Conservatives Need a Back-to-Basics Message
Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore, and Peter Tanous identify four great killers of economic health in their recently released book The End of Prosperity: How Higher Taxes will Doom the Economy — If We Let it Happen. They are as follows: “trade protectionism, tax increases and profligate government spending, new regulations and increased government intervention in the economy,” and “monetary policy mistakes.” Unlike the political left, the right has no reason to embrace any of these viral initiatives. We can easily restore economic security to the citizenry by proposing what we believe in, and then depart from past practice by defending it vigorously after our proposals become law.
We must also learn from the example of Barack Obama and the election of 2008. Many of us were repelled by the Obama campaign and its vapid mantras like “Yes, Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In.” Yes, these jejune cliches were malarkey — but 53 percent of the population thought otherwise. Change.gov, with its trendy glitz, was victorious. The fact is that we now live in a sound bite society. The solution is not for the right to copy Obama entirely and create mumbo jumbo mantras of our own, but to instead distill conservative ideology into morsels ready for mass consumption. We must meet the electorate where they are at, as serious and meritorious ideas will fail to be processed should they not be noticed. Time is a commodity and the recipe for catching the eye of attention-starved voters is to market our ideas in brief, but memorable, verbal formulas.
A maxim like “Give the People Their Money Back” meets this criterion. It clashes resoundingly with fallacies like taxes being “what you pay to be an American” or the dues for living in a democratic society. The saying gives emotional resonance to our cause. With just six words — five if you are Joe Biden — we restate the most compelling case there is for downsizing the federal government: a bloated Leviathan rips cash out of the pockets of taxpayers for the purposes of funding programs of dubious worth. No sensible person can deny that individuals make more effective and efficient use of their wages than do central planners. We must follow the tactics of Ronald Reagan as put forth in his speech “A Time for Choosing,” and pound leftist-anti-liberal positions with vigor and debunk their proposals in totality.
More importantly, that we should labor for strangers rather than ourselves and our family is a massive leap of logic. Most people make note of the obscene amounts confiscated from their paychecks and sooner or later begin to wonder about the usefulness of how that money is spent. Their concerns will not be salved by the truth, which is that waste is an endemic byproduct of the federocracy. They also will not be mollified by leftist character assassination towards those who question the efficiency of government programs and wonder whether their alleged benefit is worth the cost. “Give the People Their Money Back” is much more appealing than the present dispensation, one best summed up by phrases like “Give the Bureaucrats a Break,” “Gimme Some Money,” and “Pony Up the Cash, You Hater.”
Obama’s inauguration proves that packaging is effective and even if we disdain the messenger we can still profit from his example. The delivery system for conservative ideas has an advantage over the left’s. Our proposals are rooted in reality as opposed to faith. Voters will soon see that the president-elect’s grandiose syllables will not translate into greater prosperity and security. When we outline the case for conservatism we simultaneously pave the way for our future victory.
“Obama fully understands that on issues like tax cuts and government waste the public wants nothing to do with leftism. He, therefore, repositioned himself accordingly.”
Barack Obama may not be a left-wing ideologue. He may instead be someone who places his wet finger into the air and sees which way the wind is blowing. I can live with that! John McCain is too interested in proving that he is a “maverick.” I’ll take my chances with Obama.
Surely a more accurate statement would be “Let the People Keep Their Own Money, which They Earned!”
Increase the domestic production of energy, that is one of the keys on the road back to power.
Somehow, the strategy of more clearly elucidating and identifying oneself with a political philosophy that has no constituency does not seem like the quickest path to public office.
However, conservatives could effectively double their chances of retaking the White House by running Fred Thompson and Ron Paul on the same ticket. That would still leave them about 55 million votes short of the win, but that could be offset somewhat with a snappy tagline like “The Weak Should Die” or “Are There No Prisons, No Workhouses?”
I would like to see more effort made against frivolous law suits. It would be instantly popular since almost no one except their immediate family likes lawyers, and picking one simple proposition like, loser pays, could be pushed in sound bites and easily understood.
I wish that elephant didn’t accompany the article. Conservatism is no longer welcome in the repub party.
We need a Newt in the GOP. Maybe not Newt himself, it could be someone like Fred Thompson, but someone who can distill and apply core conservative principles to the current challenges.
