The Government Shouldn't Own Companies

By Rich Kozlovich

There's been a lot of talk by Trump talking up how the federal government took a 10% equity stake in Intel via an agreement "converting nearly $9 billion in previous federal grants into Intel stock to secure a "passive but enduring financial stake" and boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing."  

Passive financial stake?  Ya just gotta be kidden me.  This is the same government who under the Obama/Biden administrations bullied banks into debanking American citizens because of their political or religious views, and Trump was one of them they attacked. 

When was it ever determined grant money was intended to be converted into stock ownership?  Grants are gifts, and while considered an investment in the nation's future, they're still gifts, not financial investments, and unless there was an agreement to the contrary before granting that money, this is extortion. 

First, I've resented the billions and billions of dollars these bureaucrats threw away on grants to academia, NGO's, and private companies, mostly done to promote far left agendas.  But I really resent them giving money to private companies, in effect picking winners and losers, many of which became losers as did all those green energy companies Obama threw away billions when they went bankrupt. 

And I resent it more when the federal government becomes an owner in these companies, who will find ways to destroy those competing with them, and have no doubt, that's exactly what will happen, if not immediately, most certainly down the road, and the destruction of competition leads to complacency and a huge lack of innovation. 

Does anyone really believe the bureaucrat representing the federal government on their board of directors, and make no mistake, there will be an appointed bureaucrat on their board, won't be forcing political decisions versus financial decisions? 

Now we're finding the Pentagon wants to play the same game with defense contractors, and it's being called Trump’s right wing socialism, and I think rightly so.

For decades, the American right and the Republican Party held themselves up as the defenders of individual citizens, corporations, and state and local governments against intrusive control from Washington. But where Ronald Reagan joked that the nine most terrifying words in the English language were I’m from the government, and I’m here to help, Trump’s credo is “I’m from the government, and I’m here to take over.” The debate in America is no longer about whether socialism can gain a foothold. It’s whether the socialism that dominates will be progressive or right-wing.

Trump has said he would happily make the same kind of deal he made with Intel, "all day long",  and if he was making that kind of deal as a private businessman I'd laud him.  Making that kind of deal with private company, and wanting to do more of them is a dangerously slippery slope.    

Definition leads to clarity, and this is socialism, and it's dangerous.