Rush Limbaugh had a caller on today who asked the question: what gave Obama the power to fire the chairman and the board of directors of GM; and replace the chairman with his own pick? Rush rightly called this a
...junior high school understanding of civics101...
and answered
“Who's to stop him?”
But this is precisely the sort of question that I would expect to be asked by most thinking people.
Following the weekend firing of GM’s chairman and board, the only issues I hear being discussed is the wisdom of this take-over. Is it good for the auto industry? Is it fair to the unions? Why just fire the chairman of GM and not the heads of major banks? Should the head of GM's union be fired? Is the government any good at running a car company? How is this affecting the polls?
Can go back to the caller’s question? What inherent or legislative power did Obama exercise? Or is the assumptions that Obama can pretty much do anything he wants because there’s nobody to stop him?
Is the argument being made that the government is a major creditor of the auto companies and therefore can take over? Is that the law? The last I heard, removal of a board requires a vote of shareholders. Last I heard only a board of directors can fire a chairman.
Following the weekend firing of GM’s chairman and board, the only issues I hear being discussed is the wisdom of this take-over. Is it good for the auto industry? Is it fair to the unions? Why just fire the chairman of GM and not the heads of major banks? Should the head of GM's union be fired? Is the government any good at running a car company? How is this affecting the polls?
Can go back to the caller’s question? What inherent or legislative power did Obama exercise? Or is the assumptions that Obama can pretty much do anything he wants because there’s nobody to stop him?
Is the argument being made that the government is a major creditor of the auto companies and therefore can take over? Is that the law? The last I heard, removal of a board requires a vote of shareholders. Last I heard only a board of directors can fire a chairman.
Perhaps there would be a greater outcry of Obama was firing the head of a university, or a law firm, a sports team, or a movie studio? Would the lawprofs at the Volokh Conspiracy (recent post:The Right To Keep and Bear Arms and People Who Say They Feel Like Killing Others and Themselves) take note?
Where did Obama attain his Venezuelan dictatorial powers?
What worries me is that my interpretation of history shows that most dictators rode into power and exercised their powers with the overwhelming approval of the people. Stated another way, their polls were high. Courage to stand against popular opinion os not the hallmark of the
I have often said that there is no inherent difference between Americans and people from other countries. In fact most American or their ancestors are from other countries. But there has always been in American civic life a thread of individuality, a demand for individual freedom, a reverence for the ideals of the founding documents that other countries and cultures lack.
That common culture of freedom is now under its greatest test in over a century. The next few years will determine if this is forever lost. And when the proper questions are not being asked about the exercise of unprecedented government power in civilian affairs, I’m concerned that this culture is failing the test.
Where did Obama attain his Venezuelan dictatorial powers?
What worries me is that my interpretation of history shows that most dictators rode into power and exercised their powers with the overwhelming approval of the people. Stated another way, their polls were high. Courage to stand against popular opinion os not the hallmark of the
I have often said that there is no inherent difference between Americans and people from other countries. In fact most American or their ancestors are from other countries. But there has always been in American civic life a thread of individuality, a demand for individual freedom, a reverence for the ideals of the founding documents that other countries and cultures lack.
That common culture of freedom is now under its greatest test in over a century. The next few years will determine if this is forever lost. And when the proper questions are not being asked about the exercise of unprecedented government power in civilian affairs, I’m concerned that this culture is failing the test.
1 comment:
I ask where are our Republican leaders in the Congress. Why am I not seeing them in front of cameras asking these questions. If this was Bush doing these things Reid, Pelosi, et al, would be screaming their outrage. Where is the outrage from the loyal opposition? Where are the constitutional lawyers? Where is the media...well forget that question.
Post a Comment