I have been silent, thus far, on the issue of the multi-million dollar AIG bonuses that has upset the entire population, government and markets.

I have, from the beginning, felt that we should be upset.  We should be outraged.  Morally indignant.

But NOT because a few executives received retention bonuses.

We should be outraged that, in a society of free men who uphold the principles of liberty against tyranny, very few people have stood up to defend AIG employee's rights to have their bonuses.  It is a fundamental, constitutionally-protected right.

I am so uplifted and proud of Jake DeSantis, the Executive Vice-President at AIG's financial products unit.  He wrote a letter to his cowardice boss, Mr. Edward Liddy (CEO of AIG).  In this resignation letter, DeSantis excoriated Liddy's decision to throw his empoyees to the wolves in Congress by not defending the bonuses and fighting for his employees' rights to safety from government retribution. 

When the government and Leftists labeled successful men as "greedy bankers", the AIG CEO and others should have fought against that propaganda.  Aided by conservatives, and perhaps a few Republicans, AIG and the companies that have produced wealth for hundreds of millions of Americans should be arguing their case:  That it is precisely the Leftists and the government, who produce no wealth yet ALWAYS find ways to take it, who are greedy.

Who is greedy?  The man who works for his living, or steals for it?

But there are no effective protests or roadblocks to government tinkering in the lives of free men.  No outrage that the engines of our economy are under assault by the heavy hand of Leftists.  At the moment AIG accepted the government's "favors" through bailout funds, the ground below AIG's feet became quicksand.  It was only a matter of time before the government demanded more intervention in the company's affairs. 

And AIG happily stood in the quicksand.  And by association, AIG then pulled other companies into the same miserable existence.  Half free, watching their companies and their family's safety being swallowed by government intervention.  And AIG was half covered in slime, too dirty with the filth of political favoritism to be able to claw their way out.

In this new era of government dominance over every facet of our lives and every economic engine of our economy, the insurance, banking and mortgage industries, like AIG, are being asked to cannibalize themselves.  By accepting the government into your bed, you accept the cold hand of government bureaucrats like Barney Frank and Chuck Schumer.

And now, with the government closing behind it, AIG will soon become a lifeless government entity.  Like Medicare.  Like Social Security.  It will become a problem that you and I, and our children's children, will pay for.  It will become a tool that corrupt government officials will use to line their own pockets.

Apart from the frothing frenzy that includes threats of death to children, the worst outcome of this sad satire is that AIG has allowed itself to be used as a tool to destroy capitalism.  Leftists are eager to proclaim the death of the only system that protects our personal freedom, and that can protect families from physical reprecussions of mob rule. 

AIG's lack of moral courage to stand against government intervention will eventually be used against all free men.  President Obama has just announced that he wants the power to dictate to all companies how and why and where they can pay their top executives.  Understand:  These are not companies that have accepted bailout money.  This dictate will address all financial firms and possibly other private-sector companies. 

All this because AIG and others refused to understand simple reason:  That it had a moral obligation to it's own existence and survival.  That in order to exist and survive, it must not entangle itself with the government.  Survival and existence can only happen under freedom. 

AIG refused to acknowledge that governments only destroy things.  They steal wealth and ambition and achievements from men, for their own power.  That governments only TALK of social equality, justice and safety nets for it's citizens.

Tell me:  With the American government suggesting suicide and Congress promoting piano-wire-inspired death threats against the children of AIG employees...do you think this is what the government means when it offers us justice and safety nets?

Or can we, as Americans, face the reality of our government and it's zombie-like followers and say: My God, we are out of control.  But it is not the fault of bonuses.  We are out of control because we have traded control of our lives and our pursuit of happiness for ignorance and passivity.  We do not want the knowledge of the threat, we do not want to be conscious of the consequences of government control.  It's easier to cope with the chains of slavery than to struggle to be free.

I applaud Mr. DeSantis, and I respect the employees at AIG who will not give in to mob rule.  Please, AIG employees, know that there are Americans who understand what is happening to your freedoms and your families.  There are some Americans who know that after the government comes after you, they will be coming after us.  I, for one, will pray that the Grace of God will protect you and give you the strength to survive the onslaught of the federal government.

And I shudder to think of what the Founding Fathers would think of our country's cowardice.