Obama's Coupe d'etat

By Joseph Farah

After yesterday's events, there can be only one conclusion about the goal of Barack Obama's administration – to destroy the U.S. economy, to transform it from one based on free enterprise to one directed by government.

In the last 48 hours, we've witnessed a presidential pretender fire the chief executive officer of General Motors and put a gun to the head of the Chrysler Corp., demanding that this U.S. business begin the process of selling out to a foreign automaker.

What do you call it when Obama makes moves to take over the auto industry? A coupe d'etat.

But it is hardly a joking matter.

Do you realize what just happened?

How does a president fire a CEO?

If Obama can fire the head of a troubled, but legendary corporation like GM and then order its business plan to be rewritten according to his wishes, presidential power has become unlimited. We no longer live in the United States of America that is guided by a Constitution based on the limited power of government. We live in a tyranny, and we're all subject to the whims of one man.

I have news for you, though: If Obama calls for my resignation as CEO of WND, he needs to know he can have my business when he pries it from my cold, dead fingers.

What's going on in this country? Has everyone gone mad? Are we all suffering from a new form of collective Alzheimer's disease? Have we forgotten our roots, our heritage of freedom, our constitutional foundations?

Obama said he has "no intention" of running General Motors. But he fired the CEO and demanded a "better business plan." Has he ever written a business plan? Has he ever seen one?

Of course, this is the trouble with bailouts. Would it not have been better to permit GM to die a dignified death than to be placed in the hands of community organizers?

Obama went on to say he doesn't want GM and Chrysler to become "wards of the state." When someone or something becomes a "ward of the state," by definition, the state gets custody. That's exactly where these automakers are now. They are in the custody of the state. Where exactly can they go from here? Does anyone really believe the government will ever let go and allow these businesses to operate as businesses?

There's a name for this kind of government direction of what have traditionally been private corporations. It's called "fascism." Look it up. This is what Mussolini did. It's what Hitler did with what had been a "private sector" in Germany. Just think Volkswagen. Hitler was the impetus behind what we call "the bug." Volkswagen literally means "people's car."

But what does the community organizer in chief know about the car business? What does he know about any kind of business, for that matter? The arrogance of these actions is mind-boggling.

He's even sending mixed signals – suggesting he does not even know or care about the ultimate outcome. For instance, he said the companies involved and the government might have to consider "using our bankruptcy code" to help in the restructuring he demands. At the same time, he says he will not require the companies to immediately repay government loan money that would force them into Chapter 11.

It's like directed chaos – which is why I say it is becoming more obvious all the time that the goal is to destroy rather than save or build a viable economy.

He's not a commander in chief. He's a destroyer in chief.

I really believe he wants to bring on a depression.

Remember what his chief of staff said: "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."

It seems like Obama is determined to make the most of the nation's serious crisis – perhaps by making it even more serious, thereby expanding the opportunity.

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