Patton: America Beyond The Point Of No Return

[Terri]

By Doug Patton
September 23, 2008

"Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it." - George Bernard Shaw

A half century ago, Russian-born writer Ayn Rand warned about the creeping socialism she saw in America even then. In her thousand-page tome, "Atlas Shrugged," Rand told the story of John Galt, a shadowy figure who is so fed up with high taxes, burdensome regulations and interference from government, he secretly recruits the best and brightest of American capitalism - the captains of industry - to withdraw from society to the mountains of Colorado, leaving the growing welfare state without any visible means of support.

Imagine what Ayn Rand would say about the federal government coughing up quantities of cash even career bureaucrats didn't talk about in the 1950s; all to bail out quasi-government entities whose overseers were complicit in the failures of those very institutions.

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[gafisher]

Ayn Rand's vivid descriptions of rotting factories, ruined roads and business leaders withdrawing from the US economy rings so true today that it raises a chilling thought -- like the spirit in Dickens' famous story, was she describing things that might be or things that are? Have the true conservative leaders ignored the warning signs, or are they sending them?

In other words, have the living equivalent of John Galt and his associates already left to prepare for the eventual rebuilding of an America which can no longer be merely "fixed?"

[FITCamaro]

Agree 100%. Something drastic needs to happen so we can change course. Unforunately many people are content to just sit back and suck off the system regardless of the consequences. If the unthinkable happens and Obama gets elected, I think it'll pretty much be game over.

[DrAnalog]

Well, it's hard to see any hope here. The Democrats basically want socialism, (or maybe they even like communism better), the Republicans had their chance and blew it, and the population is so under educated that they actually believe Government can just print more money and bail us out of this mess. I have even heard some people blame Reagan for this, so there is no limit to the ignorance that appears to exist. The best way to handle this would be for Government to butt out and the the free markets handle this. The only thing Government can do is raise our taxes, which will surely destroy the economy. We need term limits, it's probably our only hope.

[fred w hensel]

We simply cannot give up the fight! Call your reps and senators and demand they say no, no, no, no, no to this ridiculous bailout.

I lost a $1M commercial building and property and my $600k house in foreclosure when I crashed the company I built not understanding cash flow and accounting. It takes years to recover, but it does happen if you bust a@@!

There was no bailout for me, and thousands of others, so why do we have "unequal" treatment under the law for others??? Why are they special? Why do we reward bad decisions???

Things will recover as they always do if the government just GETS OUT OF OUR WAY!!!

They were the majority cause of it anyway!!! So more of their actions and interfernce will cure the problem???

More proof that we need to toss our education system and go to 100% vouchers and it will take 20 years to fix things.

[Tyler2]

Brings to mind the cycles of government as discussed in Will & Ariel Durant's The Lessons of History. Is anyone here surprised by the inevitable consequence of central government's meddling with laissez-faire capital markets (the only moral financial form of human existence)? I think not.

[Ray-Ray]

In this wacko election year, all the politicians want to do is continue the hang wringing and do what will "looks and feels" good to the American taxpayer. The class envy warfare that is being perpetrated by the left and right's belief in the almighty Hank Paulsen, this economy is going down. It may not happen for a few years, but mark my words at this rate we will be in the Russian bread lines before we can say capital gains tax.

I'm just sick and wish some one with some kahoneys would stand up to the feds and suggest they all read "Atlas Shrugged". I read this when I was a young republican in my teens and understood it, I think the intellectuals on capital hill could get it!!

[Jamble]

The response is attributed to BENJAMIN FRANKLIN—at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, when queried as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation


“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”

Franklin answered:
“A Republic, if you can keep it.”

I'm afraid we are no longer keeping our Republic. Another thing Franklin said was that the Republic would only last until the public discovered they could vote themselves largesse from the Federal Government.

What a prescient guy he was.

[Sentinel]

Everyone in Washington is in full self protect mode and eager to be "bi-partisan". Sadly I don't hear any Republican, including McCain calling for responsibility and placing this mess at the Democrats feet, since they created this socialist game.
Like "My Man Newt" said, we need someone with COJONES, perhaps only a woman can display some. I place my bet on Palin.
An yes, comrade Chavez must be having a hell of a time just watching.

[Dingbat36]

Republicans and Democrats alike share the blame for this mess. It was largely created out of a misguided need (mostly by Democrats) to feel as though America was actually doing something to help the poor own their own homes. This may be a worthwhile goal, but when people who have absolutely no hope of paying back loans are approved to buy a home, one has to ask, "Who is going to pick up the tab for all this?" Answer: You are, to the tune of at least a trillion dollars, a sum most of us cannot even fathom.

I am quite able to understand and for anyone who can't, think of it as a thousand billions, or if you like a shock factor, ten thousand millions. Twenty years ago my husband and I had a disagreement concerning politicians....I told him that none of them gave a flying fig about what the public thinks or wants. They pretend to at election time but their main goals are cementing whatever power they have, increasing it if they can and "feathering their nests" as they go. He said I don't believe that, you're jaded. Well, he was naive as he has recently admitted to me and now says that I was right............... .....cold comfort! I gave up 20 years ago when all I got for my trouble while trying to express that opinion were the blank looks or the admonishment that I sounded like a "nut case". There are times when it is far from nice to be proven right.