The Kings Largess

Just when we thought the tax slaves in the US would catch a break, after the Senate refused to acquiesce to the demands of the Big 3, comes late breaking word that King George may just go ahead and grant them the money anyway. Here we have yet another sign that the Republic is, if not dead, dying. The representatives of the people spoke, after hearing from the masses that there should be no further bailouts and now it looks as if the royal treasury will be tapped anyway to feed the rapacious unions that have successfully run the auto industry into the ground.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under mounting pressure to act, the Bush administration said Friday it was ready to step in and prevent the U.S. auto industry from collapsing after the Senate refused to pass a rescue bill endorsed by the White House and congressional Democrats. The most obvious source of help was the Wall Street bailout fund.

"The current weakened state of the economy is such that it could not withstand a body blow like a disorderly bankruptcy in the auto industry," White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

Treasury spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin said, "Because Congress failed to act, we will stand ready to prevent an imminent failure until Congress reconvenes and acts to address the long-term viability of the industry."

It is not the place of the Imperial Presidency or Congress to save every failing company. The airlines were allowed to fall into bankruptcy and restructure. They've managed to come out just fine. Allowing the market to work is what we want, not more debt piled atop the trillions of debt already accrued.

What will it take till the powers that be realise that the mechanisms are in place to insure an orderly restructuring of the auto industry? It's called bankruptcy and, if it's allowed to work the auto industry will be better off than if they are nationalised. His Majesty the King needs to be reminded that he works for "We The People", not for industry or special interests or unions. Especially, unions. This country threw off the yoke of one king. We did not do so in order to be saddled with another. George Bush said, in the past, that he believed in the free market. It's long past the time he stepped up and put words into action. Or inaction, as the case may be.

Technorati Tags:
Bailout, Politics, George Bush, Big 3

A Good Start To Every Day

They say that a good breakfast is the best way to start the day. I have a better recommendation, tho. Good news came this morning from Indiana's next door neighbour, Illinois. It looks like their criminal in chief governor has managed to go and get himself arrested by the Feds.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to get financial benefits through his authority to appoint a U.S. senator to fill the vacancy left by Barack Obama's election as president.

According to a federal criminal complaint, Mr. Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field. In return for state assistance, Mr. Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired.

Mr. Blagojevich also was charged with using his authority as governor in an attempt to squeeze out campaign contributions.

Mr. Blagojevich's chief of staff, John Harris, also was arrested.

Federal agents were in Mr. Blagojevich's office in the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago on Tuesday morning.

Imagine my complete and utter lack of surprise. What are the odds that a Chicago, Illinois politician is corrupt? What are the odds that any politician is corrupt? Pretty good, all in all, wouldn't you say? The fact that its Blagojevich makes this all the more delicious, if only for his anti-2nd Amendment stances. One can only wish that the powers that be would add the charge of violation of oath of office to the list of charges.

This makes 2 in a row for Illinois, given that their last governor is still behind bars for essentially the same crimes as Illinois' latest ruler. Maybe the people there will get lucky and they'll replace him with nobody. Naw, no-one could get that lucky. This is a good start, tho. Maybe we could make a new policy and arrest at least one politician per day? I'd be happy to provide a list of people to be removed from office and placed behind bars. Of course, it would clear out most of the Democrats in the House and Senate from the top down. Then we could get to work on the Republicans. Hmmm...maybe we could make the job so risky that no-one would want to do it. Ah, well. A guy has to have a dream.

Wonder what the Lightbringer will have to say about this, considering it was his seat that the governor was trying to sell? I also can't help but wonder what, if anything, he might have had to do with this and how he'll spin it to grab credit? We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

Technorati Tags:
Politics, Blagojevich, Libertarian, Illinois

Goodbye To Forry

Forest Ackerman has died at the age of 91. Those of us who have long been Science Fiction and Horror fans remember Forry from our youth when he was highly active in the genre. He helped bring us expansive series like Ace's "Perry Rhodan" and Famous Monsters of Filmland amongst many things. I always looked forward to the latest installment of Perry or Monsters when I was younger and Forry never failed to provide. His dedication to the genre introduced no small number of us to space opera and the classic monsters of Hollywood. We owed Forry an unpayable debt for that.

Forry will be sorely missed. There were very few people like him and even fewer that could hold a candle to his achievements. The world is diminished by his loss. I'll certainly miss him.

Technorati Tags:
Science Fiction, Forrest J. Ackerman

Coming Clean

At last one of the legions of Obama followers has decided to come clean where their anti-2nd Amendment/Victim Disarmament is concerned.

Nobody can accuse Obama of campaigning dishonestly on the issue of gun control. The nation's first modern urban president repeatedly explained that his understanding of the Second Amendment included the need for restrictions aimed at reducing gun violence, especially in the cities. In a sign that he intended to win on the issue by shooting straight with voters, he even mentioned his gun-control agenda during his Denver acceptance speech, challenging the idea that gun control was a third rail that guaranteed defeat in states like Ohio and Virginia.

As codified in his urban policy platform, Obama consistently advocated for increasing law enforcement's ability to trace guns by reinstituting tracking legislation repealed by the Bush administration; closing the famous "gun show loophole" that allows gun buyers to avoid background checks; mandating additional safety features on U.S.-manufactured guns; and resurrecting the expired ban on assault weapons and making it permanent.

Now, all of us gun owners already knew the score and had mentioned it more than once, but it's always nice to be validated. This guy even goes so far as to point out the personae dramatica in the upcoming drama.

Not only do Obama and Biden have strong gun control records, the incoming attorney general is a one-man gun control lobby unto himself. As deputy A.G. in the Clinton administration, Eric Holder advocated federal licensing requirements for handguns, a three-day waiting period on some gun sales and rationing handgun sales to no more than one per month. More recently, he signed an amicus brief in support of the District of Columbia's handgun ban when it came before the Supreme Court. The conservative site newsmax.com calls Holder a "gun control nightmare."

It's too bad that things are likely to become rather nasty when this issue does rear its ugly head. Oh, well. That's why they call it the law of unintended consequences.

Technorati Tags:
Guns, 2nd Amendment, Obama, Libertarian