I mean, consider. The government ordered banks to make bad loans. Even formed semiprivate government agencies stuffed with political cronies to pay the banks for them. Resisted for more than a decade attempts to investigate them. Traded in sweetheart deals and campaign cash for said cronies to loot them. Then bailed them all out at taxpayer expense. Then went on the news and insisted that the problem was “deregulation”. Ask a typical American, one who doesn’t read political blogs or get too involved between elections, what really happened. Will you hear anything except the deregulation part?
Once we have that, the marketing and sloganeering challenges will be far easier. The reason they’re so daunting now is that conservatism doesn’t know what it stands for. Is it, as the Compassionate Conservatives would have it, a philosophy of using big government to enforce “goodness” by pushing social issues and economic liberalism? Is it the libertarian ethic of the least possible amount of government in all spheres? Is it “moderation”, i.e. a long fighting withdrawal in the face of whatever the democrats are pushing this week?
One problem (and opportunity!) with the Bush administration has been its chronic communication problems. The problem is the drubbing we took in 2006 and this year. The opportunity is that conservatism can re-assert and redefine itself in the GOP. Could you imagine how much damage the Compassionate Conservatives could have done if Bush had been a Reagan-quality communicator?
Sure, the radical changes to our economy being pushed right now must be fought, and that requires some tactical work. But the underlying intellectual infrastructure, the war of ideas, needs to be overhauled. We have the ideas, but we haven’t really pushed them in a long, long time. That’s the lesson of 1994, and I think it applies even more today than it did then.
How about “Hey Obama, Hands off MY paycheck!”
Of course that would only appeal to the few of us who still have jobs in the private sector.
MITT ROMNEY * BOBBY JINDAL * 2012
MITT ROMNEY * BOBBY JINDAL * 2012
MITT ROMNEY * BOBBY JINDAL * 2012
_________________________________
Here are a few ideas, condensed to soundbites:
A is A
Words have meanings
Garbage in; Garbage out
Right is right
Individual rights not group rights
Individual rights come from individual responsibility
The law applies to all
Some things are better than others
Negative functions of government only
The government’s only job is to protect us from those who would hurt us
Feel free to add to the list.
You want basics. Figure out how to filibuster the amnesty of 20 million new Democrats. If not its game over for 10-15 years. Prepare for extreme socialism and the destruction of the middle class.
we need to help people understand why personal liberty, property rights, responsibilities are so important – without those we go back to becoming serfs for the king (govt) – we’re actually pretty close to that now!
So how about going back to our roots – the Anti-Slavery party – we need to explain what that means in modern times.
Conservatives need messages that are short, easy to remember, and hit hard.
One of the most effective for Lefties has been their opposition to “tax cuts for the rich”; because the response “hey, those tax cuts were for everyone who actually pays taxes, and since the wealthiest Americans pay 95% of the taxes blah blah blah” just doesn’t resonate quickly enough.
Hugh Hewitt had a good idea a cycle or so back when he outlined Conservative principles in just a few words:
1) Win the war
2) Cut the taxes
3) Control the spending
4) Confirm the judges
5) Secure the border
Conservatives have to start thinking like advertisers on MTV–short, effective messages, over and over.
(…sorry… posted before I was done…)
Not “Give the people their money back”… How about, “It’s YOUR money…”
That makes it about the individual’s best interests, not about doing good for people as a whole. The original is more charitable, but it’s the Undecideds we have to turn, and they largely focus and vote for what’s best for themselves. (Otherwise they’d be Conservatives…!)
To give it a better youth focus, I’d actually recommend “Hey, it’s YOUR money”. Bit of a Dennis Leary flavor.
I think conservatives need to focus on the economy and smaller government. I could never vote conservative purely based on their moral stance. Less bible belt, and more wall street pls.
http://www.justinpopovic.com
B. Chapin — “Yes, these jejune cliches were malarkey — but 53 percent of the population thought otherwise.”
By definition, where it comes to brains, 50% of the population is below average. You have to hand it to the Obama campaign for coming up with slogans that were designed specifically with that in mind. “Change You Can Believe In” is even less informative than “Minty Fresh.” Think about it.
