Former Obama administration car czar Steven Rattner is coming out with a new book that depicts him swashbuckling through the financial crisis and also shows Obama as “out to get” the car companies and the administration making political decisions about how to deal with bankrupt automakers GM and Chrysler.
Well, nobody to the left of …anyone… should be shocked by this “revelation.” Carving up the goodies and dishing them out to friends and patrons is what crony capitalism is all about, and it doesn’t matter if we’re talking Democrats or Republicans.*
But what I did find shocking was that the first tell-all book on the Obambi is being released well before the second anniversary of the first term in office. Usually, this stuff comes out in middle of a President’s second term. Or sometimes as an October Surprise at the end of the first term — at the very earliest.
This isn’t rats fleeing a sinking ship. This is oliphants jumping off the Titanic.
(Hat tip, Glenn, as per all-too-often.)
*I’ve become aware over a course of years, that there are two reactions to this kind of scandal. If it happens when the Democrats are in charge, Republicans say, “Well, that’s government for you.” If it happens when the Republicans are in charge, Democrats shout, “Fascist Rethuglicans!”
While historical amnesia may be the liberal’s attitude of choice, when forced to deal with an event that both sides undeniably do, their standard response is, “it’s ok that we do it because they do it too. But they suck for doing it.”
Great post Steve. I also liked your Trifecta the other day.
OT: I’ve been locked out of my yahoo email (phtewie) acct for over two weeks now, and I am unable to receive your Tweets and FB and emails. Would you mind switching my email to rawsense AT msn DOT com? I can verify it is me.
This really rots worse than someone writing a book about that which is all too well known by those with at least half a brain. I’ve been missing out on all my political friends emails, prayer requests, news articles, etc. Ugh!
When did fascism get rebranded as “crony capitalism”? Because that’s what it is.
“Why can’t they make a Corolla?” Spoken by someone with no humility, nor respect for anyone else doing a job, who thinks he can remake the entire world into perfection with only his mind.
No, rbj, it’s not fascism, it’s Progressivism. Alas, I’ve faced an uphill battle ever since Goldberg’s book came out, since it gives conservatives an excuse to call liberals fascists, instead of commies or nazis; the latter two have lost their sting.
As for Stephen’s original point about scandals, I am reminded of a P.J. O’Rourke quote:
Socialists want the state to own the means of production. Taken to the nth degree it’s communism.
Fascists simply want to dictate to private business how to run their business. This doesn’t mean it’s nazism, or even a Mussolini version. There is a continuum, not an either/or situation. Dictating to banks whom they must lend to, forcing auto makers to make certain cars, and deciding who gets paid how much are all hallmarks of a fascist mentality. Doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a brownshirted jack booted thug, but you are looking in the same direction.
Mussolini was originally called the “third way” between unbridled US style capitalism and the USSR. And I would assert that “Progressivism” actually includes fascism. They both have the central idea of an elite ruling class dictating how society is to be run.