The current crisis facing General Motors, is nearly a mirror image of the situation facing the United States of America. GM was founded in 1908 and has grown to be the worlds largest auto maker employing roughly 266,000 employees. Originally founded as a car company, whose sole purpose was to manufacture automobiles, GM recently has branched off into other ventures.
The government of the United States of America was founded in 1776 and its Constitution ratified in 1787. For awhile it led the world in promoting individual liberty, freedom, and prosperity. Originally founded as a protector of individual rights and administrator of national defense of its sovereign states, the government of the USA has branched off into other ventures.
GM employees formed the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) in 1935 due in part to a philosophical difference with the management of GM. Namely, management viewed the company as a means to produce cars to make money. The UAW saw the company as a means to provide a job. Indeed, the UAW formed the Job Bank program in 1984 which currently pays 12,000 UAW members to do nothing, seriously, nothing at all.
The people of the United States of America began to change the nature of their government due to a philosophical difference with the founders of the Constitution. Namely, the founders viewed the Constitution as a means to protect individual liberty, provide the common defense of the states, and limit oppressive government. The people disregarded the constitution (especially in 1913), and saw the government as a means to provide for not only the common defense, but also due the following: (1) provide and maintain full employment for all citizens, (2) secure agricultural prosperity, (3) develop a national housing program, (4) underwrite hundreds of billions of dollars in private loans and private insurance programs, (5) administer a national welfare program, (6) administer a national Medicare and Medicaid program, (7) administer a social security program, (8) allocate billions of dollars for educating the young, (8) administer a network of health agencies, (9) administer an environmental protection program for the entire nation, (10) administer 40% of the nations land area and its resources, (11) regulate all major industries such as steel, automobile manufacturing, coal mining, oil production, metal mining, and so forth, (12) supervise all radio and television broadcasting, (13) monitor the manufacturing and distribution of food and drugs, (14) create federal programs on a regional basis to replace the powers and activities originally reserved to the sovereign states.[1]
Comedian Argus Hamilton recently made the following joke: "The United Auto Workers said Saturday they won't make any concessions on wages or benefits to help the Big Three [auto makers]. First things first. Investors are just starting to realize that General Motors is a health care provider that makes cars on the side."
The people of the United States recently perpetuated the following joke: the idea that electing either a Democrat or a Republican to congress or the executive branch will provide any real change. Unfortunately, the people are not realizing that the government of the United States is infiltrating every aspect of their lives and is throwing the concepts of individual liberty, national defense, and limited government into an abyss.
[1] Skousen, W. Cleon. "The Making of America". p.508-9
4 comments:
I really think you should add a national debt clock to your blog. It seems appropriate to me that if I have to live within my means, the gov't ought to also. We can only afford so much before our carefully laid house of cards will collapse in on us. Then what do we do?
Enlightening comparison.
I added the national debt clock as you suggested Jaimon. Thanks for the idea.
I love the clock!!! Way to put things in perspective!!!
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