| | Not yet, but probably getting close.
"In the name of the general welfare," read Wesley Mouch, "to protect the people's security, to achieve full equality and total stability, it is decreed for the duration of the national emergency that--"
- Haven't declared an official state of emergency yet, but I think it might be on the horizon.
"Point One. All workers, wage earners and employees of any kind whatsoever shall henceforth be attached to their jobs and shall not leave nor be dismissed nor change employment, under penalty of a term in jail."
-Nearly all of the bailout companies are cutting workforce. I can easily see some kind of executive order regulating employment policy, possibly with some sort of punitive fine for non-compliance.
"Point Two. All industrial, commercial, manufacturing and business establishments of any nature whatsoever shall henceforth remain in operation, and the owners of such establishments shall not quit nor leave nor retire, nor close, sell or transfer their business, under pentalty of the nationalization of their establishment and of any and all of their property.
-Might be regulated in a similar manner to point one. If anything like this was implemented, I would expect more corporate jargon and soft pedaling. We've started this already with "Businesses too big to fail" followed by "The American people are now part owners of X"
"Point Three. All patents and copyrights, pertaining to any devices, inventions, formulas, processes and works of any nature whatsoever, shall be turned over to the nation as a patriotic emergency gift by means of Gift Certificates to be signed voluntarily by the owners of all such patents and copyrights. The Unification Board shall then license the use of such patents and copyrights to all applicants, equally and without discrimination, for the purpose of eliminating monopolistic practices, discarding obsolete products and making the best available to the whole nation. No trademarks, brand names or copyrighted titles shall be used. Every formerly patented product shall be known by a new name and sold by all manufacturers under the same name, such name to be selected by the Unification Board. All private trademarks and brand names are hereby abolished."
-Don't think this will happen, at least to individuals. Its possible the gov't could move on corporate patents through aggressive interpretation of the gov't's "stake" in bailout companies. If "we" own part of the company now (with the gov't as our spokesman of course) then "we" own part of the companies property, including patents.
"Point Four. No new devices, inventions, products, or goods of any nature whatsoever, not now on the market, shall be produced, invented, manufacturerd or sold afer the date of this directive. The Office of Patents and Copyrights is hereby suspended."
-This will never overtly happen I think. The resources and drive to innovate will simply be crushed inadvertently.
"Point Five. Every establishment, concern, corporation or person engaged in production of any nature whatsoever shall henceforth produce the same amount of goods per year as it, they or he produced during the Basic Year, no more and no less. The year to be known as the Basic or Yardstick Year is to be the year ending on the date of this directive. Over or under production shall be fined, such fines to be determined by the Unification Barod."
-I doubt it, but I wouldn't be suprised to see some sort of quota system implemented regarding bailout companies.
"Point Six. Every person of any age, sex, class or income, shall henceforth spend the same amount of money on the purchase of goods per year as he or she spent during the Basic Year, no more and no less. Over or under purchasing shall be fined, such fines to be determined by the Unification Board."
-Same as point 4.
"Point Seven. All wages, prices, salaries, dividends, profits, interest rates and forms of income of any nature whatsoever, shall be frozen at their present figures, as of the date of this directive."
-Trial balloons for salary regulation have already been sent up.
"Point Eight. All cases arising from and rules not specifically provided for in this directive, shall be settled and determined by the Unification Board, whose decisionswill be final."
-Anti-trust law comes to mind.
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