Government power run amok

"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”
-President Gerald Ford

Citizens of this great nation should seriously consider the ramifications of President Obama’s order today that limits executive compensation for companies that take federal bailout money to $500,000 per year. In reality, the order goes further, placing limits on “any expenditures related to aviation services, office and facility renovations, entertainment and holiday parties, and conferences and events.”

Doubtlessly, many readers will applaud the action. Who doesn’t like to see “greedy” CEO’s get theirs?

In reality, the government has no business dictating business practices of private companies.

But companies that accepted the bailouts gave up their right to run their business as they see fit. Now they must operate under the dictates of bureaucrats that have no clue about their business and no consideration for the market factors influencing their operation – dictates based on arbitrary feel-good notions of fairness.

Therein lies the lesson. When we look to the government to solve our problems, we grant them the power to interfere in our lives as they see fit. We may gain a modicum of security, but we have traded our liberty.

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
-Benjamin Franklin

Keep this in mind as we march toward more and more government intervention in the economy. Keep this in mind as we nationalize our healthcare system. We may get “free” insurance, but we will also invite the government to tell us what we can and can’t eat, how many kids we can have and what medical procedures we are allowed to undergo.

I for one am not willing to make that trade off.