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Cheap Political Theater (Thomas Sowell)
Jewish World Review ^ | March 24, 2009 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 03/23/2009 6:57:21 PM PDT by jazusamo

Death threats to executives at AIG, because of the bonuses they received, are one more sign of the utter degeneration of politics in our time.

Congressman Barney Frank has threatened to summon these executives before his committee and force them to reveal their home addresses— which would of course put their wives and children at the mercy of whatever kooks might want to literally take a shot at them.

Whatever the political or economic issues involved, this is not the way such issues should be resolved in America. We are not yet a banana republic, though that is the direction in which some of our politicians are taking us— especially those politicians who make a lot of noise about "compassion" and "social justice."

What makes this all the more painfully ironic is that it is precisely those members of Congress who have had the most to do with creating the risks that led to the current economic crisis who are making the most noise against others, and summoning people before their committee to be browbeaten and humiliated on nationwide television.

No one pushed harder than Congressman Barney Frank to force banks and other financial institutions to reduce their mortgage lending standards, in order to meet government-set goals for more home ownership. Those lower mortgage lending standards are at the heart of the increased riskiness of the mortgage market and of the collapse of Wall Street securities based on those risky mortgages.

(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: 111th; aig; bonus; democratbrownshirts; democratcongress; democrats; dodd; frank; sowell; thomassowell
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To: Darkwolf377

Thanks again...Yes it was Moses and if I’d have read much or paid attention I wouldn’t have forgotten. It’s astonishing how Frank has the guts to sit up there on that Committee and preach to or grill anyone!


61 posted on 03/24/2009 10:42:25 AM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: DB

Sadly I have to agree. Even many Dems of the past wouldn’t have stood for this, it wasn’t too many years ago that most in Congress had at least some regard for our country.


62 posted on 03/24/2009 10:46:15 AM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: Alia
This is Main Street Thuggery.

The American Congress is beginning to resemble Africa's turmoil.

Well said and it's sickening this is happening in our great country. The patriots must unite and turn this around before it's too late.

63 posted on 03/24/2009 10:52:30 AM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion

My pleasure and this was an especially good piece by Dr. Sowell. I appreciate the links and will take advantage of them when I get caught up.


64 posted on 03/24/2009 10:57:22 AM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo
For me, this is the money line.

If members of Congress can't be bothered to read the laws they pass, then they have no basis for whipping up lynch mob outrage against people who did read the law and acted within the law.

It truly is a case of our country being great in spite of, and not because of, our elected officials.

65 posted on 03/24/2009 12:08:21 PM PDT by Sergio (If a tree fell on a mime in the forest, would he make a sound?)
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To: Sergio

I agree, Sergio. It reflects the sacifice of the many that care greatly about our fine country, the many that take up the slack for those that don’t.


66 posted on 03/24/2009 12:29:15 PM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: repubpub
" Just who in MA keeps punching his chad to get him elected into office time after time?"

The oak-tree seed.

67 posted on 03/24/2009 12:54:42 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: jazusamo
I wonder if we might interpret the bonus "scandal" by making the following substitutions:

1. For "AIG Executive Bonuses" read "Reichstags fire."

2. For the bonus recipients, substitute "Marinus van der Lubbe" (the dutch communist framed for the arson)

3. For the busloads of Acorn activists being transported around to hold "boisterous" (i.e., borderline violent) demonstrations at AIG offices, substitute Sturmabteilung (aka the SA).

Any one see the resemblance?

BTW - If the analogy holds, Acorn members might want to read up on the events of June 30 to July 2, 1934 -- the period also known as The Night of the Long Knives.

68 posted on 03/24/2009 9:10:01 PM PDT by NJ_Tom (Who ever though that Kenya would be the next nuclear power?)
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To: NJ_Tom

I hear you and if Acorn people can read they should think long and hard about it.


69 posted on 03/24/2009 9:23:42 PM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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