Quick – can you guess who I’m describing here? Posted on 04/08/2012 8:08:08 AM PDT by Kaslin
Quick – can you guess who I’m describing here?
He campaigned against financial mismanagement, and the “harsh realities” of global capitalism. He pledged during his campaign to end corruption in both the government and the private sector.
After being elected President, he claimed that he had “inherited” the worst economic situation in recent history and then went about consolidating his power. Once privately-owned enterprises were “restructured” into government owned entities, some even organized into workers’ cooperatives.
Unemployment remained painfully high, even as the much-celebrated “reform” measures were being implemented. As private sector workers suffered with worsening economic conditions, government employees enjoyed the comforts of steady work and benefits while the President and other policy makers sought increasing control over the nation’s privately-owned wealth.
Does this seem like a description of the Obama Presidency? Certainly this depicts, at least in part, what we’ve experienced in the U.S. since the earliest days of Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign.
But - believe it or not - this is actually a description of the ascendency of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. In fact, you could call this a “textbook case.” I’ve paraphrased a bit for the sake of column space, but this description of Chavez appears in “International Business: Competing In The Global Marketplace,” a text book currently used among M.B.A. students at many of America’s top graduate business schools.
Chavez became the democratically elected President of Venezuela in 1998, a decade before Barack Obama was elected to be our President. And the reason Chavez has been able to morph in to a dictator – he has successfully seized control over privately owned banks, tv stations, farms and gold holdings, to name a few items – and the reason he is still in power today, is because the first thing he did after taking office in 1999 was to substantively change his country’s constitution and re-arrange the nation’s judiciary.
The fact that one man could so quickly seize control of the entire country of Venezuela, probably speaks to some relative weaknesses in that nation’s constitution. And the fact that no U.S. President – not even Barack Obama – has seized this type of control over America, speaks to the relative strengths of both our U.S. Constitution itself, and the separation of powers among our three branches of government that are stipulated by our Constitution.
With so much of our individual liberty resting on the foundation of the U.S. Constitution – and yet with most of human history having been littered with not-so-benevolent dictators like Chavez – we should both expect that powerful leaders will want to overreach in to our lives, and be vigilant to call fowl when they do. Unfortunately, it seems that most Americans are shocked by President Barack Obama’s contemptuous remarks about the Supreme Court last week, as the court review his signature “healthcare reform” law. Worse still, it seems that very few Americans recognize the President’s behavior is problematic.
Of course, President Obama is not the first White House occupant to desire more power than the Constitution allows. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, angered when the Supreme Court overturned some of his “new deal” (read “big government”) programs that he believed were unquestionably necessary to save the country, famously began maligning the Justices of the Supreme Court, publicly labeling them the “9 Old Men.” And as a means of overcoming the “separation of powers” obstacle, he proposed to “reform” that old, antiquated Supreme Court system by adding up to six new justices – justices that he could select and appoint!
Of course, FDR didn’t get his way. The Congress rejected his court reform legislative proposal, and the American people took a dim view of Roosevelt trying to circumvent the Constitution.
But that was the America of 1937. Today, it’s not difficult to imagine that President Obama could curry the favor of millions of Americans, if he chose to campaign against the Justices who may vote to overturn his all-important “Obamacare” law.
Who would stand with Obama in this type of Constitution-bending effort? Start with the entire AFL-CIO. Then add the entire “occupy” movement, and the burgeoning “99% Spring” uprising, and the prevailing powers of the Democrat Party. Put them all together, and you’ve got a critical mass of Americans who neither care nor understand a wit about history, “limited government,” the U.S Constitution, or the Separation of Powers. They want “stuff” – “free” healthcare, education, or whatever – and they want raw power in Washington to deliver that stuff, and to do so by whatever means.
“9 old men.” That pejorative description wouldn’t apply with the makeup of today’s Supreme Court. But we should all prepare for President Obama to take direct aim at, say, 5 or 6 “old” white men – men who are too strictly adhering to an old Constitution that was written by old white men – should the Supreme Court dare to think differently about the President’s healthcare reform law. And the President’s party won’t dare to question this tactic. But who will?
Yeah, well, after he's re-elected, he'll have more flexibility to explore more options.
And, of course, he'll have those 450 million rounds of ammo at his disposal to help keep those options open.
FDR got them to come to heel.
Duck...?
It might turn out the other way around, if he tries.
Just saying.
He’s starting to get pretty obvious about things.
speaks to the relative strengths of both our U.S. Constitution itself...
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The Constitution is only as strong as the good will and fundamental honesty of the American people.
The 2008 Florida recount did it for me. It was then that I realized that Democrats were not people of good will or honesty. After this I could never again have a Democrat for a friend. They were either too evil or too stupid to be a friend.
And... At the beginning of the article I thought the author was describing Andrew Jackson.
A couple members of the Lamestream Media have shown signs of waking from their self-imposed hypnotic trances and are beginning to ask the members of the Obama Admistration challenging questions. They haven't yet asked those questions of Dear Leader HIMSELF. Might expose them as racists....
I believe the Spirit of Free America is resurrecting.
Have a wonderful Easter all.
The only way anyone can ‘conquer’ the Supreme Court is to have at least 3/4 of the states ratify an amendment to the Consitution. Even then, the amendment can be misinterpreted ala the Commerce Clause.....
Well i have 3000 rnds.7.62x39 to help off-set Obamas 450 million rnds and i’m sure there’s more off-sets out there.
It took you that long?
A Marine told a friend of ours that he went to work out in the gym during Bush's presidency and found the President working out. The Pres. spoke and shook hands and they went back to working out.
During this Admin., same Marine went to work out, found the gym locked was told the Pres. was working out. While BHO was there, marines could not carry their weapons, the Pres. stayed in a special trailer set up for him and surrounded with SS guys--but the photo ops were great!
Difference in how Bush and Obama view the military.
Also reminds me of Panetta's recent Afghan visit where military had to put up their weapons before coming to hear him speak.
Boy do the Cmdr in Chf and the Sec. Def. love our troops and respect them--NOT! Also disrespect everything about our Constitution and traditions.
vaudine
May the chickens... come home..... TO ROOST!
Notice that the Yugo Mil-surplus M-67 is just about disappeared? I’ll plink with the Wolf, but am saving the good stuff for when it matters.
Credit must also be given to the strength of our military, which without firing a shot keeps in check the dreams of dictator wannabes like Barky. He's working to destroy our military so he can proceed but he doesn't have enough time.
Another reason why Obama is decidedly not the same, as some RINO he’s at times compared against.
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