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The Obama Watch
Reagan's Crocodile Eats a Riverboat
(Page 2 of 2)
THIS REGULATORY NUTTINESS is the kind of story Ronald Reagan loved to tell. The sad part is it is being told of bureaucrats in a Republican administration -- and doubtless conveys an anecdotal snapshot of just how far the GOP has strayed from its conservative principles.
While the fate of the Pride is clearly the result of liberal principles the Obama team also admires -- lives by -- it is nothing short of amazing that the new president is determined to resolve our economic crisis by casting himself (in plagiarized language) as a presidential version of the pork-ladling Ted Stevens. If you thought the Bridge to Nowhere was crazy, wait till you understand what's coming from Obama.
The president-elect, not satisfied with the taxpayer bailout dollars now cascading in the trillions down a stupendous rat hole, is busily planning a mammoth public works construction program that makes soon-to-be former Senator Stevens look like a nickel-and-dimer. Using FDR's words Obama's intention, according to Sunday's New York Times (which failed to mention the FDR connection), is to pick "winners and losers" in the private economy with a "government-directed industrial policy" run by politicians. Instead of by the kind of entrepreneurs who created The Pride of the Susquehanna.
Obama and company, employing the same liberal principle that created the Fannie Mae mess and imploded the global economy, are now fleshing out the details of how they will force march the American economy backwards to the 1930s or to a Stevens-style pork barrelism. Instead of New Deal terms like the Works Progress Administration you will hear buzz words like "green jobs" or "hybrid buses" and so on.
"If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last," said Reagan.
The crocodile is now munching on a Harrisburg riverboat. Obama intends to feed that crocodile.
With you.
Comments
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saleboter| 12.9.08 @ 8:40AM
All of the economy sucess will soon be dependent on your political leanings. Support the right people and you will win, support the wrong people and you will lose.
Taniwha| 12.9.08 @ 8:54AM
Saleboter:
Interesting point. All BHO then needs do is require some signifying mark to indicate those leanings, and we have identified the mark of the beast, haven't we?
"None shall buy or sell but that he have the mark."
Gazinya| 12.9.08 @ 4:18PM
And with The Obama lowering the sea level even that four foot depth of water will seem like the 'good ol days'.
Alan Brooks| 12.9.08 @ 4:23PM
we don't have to worry about Obama socializing America-- Bush is already doing so. by Jan. 20th it wont matter.
John Schneider| 12.9.08 @ 6:46PM
Ignorance of reality plagues Conservatives as much as wishing something fantastic were true dogs liberals.
The Bush Administration has Nothing... zero... zip... nadda... to do with this decision. This is a consequence of the silent and unmanageable fourth branch of government, the Permanent Bureaucracy.
The executive has no control over such things. No one can be fired, except political appointees, and they are routinely ignored.
This is like blaming the bus driver for the engine stinking... The Coast Guard is doing its job, as odious and stupid as it is... Some GS 11 or equivalent military rank, is doing what the regulations say to do. The facts are irrelevant. They always are.
The "Blame Bush" crowd seems to be a bipartisan affair made up of people who operate in other universes.
The boat was top heavy. The regulations changed. Operators' licenses are regulatory issues. It's the cost of doing business.
"...We need a bigger boat!"
Tootles
Osamas Pajamas| 12.9.08 @ 9:41PM
Does this paddlewheeler have some cannons that can be fired at Coast Guard raiders who try to shut them down? Guess why the b*stards are alway forcing laws and regs on us. It's because we obey them. Stop obeying these thugs, millions of us refusing to obey, and then see what happens. How many of us can they kill before they are overrun and destroyed? Observe how the Rumanian dictator and his wife met their fate a couple of decades ago....
Alan Brooks| 12.9.08 @ 10:27PM
after what happened with Clinton, I dont trust the opposition (cons and libertarians). I was assured by Clintons enemies in '95 that Clinton would not be re-elected, but of course he was.
And now i hear Obama will never succeed in his tasks and never be reelected.
sorry, wolf has been cried too long.
Alan Brooks| 12.9.08 @ 11:33PM
Schneider,
So Bush had nothing to do with the 4th branch of govt? not even his prescription drug program creating a bigger 4th branch? plus the rest of it?
John Schneider| 12.10.08 @ 6:55AM
From the edge of the breaded Beltway...
No. Once laws are enacted, and signed. The President has very little control over regulations that are written and enforced by the Civil Service.
They are bound to honor the law.
The office of the President and his various appointees exist for limited periods of time. The bureaucracy exists forever. It is virtually impossible to fire a Federal worker, and the agencies of the "fourth branch" are self-generating rice bowls over which the Chief Executive and any cabinet officials that he appoints have precious little power.
Even if a President did, there are so many agencies and employees, and so few of the President that the micro management task would shut the office down in a few days.
Time for Conservatives to get smart about how government works. We can't beat it if we don't understand how it operates. Most Conservatives are so disenchanted with government that they never even come close to a clue.
Regards...
Chef David| 12.10.08 @ 7:23AM
J. Schneider's comments are rational, calm and accurate down to the last letter. The original letter and followup comments when shone on the identical state, county, and local conditions lead me to believe that the rot cannot rooted out by votes, discussion and prayer alone. The options seem to be two fold - allow the repulsive disgusting beast (government) to rot and explode and fall over on its own; check supply lines, keep the powder dry and get ready to lock and load. The choices are limited and government will only become more vile.
We need a Revolution| 12.10.08 @ 8:34AM
Women are the problem.
Working women in particular.
They never should have been "given" the right to vote. It's been all downhill every since.
Affirmative Action sealed the deal.
Old Soldier| 12.10.08 @ 9:23AM
Don't hold the CG blameless here. Like every other gov. agency, they don't have the manpower or funding to enforce all the vast volumes of regulations, so they pick and choose which to enforce. More likely than not, somebody in the the PA area CG command structure chose to go after this boat. Whatever the reason, now they can't turn away and pretend it didn't happen. So why doesn't thier Gov. intervene and make it go away.
alice| 12.19.08 @ 11:25AM
I got a grant from the federal government for $12,000 in financial aid, see how you can get one also at
http://couponredeemer.com/federalgrants/
rather ripped| 3.7.09 @ 4:12AM
If Reagen were here he would have no clue what we were talkin about becuase he lost it about halfway through his first term in office. But its really cute how you all worship him, I guess he's all you have in the way of heros.
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