Is U.S. Now On Slippery Slope To Tyranny?

[bytor2112]

We need a Joe Barton that speaks the truth....without the public apology.

Just where in the Constitution of the United States does it say that a president has the authority to extract vast sums of money from a private enterprise and distribute it as he sees fit to whomever he deems worthy of compensation? Nowhere.

[talisyn]

Behold, the power of suggestion. To be honest it would have been a more effective PR coup if it was BP that offered that vast amount of money. One of the president's obligations is to be diplomatic. Somehow I don't see Pres. Obama calling in a couple of tough guys to shake down BP, he's much more subtle.

Sorry Bytor, I've watched the clip a few times and I just don't see it how you see it. I would have more respect for Sen. Barton if he had stuck to his first apology, at least that one was sincere

[Just_A_Guy]

It is not Obama directly that threatens tyranny; it is a disproportionately strong executive branch. That is Bush's (and Reagan's, and Johnson's, and FDR's) fault as much as Obama.

I'm a little disappointed in Sowell's playing the Hitler card in his column. Hitler's activities were geared towards gaining and keeping power for himself. Much as I despise the current President, I don't think he will barricade himself in the White House on January 20, 2013 (or, heaven forbid, 2017).

With regard to BP: as head of the Department of Justice, the President is well within his rights to negotiate a settlement. But the funny thing about a settlement is that one of its terms is that you forego the right to future litigation. The President has not done that--he's extracted payment now, has made it abundantly clear that he will seek further payment later, and basically said (explicitly or implicitly) that life is going to get very unpleasant for BP if they put up a fight. That's a shakedown.

Given that BP's impending bankruptcy seems to be a foregone conclusion in many quarters--and perhaps even a goal of the Administration--if I were running BP I'd be sorely tempted to just file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy tomorrow, turn BP's assets and equipment over to the feds, and let them handle the cleanup.

[marshac]

It is not Obama directly that threatens tyranny; it is a disproportionately strong executive branch. That is Bush's (and Reagan's, and Johnson's, and FDR's) fault as much as Obama.

I honestly don't think it was as much Bush as it was Cheney- he was the real bulldog behind the scenes.

[Moksha]

We need a Joe Barton that speaks the truth....without the public apology.

Good point, I think all true Republicans should stand up for British Petroleum at this time. Corporate responsibility has to go for the good of the industry.

[Just_A_Guy]

Good point, I think all true Republicans should stand up for British Petroleum at this time. Corporate responsibility has to go for the good of the industry.

Moksha, you don't excuse rape just because the victim was known to be a loose woman.

Sometimes wrong is just wrong; and it is possible to take a position based on what's right/wrong regardless of your personal animosities towards one party or the other.

In fact, we have a whole judicial system based on that principle. A system that President Obama is doing his darnedest to exclude from the equation.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Just_A_Guy

[Moksha]

Moksha, you don't excuse rape just because the victim was known to be a loose woman.

But can we excuse rape because the rapist was only exuding 60,000 gallons of oil per day into the Gulf waters?

[Just_A_Guy]

No, and no one has advocated that we should. Nice straw man, though.

The material questions are,

• Why does your narcissist of a President think he's the only one who can assign criminal or civil liability?
• Why does your narcissist of a President think he's even allowed to assign criminal or civil liability under a Constitution whose content he taught for years?
• Why do you think the federal court system established by the United States Constitution isn't good enough (or too good) for BP?
• If Constitutional protections do not apply to BP just because the entire Western world is torqued off at them right now, then doesn't that betray liberal pontificating about the "constitutionality" of gay rights, affirmative action, citizenship for illegals, War on Terror, ad infinitum as just so much partisan claptrap with little-to-no basis in Constitutional law or theory?

Edited June 23, 2010 by Just_A_Guy

[bytor2112]

Why does your narcissist of a President think he's even allowed to assign criminal or civil liability under a Constitution whose content he taught for years?

As a guest lecturer.................and what exactly did he "teach" ?

[dorave]

Funny how People dismiss opinions when Hitler and Nazism are used as examples in the modern day, its like bagging someone who believes in Santa Claus, but unlike Santa Claus, Hitler was real. And nobody is to say Hitler cannot happen today or futures times.

[Voyager]

Power corrupts. I wonder if the spirits of The Gadiantan Robbers still roam the earth.

[HoosierGuy]

Joe Barton and his kind seem to worship Wall Street and big money more and more. It's rather disgusting and sick. They always have to let their masters know they are for them and not the individual Americans.

[Hemidakota]

Funny how People dismiss opinions when Hitler and Nazism are used as examples in the modern day, its like bagging someone who believes in Santa Claus, but unlike Santa Claus, Hitler was real. And nobody is to say Hitler cannot happen today or futures times.

Exactly...

