The "Nationalization" of Amerca

It starts out innocent enough. Investment in a bank. Investment in a business. Bailing out the car companies. But slowly we're working our way down a path to nationalization of America's biggest businesses. It's already started. Congress is demanding CEO capped salaries and ruffling feathers over the decorating of offices.

Obama has already showed his displeausre in the fact that Merrill Lynch used $1.2 million of TARP money to remodel an executive suite. Obviously, your reaction too would be of disdain if a company used taxpayer money to buy expensive trashcans. But dig a little deeper. What's the difference between Lynch using the money to remodel an office or loaning it to a company? To get out of this recession, are we not supposed to be spending money? What if Lynch decides to not purchase anything at all? Does that help their vendors or does it put more jobs at risk?

The bigger problem is the fact that the government is playing Big Brother to all these corporations. By determining what a company can and cannot do with their money is nataionalism. By freezing salaries or determining the costs of goods, the government is playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette with socialism that may not be able to be turned back.

Even more scary than the government playing this game is the words of Obama attempting to silence his critics. Obama wants no debate over the bailout and no debate on the next steps of the government intervention into this recession. By marginalizing and polarizing his opponents, Obama is attempting to silence free speech. His goal is to demonize anyone with an alternative point of view, thus creating no opposition for Democrats for years to come. This is completely unacceptable and inheritedly un-American.

Healthy debate needs to be had on the upcoming TRILLION dollar debacle. All points of view should be accounted for when talking about this sum of money. And there should be steps in place to relinquish control of the "bailed-out" banks and return to free market principles. Anything less means a poor future for the United States.