The huge-er government gets - the greater its ability to deliver cronyism goodies. The bigger the wallet government has - the larger the regulatory hammer it wields - the more Crony Socialism it can dispense.
Remember when President Barack Obama said this?
The Obama Administration is excellent at both. The punishing:
IRS Targets Conservative Groups
Obama Administration Targets Fox News Reporter in 'Chilling' Echo of AP Probe
Obama Administration Targets Coal with Controversial Emissions Regulations
And the rewarding:
80% of DOE Green Energy Loans Went to Obama Backers
How Obama's Justice Department Selectively Blocked A Merger By Republican CEOs
Obama???s Auto Bailout Was Really a Hefty Union Payoff
US Diplomats Cry Foul as Obama Donors Take Over Top Embassy Jobs
Often there are moments of Crony Socialist harmonic convergence. When government can reward friends - while simultaneously punishing enemies.
Take, for instance, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)???s latest auction of spectrum - the airwaves we use for all things wireless.
Big Money in ???Small???-Business Preferences
DISH Network???s brazen abuse of the Federal Communications Commission???s incentives for small businesses at a recent spectrum auction ??? to the tune of $3 billion, at taxpayers??? expense ??? was enough to make even a Dickensian villain squirm???.
Using multiple shell companies to qualify for ???designated entity??? (DE) discounts, DISH Network effectively shaved off more than $3 billion in payments???.
DE status is reserved for small businesses ??? not market behemoths like DISH Network.
How behemoth is DISH Network? About $34 billion. A little large for DE eligibility.
DE is Huge Government yet again trying to manipulate the marketplace - allegedly for good and noble purposes - and (shocker) failing miserably.
The DE program was created at Congress???s direction more than 20 years ago. It offers qualifying small companies a taxpayer-funded credit equal to 25 percent of the purchase price to help them compete against their larger counterparts when bidding for spectrum.
DISH got a heck of a deal. I wonder why?
The co-founder of broadcasting giant DISH Network was accused in a federal complaint last week of intimidating company executives into making political donations that largely went to Democratic causes.
Ahh - that???s why.
DISH's $3B in Auction Discounts 'Makes a Mockery' of AWS-3 Auction, FCC Official Says
Don???t get too excited - it was Republican Commissioner Ajit Pai who said that.
When government plays favorites - everyone else loses. When the Leviathan has its giant thumb on the scale - it is anything but fair.
DISH purchased spectrum on the crony cheap - that could have instead gone to any of the many other bidders. Many of whom are vocally opposed to many Administration power grab policies - including its recent Net Neutrality Internet takeover. One of whom - Verizon - successfully sued to undo the last Administration attempt at Net Neutrality imposition.
The Administration rewarding its friends - while punishing its enemies. The Crony Socialist twofer.
It???s way past time for Huge Government to stop trying to micro-manipulate the private sector. The ends never justify the means - and the intended ends are never met.
And it will take a Crony Socialist weapon out of the government???s vast arsenal.
Now that???s a twofer for the better.