I don’t think sloganeering is the answer. I’m not sure you could limbo underneath democrat bumper stickering.
Thanks for your article. You have really hit the nail on the head about what we should do to show the country that conservative values are truly good for the country. But you left off the last half of your article. How do we do it? Can we start a web-based group to “get the word out?” Remember, the Media is not going to present our values, as their values are the opposite. We need a non-media outlet for our educational efforts. Sign me up!!!
How about JAIL A BANKER,SAVE A JOB! or MORE PRODUCTION,LESS SPECULATION! OR NO MONEY FOR PLUTOCRATIC BAILOUTS!Ahh let’s just have the second American revolution and be done with it!
“Give the people their money back.”
Ummm…is that directed at the government, forced to rescue entire industries because of profligate business practices, or to the incompetent and greedy corporations who put us in this position of “bailouts or bust?”
Over at the American Conservative Party, we figured this out a while ago. That’s why our slogan is simple and direct – “Putting You Back in Charge”.
The time has come for Conservatives to realize that the GOP is not their ally, it is their albatross. Come on over and check out our mission at americanconservativeparty.org.
We are looking for leaders of our state party organizations and could use as much conservative help as we can get to take back government from the political class and give people back control of their own lives.
Devide and we will be conquered .
Unite now under one flag .
________________________________________________
Ask MITT ROMNEY to run again in 2012 .
It is the global economy and Mr. Economy will
make it happen . We need leaders .
________________________________________________
MITT ROMNEY * BOBBY JINDAL * 2012
________________________________________________
“Drill baby, drill” and “country first” didn’t work. The problem is that the right is now identified with a failing economy, a reckless war, and fossil fuel. To make it worse, GWB also worked overtime to gut the bill of rights.
Conservativism needs to move to the vacuum where libertarians reside. Drop the moral majority crap and start supporting individual liberty, and the party can win again. Fighting against gays, abortions and pot smokers is not smart.
DS
The Republican Party needs to be served divorce papers.
Here’s my reasoning why:
http://swordattheready.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/the-republican-party-needs-to-be-served-divorce-papers/
Republican politicians have compromised Conservative values in favor of “reaching across the aisle” in the name of “bipartisanship” to “get things done in Washington.” In doing so, these very politicians have damaged this nation, weakened the Constitution, and done harm to individual freedoms.
We desperately need Conservative leaders in the Republican party who will defend and proactively teach Conservatism.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-demand-true-conservative-leadership.html
David S:
Amen, brother. Speak the truth.
The GOP doesn’t need empty catch phrases. It needs to stand for something other than corporate greed and idiotic decisions concerning matters of foreign policy and oil.
The GOP has proved that they are incapable of solving any of our problems. I cite the last eight years as my evidence. Give the people an intelligent candidate (that rules out Palin), and I’ll consider voting for “him” (lets face it – the GOP won’t be nominating a female candidate for decades).
Since social conservatism is more popular than libertarianism, lets just jetison those tarians now….the reverse, since socons are more popular than tarians lets just jetison the socons makes even less sense.
How about we make libertarians sign a committment to trying to win?
Given a choice between those people who think they’re smarter than Palin (and unless they’re Fortune 500 CEO’s or something equally prestigious to compare to Most Popular Governor in the Union) and Palin, I’d take Palin. She seems grounded in reality. You really don’t want to make this a Palin goes or I go thing because a lot of us will hold the door for you, and then go on to win with Palin.
Across the board, full-bore, happy warrior conservatism can win the day. Stand boldly and smile, do the Right Thing in both meanings of the word, and all else will follow. Yes, find the right slogans, and find the right issues, but first and foremost–Stand.
Its not complicated. Are you courageous, and do you enjoy Conservatism? Nothing more is needed, nothing less will do.
“The bottom line is that conservatism is not so much in decline as it is unknown or completely forgotten.”
Conservatism is ‘unknown’ to a majority of Americans because they are ignorant and don’t care to read or learn.
Conservatism is ‘completely forgotten’ by most, if not all, current elected Republicans.
Excellent article. And getting back to core conservative principals is the cure but the road back has to be taken through local and state politics. The Democrats hold a majority of state houses and legislatures.
