Parallels

I don’t know if any of you have ever read “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand. It’s a novel that talks about America becoming a socialist state in incremental stages. Political correctness, government intervention, government bailouts and social sanctioning of “emergency measures” in the name of the “public interest” are all a growing part of the book’s society. Slowly but surely the government wipes out capitalism in the name of the “needy”.

There are many, many parallels to the policies being put forth now by politicians.

At one point the government passes a disastrous directive called “Directive 10-289” in the interest of the “public welfare”. It’s a series of new rules called “points” that destroys industry almost overnight.

“Point One: All workers, wage earners, and employees of any kind whatsoever shall henceforth be attached to their jobs and shall not leave nor be dismissed nor change employment, under penalty of a term in jail.”

In the book, the labor unions argue for this point to be included to protect their workers from the greedy corporations who will fire them to keep profits high in a flagging economy. “Those workers “need” their jobs” is the defense used by the Labor leader for “Point One”.

A couple of weeks ago, Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania called for Sunoco to rescind their layoff of 750 employees because the profits from last year for the company had been good. Those 750 people “needed” their job. Sunoco has taken no bailout money of any kind, nor does any government entity own any stock or guarantee any of Sunoco’s financial status.

“Points Two, Three, Four and Five” establish that no business is allowed to close, nor its’ management leave without permission of the government, that the government has control over what is produced by businesses and that it must produce those goods at the rate specified by the government.

Having gotten money in the bailout, GM is in exactly this situation. Their CEO has been forced to resign, the administration has made it known they will require certain cars be produced (in this case hybrids or cars with certain CAFÉ standards), and Obama has assured both the unions and the businesses that would be hurt from the fall of GM that it will guarantee GM will continue to produce.

“Freedom has been given a chance and has failed. Therefore, more stringent controls are necessary.”

This is a line uttered by government controller Wesley Mouch just before launching Directive 10-289.

“We tried that, and it didn’t work,”…Obama speaking of tax cuts in the past. He then started touting his plan with greater welfare payments, government spending and higher deficits than the Bush deficits he decried so vehemently during the campaign, PLUS tax cuts.

The day I read the passage wherein Wesley Mouch talks about the heads of banks playing ball because they know that they’ll be gone if they don’t, Tim Geithner put the CEO’s of banks on notice that they will have to play ball or else. “…there will be new rules of the road” he said, when it comes to the regulation of business in today’s climate.

If you want to see a perfect model of creeping socialism that parallels the same things going on in our country today…read “ATLAS SHRUGGED” by AYN RAND.