ranting about so-called "Republican" Senator Charles Grassley (IA). Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and had decided that he's not happy with the money that oil companies are making. Grassley knows that consumers are getting bent out of shape over oil company profits, and being the politician that he is he has decided that when the people are upset there's an opportunity for a politician to address their concerns and garner some brownie points. Grassley is "suggesting" that the oil companies donate a portion of their profits for a decades old "temporary" program to pay for home heating oil for non-achievers. I wrote a column for Townhall.com on this issue, and to my surprise they rushed it to the internet today! I point out in that column that finally we have a Republican politician who has earned the sobriquet of "fascist," at least in the economic sense. Now ... here I am to expand on one train of thought presented in that column. If this Republican senator thinks that it is the role of government to tell privately owned businesses just how they must distribute their profits, here are a few suggestions:
  • Automobile manufacturers could be required to spend a portion of their profits on public transit projects.
  • Broadcasters, who, after all, are government regulated businesses, should donate a portion of their profits to buy radios for poor people so that they can get the information they need to prepare for disasters like hurricanes .... as if the poor were actually going to prepare.
  • Homebuilders could be required to donate profits to low income housing projects.
  • Pfizer could be required to donate profits from the sale of Viagra to fertility clinics for the poor. Just what we need, more pregnant poor people.
  • Financial institutions could be required to donate profits to a federally subsidized loan program for low-income Americans with bad credit.
  • Food processors and manufacturers could be required to donate profits to community food banks.
Ahhh .. the list is endless. Once we establish the concept of the government telling businesses how their profits must be spent and invested .. the way is clear for our political class to further consolidate it's power.
 

dirty

EOG Master
FASCISM IN WASHINGTON D.C.Next week executives from the big oil companies are going to be hauled before the Senate and made to answer for the record-breaking profits in their industry. Politicians, driven by a cheap attempt to appeal to the government-educated sheep among us, are demanding that big oil "give back" some of its profits. Those evil, mean corporations should be made to help people with their heating bills this winter!
Nonsense. Corporations are in business to make money. Once earned, corporate profits are "given back" to the shareholders in the form of dividends. There is a word for the national government dictating to companies how their profits are to be spent: It's economic fascism. How long will it be before somebody calls for the confiscation of all private oil companies by government? Then the price of oil would go down, right? (Sadly, there are probably Americans who actually think that this might be a good idea.)
Well, as much as the left hates to hear it, without the profit motive as the driving force, exploration and new drilling would come to a screeching halt. And why should we stop at oil companies? Microsoft earned $3.14 billion dollars last quarter...roughly the same as ConocoPhillips, one of the oil companies being made to answer for their greedy profits. Will Bill Gates be hauled before Congress and questioned on his company's earnings? Nope. Only the big, bad, mean, evil oil companies.
By the way, the price of gas is dropping like a rock. You want to make sure that never happens? Put government in charge of oil company profits. Then you'll get to see if your car will run on good intentions.
 
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