———————————————
By the way, I hope all you rich liberals out there are going to pay a bunch of taxes because Joe Biden said it’s your patriotic duty to do so and I am waiting for my share of the free stuff Obama promised me.
“TimothyJ:
Thanks for your article. You have really hit the nail on the head about what we should do to show the country that conservative values are truly good for the country. But you left off the last half of your article. How do we do it? Can we start a web-based group to “get the word out?” Remember, the Media is not going to present our values, as their values are the opposite. We need a non-media outlet for our educational efforts. Sign me up!!!”
Here is a social networking/activism site that was built around that concept:
http://www.rebuildtheparty.com/
I am very intelligent and watched most of the RNC, and even I had difficulty sifting out the message. We need some clear communicators. Accepting that which is clearly wrong is not the answer. Whether it’s bail-outs or abortions, the right needs to have a clear “anti” stance. “It’s your money-keep it!” has a nice ring to it.
Someone75, which party was it that has already had a woman on the ticket? And which party b*tch-slapped a woman back to her place behind the black man? All the mysogynistic “she’s stupid” crap just really shows your true colors, if the treatment of Hillary wasn’t enough.
One more thing – ditch the religious conservatives. Until that is done, the republican party is doomed tp failure.
Here, this is the message: ‘It’s YOUR money!’.
When I hit page 2 on this article I was redirected to a “Yes We Can” website. I have cooties now!
How about ditching the divisive social wedge issues?
That means no more anti-gay hysteria and no more anti-abortion fanaticism. Really, that kind of broken record drivel only drowns out all your other messages.
Let’s start with this, Mitt Romney is a shill, who has no business being in the cabinet of the next Republican administration, let alone running for President. Mitt Romney is not Mr. Economy; he is Mr. Private Equity, one of the people responsible for hyper-leveraging this country. Huckabee/Jindal 2012, with Ron Paul and Sarah Palin in the cabinet as Treasury and Energy Secretaries, respectively. Fair Tax plus Drill! Drill! Drill! plus budget hack and slash will revive this economy.
Sour,
Hey then McCain is your man. Mr. “Apostles of Intolerance” himself until he realized that kicking the center mass of the party in the teeth was a recipe for replacing McGovern as a trivia pursuit answer.
We tried your way. It failed, like it always does.
Hardcore unrepentant RINOs need to be dumped from the Party if they were ever in the Party in the first place.
How about some very simple things, like a 5 day work week for Congress with only the 4th of July and two weeks off for the Christmas and New Years holidays? That has got to beat the 3-day a week wonders who can’t figure out which way to do anything, just want to spend time in a perpetual campaign and raising money 4 days a week. Do note that no Republicans protested this when they were in charge and went to a 4 day work week, nor when it went to a 3 day work week.
Now if you don’t like the 5 day work week, then push to convene the thing one week a year and be done with all business then.
Right now those Congresscritters of both stripes are *playing* at representing us… I would prefer people who see it as a job, not a sinecure for life. Until I hear ‘conservatives’ actually push for some conservative values, like actually supporting the idea that those in public office must work for a living and not perpetually campaign, the Republican party can take a hike. At the moment you are the D-lite party: just the same but a whole lot weaker.
And don’t bother trotting out Reagan’s legacy: his mistakes in Lebanon cost us dearly then, dearly later and are still costing us to this day. By not confronting Islamic radicals backed by Iran, we got Hezbollah and a couple hundred dead Marines… and the price of that was weakness abroad, so thanks but no on the Reagan front. And just why didn’t he kill off the Dept. of Education as it hadn’t even stood up when he took office? Smaller government? Nice words… he may have made people feel real good, but the legacy in terrorism and the expanding size of government are things he could have addressed and didn’t. That was his job as he told us he would do it.
There is a reason 49% of the voting age population doesn’t vote: the politicians are conspiring to run the country to their benefit and no one wants to stand up to them. That is how you lose a representative democracy.
The ONLY conservative running in 2008 was Ron Paul. We told you you would lose without him and that is exactly what happened. Our “no” is just as emphatic to the likes of empty suits like Fred Thompson or any other member of CFR. It will be just as much a waste of time and effort as McCain. Or if you did win, it would be just as disasterous as Bush. No more.
