Bob Burnett: Bush's Recession, Rooted in Self-Interest

"While George Bush ran for President as a born-again Christian and "compassionate conservative," his behavior indicated he was guided not by the principles of Jesus but rather by a narcissistic morality of personal advantage. While making a revealing documentary about the 2000 Bush campaign, filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi asked the candidate why she should vote for him; Bush replied. "It's in your interests." Pelosi observed, "He didn't push my country's interest - but rather, my own." Bush's primary consideration was what's in it for me?

As President, Bush conflated his personal interests - strengthening his power - with those of the United States and political considerations governed all White House decisions. In late 2001, after leaving his appointment as head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, John DiLulio observed: "There is no precedent in any modern White House for what is going on in this one: a complete lack of a policy apparatus. What you've got is everything, and I mean everything, being run by the political arm." 

Presidential decisions were determined by the toxic alchemy of power and greed. Major legislative initiatives - energy and healthcare - were written by corporate lobbyists to benefit their interests at the expense of average Americans. And the President's self-centered attitude influenced both Main Street and Wall Street."

And speaking of Main Street and Wall Street... From The Seminal.com's "When Corporations Get Too Large":

"Imagine if a locally-owned five and dime store hit hard times because a Wal-Mart moved into town and undercut all its business. Would the government rush in and bail it out? Of course not! That would put maybe a dozen people out of work, and it would be chalked up to the realities of doing business. We like to glorify small businesses, but we’re also used to them coming and going with regularity. 

But just imagine if Wal-Mart was in trouble. What if they were in the position that the Big 3 auto makers are in today? Do you think they’d be allowed to fail? Do you really think the government would let the corporation that represents 1.6 million employees, 13% of the nation’s productivity, and 20% of all US grocery sales go under? Not a chance! They’d have no choice but to prop up a company that has made itself indispensable through its sheer size.

The government has no choice. But we, as consumers do. The often untold beauty of the capitalist system is that it depends on the choice of the consumer. And if we are collectively aware enough, we can see the danger in letting corporations get too big, and we can prevent it. We can refuse to give our money to the largest corporations. I call this practice 'Shopping Small.'"

The government has the same choice as the consumer, to let the failed business simply fail. It's the attitude of "I want mine" amongst the hyena cabal and its interests that are ultimately undermining Us.