Next I suppose the Reichstag burns.  Monday morning I telephoned a friend I can best describe as an old style Robert Taft Republican.  My friend is a World War Two era American, a retired businessman and long politically active.  He isn’t politically correct.  He’s fuming about the proposed rescue of Wall Street.  “I’ll be the last Jap fighting from the cave”, were Billy’s words.  I hear him.  He represents a sense of fair play, which no longer exists in this country.  Conservatives who believe in free markets don’t believe in robber baron capitalism. 

What happened in this country the last two weeks is that a revolution occurred and not a shot was fired.  A President elected with the support of friends like Billy began a headlong rush into socialism.  It’s what it’s called when industries are nationalized.  You must remember only select industries will be saved.  Some will be allowed to wither.  There is a historical precedent.  It was called National Socialism.  It was better known in shorthand as Nazi.  It favored Krupp, Farber and Mengele.  Businesses not on the party bandwagon were sent to the ash heap.  Owners and workers in some cases literally became ashes. 

There isn’t any longer representative government.  Posting the corporate welfare bill hours prior to a vote leaves us out of the debate.  Billy told me this morning there are provisions for government assumption of health and pension responsibility for American automobile workers.  Your Social Security benefits may not survive the next decade but you’ll fulfill the broken promises of big industry.

How bad can things get without a government rescue?  Are you telling me there isn’t a floor for all the bad paper?  Someone will come in at some point and pick up the pieces.  Economic cycle pretty much explains what’s taking place.  Season’s change, some days it rains and sometimes you bite the bullet. 

I watched a lot of college football over the weekend in search of an escape.  I didn’t catch much professional ball Sunday.    Sunday I was at the Sussex County Republican picnic.  Let me tell you, the food and company was great but there was a lot of talk about the economy.  Sunday morning I’d talked with an old friend from childhood and she told me back home the conversation is one people can’t avoid.  It’s the same everywhere.  My Sunday evening closed at a crab festival and there was much the same.  When I finished bashing steamed animals with wooden hammers I walked to the street.  The rain had stopped after a four-day drenching.  It was uncomfortably steamy outside.  September, until last week, had been unusually cool and dry.  Tuesday morning I walked the beach and it was windy and rain unexpectedly popped up and drenched me. 

Then Sunday night the street was filled with late season tourists walking the still wet sidewalks.  The street lamps were reflecting off the pavement.  And there was mainly silence from the passersby.

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