What About You

For those not familiar with Benito Mussolini, he was the Prime Minister of Italy from 1922 through WWII. His official title was "His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism, and Founder of the Empire". Mussolini, the founder of Italian fascism, described fascism as "the bureaucratization of the economic activities of the nation."[1] Bureaucratization is when a government gets involved in the "administrative structure of any large organization, public or private" such as a bank, school, or auto company. Simply put, if the economic decision making of any business is being influenced, manipulated or dictated internally by the federal government it is fascist in nature.

With the Federal bailouts of US banks and Automobile companies, are we beginning to witness a shift in the US economy away from capitalism?  


So What's Coming...

In recent months there have been many references to what is being called the "New Economy" or "Green Economy".  This could be the vehicle by which the U. S. economy will be radically bureaucized by the federal government.  In the past, human innovation and demand sparked economic expansion.  This "New Economy" however, seems to be one that is grown by government manipulation and creating a desperation to find work.  

...Next?

As the job market in the United States worsens, the main solutions offered by Washington will consist of "Green Jobs".  These Green Jobs will come with all kinds of government incentives, funding and support.  On the surface all will look well. The unemployment rate will go down and people will be back to work.  When you dig down a little deeper though, you'll find that these "Green Jobs" which were created to expand the "New Economy" are tentacled with government influence.  Legislation will determine what types of products companies can produce and what types of products consumers can buy.  Some of this will happen directly though product banning or legislative stipulations based upon receiving government monies.   Other products will be banned indirectly through heavy taxation.

In the end, it could be a day like this one when the bureaucratization takes place.  And when it does just remember... it was Mussolini who said it, not me.

[1] - Mussolini, Benito; Schnapp, Jeffery Thompson (ed.); Sears, Olivia E. (ed.); Stampino, Maria G. (ed.). "Address to the National Corporative Council (14 November 1933) and Senate Speech on the Bill Establishing the Corporations (abridged; 13 January 1934)". A Primer of Italian Fascism. University of Nebraska Press, 2000. Pp. 158-159.