You guys are even mentioning Palin? Jindal? These are non-starters.
If you want your country back, look for a candidate whose ACTIONS prove he puts THIS COUNTRY – not Israel – first. If not, you will be right back here again impotently whining.
@27
Please, by all means hitch your wagon to Palin. She is by far the most qualified candidate to cripple the Republican party for a generation. Comparing her to Clinton is more of a slap in the face to women than anything Obama has done.
Palin is the poster child for small town, small minded politics. She embodies the worst aspects of her party, with no redeeming qualities. I’d love to see her running the party – nothing could be a better advertisement for Democrats.
DS
momof3:
You really shouldn’t be mentioning Palin and Clinton in the same sentence. Here’s the thing you were unable to understand: the democrats had TWO great candidates. How many great candidates did the GOP have? None?
Calling Palin a person of lower intelligence is in no way misogynistic. Frankly, I’m surprised you could even spell it. Next step is to understand what it means, because you clearly don’t. Leave the big words to the college grads, mom.
#39 Sam Lawrey:
“The ONLY conservative running in 2008 was Ron Paul.”
Is that some kind of saracastic joke?
Ron Paul is a nutty liberal fruitcake.
I had never heard of nor seen Ron Paul before the Republican debates and as I watched him take the opposite view of the other conservative Republican candidates on stage (regarding the Patriot Act, Iraq, 9/11, the war on terror) I kept wondering, in annoyance “who is this libtard and what is he doing on the same stage as these conservative republicans”
Ron Paul makes Obama look conservative.
America needs Sarah Palin and her strong conservative male counterpart(?) to lead America.
Conservatives need to figure out that government was not created for them exclusively.
What this country is hurting from is a total lack of honesty in our leadership. Fudging the truth and manipulating people based on onees own personal agenda is rampant from our schools to the media.
Think about the consequences we suffer as a result.
Our leaders are liars and we have to say; Enough!
Here is a frequent lie:
“The debate over global warming is settled science.”
“There are 47 million people without health care in this country” is another.
We need to demand leaders in our lives that practice honesty!
http://thenma.org/blogs//index.php/libertyforusa/2008/12/19/the-new-forked-tongue
“Give the people their money back” – Is this the best that GOP strategists can come up with? But then, this is what you get these days from the GOP. Here we have Middle America wondering if they’ll arrive tomorrow am to find a pink slip, our southern border is dangerously breeched, we’re being surrounded by enemies as Russian warships enter the Caribbean and our financial institutions and car manufacturers are being nationalized!! And Mr. Chapin thinks that all we are concerned about out here in flyover country is a few measly tax dollars returned to our wallet every month?? If you want to know why the GOP lost on 11/7/06 and 11/4/08, well here; Mr. Chapin’s has just hurled a supreme insult at Mom and Pop middle America. DD
“Give the people their money back.”
How about “Lowering taxes. What else is the Second Amendment for?”
How about “we’re not us dumb as you think we are”?
At least that is hopeful.
Better yet: “we’re sorry about the last eight years – but would love another shot at crippling the nation”.
I think if you can get back to basics you have a shot: “don’t tread on me”, anyone?
DS
How about, freedom means being free to earn money and spend it how we want?
Government guarantees of a fair wage mean we will earn what the government allows us to earn.
Government guarantees of an education mean that we will learn what the government wants us to learn.
Government guarantees of health care mean that we will receive the health care the government decides is appropriate for us.
@48
Amphipolis,
You don’t really believe that a minimum wage is harmful to your earning power. That makes no sense. In all three cases, the government has a proper role in safeguarding public welfare by crafting a minimal support system.
Without a minimum wage, laborers are slaves to capital. In a society with such massive concentration of wealth, it is needed. A basic education is likewise needed for we the people to thrive – and you can opt for private education or home school if you prefer.
A basic level of medical care is also recognized as needed in civilized countries, but most don’t prevent private transactions – so you can get all the health care you can afford. The ‘left’ simply sees no reason that a country should give a trillion dollars to Wall St (where slaves were sold) and not spend equivalent sums on the basic needs of the people.
Living without access to food or medical care is far too common here. We are the home of the wealthiest people on Earth, but our poor are starving and dying in the street. Why?
