Communist or Fascist?
KGB or Gestapo? Which would you say best describes the thuggery being exhibited by much of our Congress and Senate, right now, over the bonuses of about 100 AIG executives? Does it frighten you at all that:
1. A Senator suggests these executives commit suicide (for having gotten a $1 million bonus)? Maybe the same standard ought be recommended for $45 million/year baseball players who fail to bat 350, or win 20+ games. And $15 million/year football quarterbacks who don’t even lead the team to the playoffs. And … well, you get the idea. Seem silly? Well, I promise you some people will agree with all 3 suggestions. Sports fans can get vicious. What if they were government officials - think Russia during Stalin, Germany during Hitler, Iraq during Saddam! In fact, Saddam was famous for such things! So how far are WE from such things, in the USA. Lately, I’m not so sure as …
2. A Congresswoman suggests we tax the executives 1000 percent of their bonus. And another one says (on a TV news show) that she thinks we can, and they “will work on it tonight”. A Senator from California says tax them 100% of bonuses (which, the way some people are paid, that’s also their wages - like, you ever sell on commission?). That’s worse than a HUGE fine with no trial, without even proof that any particular executive did anything illegal. Or simply bad. Or maybe just did what his/her boss said to do. Or the company lawyers said was OK. Would you like to be threatened (wherever you work) that the IRS can do that? To just you, or the faculty or office staff where YOU work? Worse is the fact that …
3. The Congress is told that the executives are being threatened (by hundreds!) with death. With having their entire families slaughtered. And the folks doing the threatening are asking for their names and addresses. And one leading Congressman says he doesn’t care and wants their names published, and another congressman says that the names and addresses be made public … UNLESS they “voluntarily” give back their pay (or bonuses). Isn’t that EXTORTION? Sounds like a Mafia movie, with the thugs shaking down business people, sports stars, millionaires! Is that the kind of future, where government officials work that way, you feel safe in? Especially with that backhanded endoresement of death threats by citizens! What if, instead of AIG you work for MacDonalds? Some of the anti-meat, or high-fat, or fast-food activists would like to come after you. What if you work for a builder building “unenvironmental” housing developments? Or a car dealer selling gas-guzzling SUVs? Or a tobacco company? Or a chemical (like pesticides) company? There are ”enemies” for almost every busines, every product, even yours - people who would like to kill you for what you do, or don’t do. It’s not just about abortionists, or churches, or losing football teams, or AIG. Everyone is at risk if such thuggery is allowed - all the more so by the congress or any government official!