[Hemidakota]

Joe Barton and his kind seem to worship Wall Street and big money more and more. It's rather disgusting and sick. They always have to let their masters know they are for them and not the individual Americans.

Perhaps, this is Joe's god? Money and five seconds of telestial fame!

[FunkyTown]

And Godwin's Law is invoked again.

Funny how People dismiss opinions when Hitler and Nazism are used as examples in the modern day, its like bagging someone who believes in Santa Claus, but unlike Santa Claus, Hitler was real. And nobody is to say Hitler cannot happen today or futures times.

[Dravin]

And Godwin's Law is invoked again.

Funky, if we can't compare political figures and agendas to Hitler and Nazis (I prefer Uncle Joe and Communists personally, they killed more people) then the terrorists have won! I for one support our constitutional right to make clumsy attempts at pathetic appeal!

If you hate America so much maybe you should just leave it.

*checks Funky's location*

That was fast.

[Just_A_Guy]

Funny how People dismiss opinions when Hitler and Nazism are used as examples in the modern day, its like bagging someone who believes in Santa Claus, but unlike Santa Claus, Hitler was real. And nobody is to say Hitler cannot happen today or futures times.

Dorave, do you really think Obama will launch a coup if/when he is voted out of power?

Really?

[Just_A_Guy]

Joe Barton and his kind seem to worship Wall Street and big money more and more. It's rather disgusting and sick. They always have to let their masters know they are for them and not the individual Americans.

My dear HoosierGuy, I would take that any day over those who worship at the altar of vigilantism and class envy.

They're just two facets of the same fundamental character flaw--greed.

[MarginOfError]

Dorave, do you really think Obama will launch a coup if/when he is voted out of power?

Really?

Of course he will. Why else would he be calling General McChrystal back home...they're plotting the take over as we speak! What else would you expect from the most elaborate and complicated conspiracy of all time?

[Dravin]

Of course he will. Why else would he be calling General McChrystal back home...they're plotting the take over as we speak! What else would you expect from the most elaborate and complicated conspiracy of all time?

This has been in motion much longer than we've suspected.

Step 1: Obama master minds 9/11 to create two wars with two purposes:

* Train the Army, both National Guard and Regular in fighting insurgencies.

* Influence combat missions to cull the ranks of those not loyal to him (Someone has read the Book of Samuel)

Step 2: Uses influence within DoD to stymie the wars dragging them out:

* This creates political discontent

* Further increases deficit

Step 3: Campaigns on platform of change.

* Once in office pretends incompetence and weak leadership skills.

* Creates depression to further create discontent and weaken his opponents funding, uses stimulus package as bribery to both cement his allies support and convince others to join his plan.

* Depression also increases distrust between citizens and illegal who they accuse of taking their jobs. This is fanned by Obama's double agent conservative pundits crying about illegal immigration.

* Manufactures scandal between him and most trusted ally to throw people off his scent.

Step 4a: Wins next election and further cements power.

Step 4b: Looses Election/End of Second Term he calls the military home.

* Under guise of reconciliation and to become popular with the troops General McChrystal shoots up the DoD hierarchy with Obama's blessing.

Step 5: Having left the Mexican border unsecured (and having secretly supported Arizona's new immigration laws) he hires Mexican mercenaries dressed as Mexican Army troops to attack border towns in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Step 6: Declares Martial Law, suspends elections due to the critical situation, and installs himself as dictator for life.

How did I not see it before!

Edited June 23, 2010 by Dravin

[MarginOfError]

The one thing he hasn't considered, however, is that there will be a line of men in white shirts and suit coats who line up against the army. They will cripple the US military by singing loudy (and very off key) "Ye Elders of Israel." The coup will surrender just to make the noise stop, and the White Horse Prophecy will be fulfilled.

[Dravin]

The one thing he hasn't considered, however, is that there will be a line of men in white shirts and suit coats who line up against the army. They will cripple the US military by singing loudy (and very off key) "Ye Elders of Israel." The coup will surrender just to make the noise stop, and the White Horse Prophecy will be fulfilled.

You forgot the scourge of Lime Jello Salad that will rain down from the sky like fire and brimstone, but otherwise that's pretty accurate.

[MarginOfError]

You forgot the scourge of Lime Jello Salad that will rain down from the sky like fire and brimstone, but otherwise that's pretty accurate.

You must be mistaken. I can't imagine the True God of Israel using an environmentalist color. He'd use an assortment of red white and blue jellos.

[Dravin]

You must be mistaken. I can't imagine the True God of Israel using an environmentalist color. He'd use an assortment of red white and blue jellos.

Green = Money = Greed.

It's like quail, they'll be fed what they crave and murmur for to their own destruction.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Dravin

[MarginOfError]

Green = Money = Greed.

It's like quail, they'll be fed what they crave and murmur for to their own destruction.