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Life Cycle of a Democracy

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury. From that time on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the results that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.  The average age of the world's great civilizations has been 200 years.

These nations have progressed through this sequence:
from bondage to spiritual faith
from spiritual faith to great courage
from courage to liberty
from liberty to abundance
from abundance to selfishness
from selfishness to complacency
from complacency to apathy
from apathy to dependency
from dependency back to bondage.
-- Alexander Fraser Tytler (1742-1813)

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CHRYSLER


Important Announcement to all Chrysler Customers

In these difficult economic times, it is important to have peace of mind when
making a significant purchase, like a new car or truck. At Chrysler, we are happy
to inform our customers that on Monday, March 30th, President Obama
announced a plan to provide a government backed "Warranty Commitment
Program".

In summary, the key points from the President's announcement are:

• Government backing of warranty starts with vehicles purchased on or after
March 30, 2009.
• The program will cover the participating manufacturer's warranty on every
new car sold during the company's restructuring period.
• If you buy a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle during this restructuring
period you will be eligible.
• You do not have to do anything to receive the U.S. commitment to your
warranty, it is automatic.
• The U.S. Treasury will back your warranty, and will commit to honoring the
warranty in the event that the manufacturer cannot.
Today Chrysler has the best quality in its 84 year history. 73% of our vehicles
have improved fuel efficiency over the past year. There has never been a better
time than today to purchase a Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle.

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I will never ever buy another GM or Chrysler

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Obama's Own Report on GM Says Plan to Build Non-Gas-Burning Car Would Not Save Company
Thursday, April 02, 2009
By Matt Cover

The report on General Motors released by the White House says the company’s restructuring plan will not lead to a stronger company, in part because the beleaguered auto giant’s proposal to rely more heavily on advanced, fuel-efficient cars is not commercially viable.  (I know, it's the White House talking, not Obama)

The report’s findings stand in stark contrast with the President’s chief goal for America’s auto industry: leading the world in green car production.

“I am absolutely committed to working with Congress and the auto companies to meet one goal:  The United States of America will lead the world in building the next generation of clean cars,” Obama declared  CNS News

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Lawrence Summers, a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama, pulled in more than $2.7 million in speaking fees paid by firms at the heart of the financial crisis, including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America Corp. and the now-defunct Lehman Brothers.

He pulled in another $5.2 million from D.E. Shaw, a hedge fund for which he served as managing director from October 2006 until joining the administration.

Thomas E. Donilon, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, was paid $3.9 million by the power law firm O’Melveny & Myers to represent clients including two firms that receieved federal bailout funds: Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. He also disclosed that he’s a member of the Trilateral Commission and sits on the steering committee of the supersecret Bilderberg group. Both groups are favorite targets of conspiracy theorists.

And White House Counsel Greg Craig earned $1.7 million in private practice representing an exiled Bolivian president, a Panamanian lawmaker wanted by the U.S. government for allegedly murdering a U.S. soldier and a tech billionaire accused of securities fraud and various sensational drug and sex crimes.

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Close the revolving door on former and future employers:
No political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointee will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration.

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While Mr. Obama campaigned on a pledge to restrict lobbyists from working in the White House, a step intended to reduce any influence between the administration and corporations, the ban did not apply to former executives like Mr. Summers, who was not a registered lobbyist. In 2006, he became a managing director of D. E. Shaw, a firm that manages about $30 billion in assets, making it one of the biggest hedge funds in the world.

“Dr. Summers was not an adviser to or an employee of the firms that paid him to speak,” Mr. LaBolt said.

He added, “Of course, since joining the White House, he has complied with the strictest ethics rules ever required of appointees and will not work on specific matters to which D. E. Shaw is a party for two years.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/us/politics/04disclose.html?ref=us

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But there's more than just Lynn. The administration's handling of other former lobbyists provides further evidence that the promise has been broken:

* In some cases, the White House apparently has decided that former lobbyists don't need waivers at all. If the former lobbyists simply recuse themselves from discussions concerning whatever interest it is for which they used to lobby, then that suffices.

* Recusals appear to have even less documentation than waivers. We have yet to see a recusal "order," despite having asked the White House for them. We know there are at least two recusals; there may be more. We're not sure how recusals specifically differ from waivers because the White House has said little about the policy.

* The White House is not prompt about releasing the waivers. For two nominees who didn't require Senate approval, waivers were released weeks after they were signed and after the people took their positions. These two waivers were also substantially less detailed than the waiver issued for Lynn.

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What part did I leave out?    I quoted Obumbler's web site--in full.