DS
#42 Westguard says that Ron Paul was a liberal. Now I’ve heard everything.
I noticed that during the primaries Ron Paul was the ONLY conservative the GOP had.
Did anyone else ever learn that conservatives believe in smaller government? Is spending $750 billion a year on the military small?
Conservatives are also supposed to believe in balanced budgets. Where were the conservatives in the GOP dominated senate, congress, and White House from 2001-2006?
I couldn’t have voted for Paul. Yes he’s a conservative alright. His economic policies came from the 19th Century while his take on the constitution was strictly 18th Century. But when Republicans scream “what we need is a conservative” they really mean they want a deficit building government that spends massively on defense and enacts draconian legislation for common criminals while letting white collar criminals plunder everything in sight. Someone who tries to build popular support among the paranoid, the racist, and the very stupid. That’s not conservatism, but it’s what the GOP has been doing and if they don’t stop they will become a regional party with support only in the Ozarks.
Ron Paul is a nut, but he’s the only conservative I saw in 2008. Find a sane conservative and maybe the Republicans can rebuild. Otherwise just let Sarah Palin run in 2012. She’s great to look at and she’ll probably hold Kentucky, Alaska, and Alabama.
It amazes me how terrible the post-defeat analysis has been. It wasn’t the lack of a snappy slogan that defeated the GOP this time, it was the lack of any plan or policy, a terrible ticket at the top, and George W. Bush.
Oh, you mean the Republicans had a basic message?
“Obama’s inauguration proves that packaging is effective and even if we disdain the messenger we can still profit from his example.” – I agree
“The right must not conduct guerrilla war from red state enclaves” – I disagree
Conservatives should learn from Obama’s example, and the tactics he used were straight out of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.
- Always remember the first rule of power tactics: Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.
- Second: Never go outside the experience of your people. When an action is outside the experience of the people, the result is confusion, fear, and retreat.
- Wherever possible go outside of the experience of the enemy. Here you want to cause confusion, fear, and retreat.
- The fourth rule is: Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.
- The fourth rule carries within it the fifth rule: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage.
- Sixth rule: A good tactic is one that your people enjoy. If your people are not having a ball doing it, there is something very wrong with the tactic.
- A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. Man can sustain militant interest in any issue for only a limited time, after which it becomes a ritualistic commitment.
- Keep the pressure on, with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period for your purpose.
- The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.
- The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.
- If you push a negative hard and deep enough it will break through into its counterside; this is based on the principle that every positive has its negative.
- The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. You cannot risk being trapped by the enemy in his suddenly agreeing with your demand and saying “You’re right – we don’t know what to do about this issue. Now you tell us.”
- Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.
Understand these rules – knowing how the enemy attacks will give you the ability to defend against those attacks as well as knowing when, where and how to counter punch.
Also, your statement “Our proposals are rooted in reality as opposed to faith” is not on the mark. Liberal proposals are not rooted in faith but in fantasy and the illusion of a world without natural or divinely ordained moral consequences – and are therefore doomed to failure. This should be the very crux of conservative defense and counter attack.
I have a lot of thoughts on this particular subject. where do you want to start? entitlement ideologies, keeping the public in continual chaos by pulling in the different directions, keeping the pig happy as long as they can afford their high end cars and other materialistic possessions, over saturation of pornographic ideologies infiltrating every aspect of life.
There is no right or wrong. If you ask a question regarding something like marriage for homesexuals, you are deemed a Hater. The Author of this article will agree with me that I am probably one of the biggest haters out there… I actually pay attention to what is going on around me and can support my thinking with facts. My leftist friends are outraged at what is going on. I like this word Outraged, lets say it together Outraged… I laugh at this, because I have been talking about these issues of our government being out of control and my concerns and those same people that are now outraged, were calling me a hater, a liar, a racist. I am by no means an overly intelligent person, but I do have common sense. I embrace life, I want to learn more every day, I believe debate is good and necessary for all societies. Hard work never hurt any one I am a firm believer in it. I also believe, that if you do not make one accountable for the consequences of the decisions that they make, then they will continue to make them. Unfortunately that is what Washington has done with these government bailouts of the financial and auto industries.
What else can I say……. Good luck and prosper my friends and Happy New year!