Rule of Law Takes a Back Seat

This video from WSJ.com is a month old now, but the discussion still applies to everything the Obama administration is doing now. The commentators discuss how the administration is strong-arming California to sweep away bipartisan legislation for state budget cuts in favor of a union. To this, Dan Henninger said "they are trampling the idea of federalism." Then they discuss how the administration and the Democrat-controlled Congress are ignoring Article 1 of the Constitution and bankruptcy law precedent by placing the UAW's claims above those of Chrysler's preferred creditors. Henninger said, paraphrasing, that the Obama administration considers the rule of law just one issue on the table equal to social justice and the public good, that it often has to take a back seat to those considerations, and that they consider this a "legitimate theory of operating the government." Shaking his head, he said that if the courts uphold these actions, "then we're living under a new system." Indeed.

My one gripe is that, though one of them did mention property rights, they didn't take the next necessary step and discuss how the administration's actions constitute a fundamental violation of individual rights and that the "new system" we'll soon be living under is full-blown fascism. As Ayn Rand said, "Under fascism, men retain the semblance or pretense of private property, but the government holds total power over its use and disposal."