The Bloodless Coup Continues-6

"It is futile, but not pointless, to note that the federal government's blizzard of bailouts is unconstitutional. At least that would be the correct judgment were the policy brought before the Supreme Court to be judged with reference to the doctrine of 'nondelegation'. ... Robert Levy, chairman of Washington's libertarian Cato Institute, notes that although the court has condoned some forms of delegation, it has stipulated that Congress 'shall lay down ... an intelligible principle to which the person or body authorized ... is directed to conform.' Can anyone discern the principle implicit--it is certainly not explicit--in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TRAP) that authorizes disbursement of perhaps $1 trillion in bailouts? ... Improper delegation is inherent in unlimited government, under which hyperkinetic legislators, for whom Attention-Deficit Disorder is an occupational hazard, are jacks of all trades and masters of none. Their expertise is inadequate to their pretensions of omincompetence. Their desire to intrude government into every nook and cranny of life requires that their attentions be spread thin. So the 'laws' they pass are often little more than endorsements of vague aspirations. ... John Locke's 'Second Treatise of Civil Government' (1609), which deeply influenced America's Founders, says: 'The legislature cannot transfer the power of making laws to any other hands: for it being but a delegated power from the people, they who have it cannot pass it to others.' ... But that is essentially what TARP has done. It has made Treasury Department bureaucrats into legislators; or perhaps has made Secretary Hank Paulson the fourth branch of government. ... When prices are arbitrary, which they must be when not set by markets, you have the essence of socialism. The results must be irrationality and, eventually, corruption. Socialism is not merely susceptible to corruption; it is corruption--the allocation of wealth and opportunity by political favoritism. Under democratic socialism, such favoritism is then rewarded by financial support, by those favored, of the dispensers of favors", my emphasis, George Will (GW) at Newsweek, 1 December 2008.

I agree with GW. Well, Mr. President-Elect, Obama, where do you stand on this? What will you do after 20 January 2009, Mr. Constitutional Scholar? Will you take the role of Philip Dru of Philip Dru, Administrator, 1912, Edward Mandell House, and dismantle this monster? Or did you not consider this monster's constitutionality or what you will say on 20 January 2009?

In 1968, Hedda Garza (1929-95) ran for US Senator from New York on the Socialist Workers' Party (SWP). Barry Farber (BF) (1930-), interviewed her on his WOR, 710 AM radio show. Part of the exchange went like this: Hedda, "If you elect the SWP we will have true socialism in the US". BF, "Hedda, how do you know the SWP's rule won't degenerate into bureaucracy?" Hedda, "because I know we will bring true socialism". BF, "But Hedda, what about: China, the USSR, Cuba, Poland, Czechoslovakia, etc.? Each of them degenerated into bureaucracy and dictatorship. Why will the SWP's rule be different?" Hedda, "Because we learned from their mistakes". BF, "That's the point Hedda. Socialism must degenerate into bureaucracy". BF then explained why. Hedda was stunned. She did not respond at all! The interview then ended. Right on BF! About four years ago, I found BF on the web, e-mailed him and asked if he remembered this interview. He said he did and thought it was one of his best. Without knowing it, BF and Hedda had recreated 1930's Ludwig von Mises-Oskar Lange debate about the impossibility of economic calculation under socialism. BF was never better! Imagine, our uber-capitalist overlords of Goldman, Morgan etc., are all socialists.