In a televised speech on Tuesday Venezuela's oil minister Rafael Ramirez told workers they must support the president's socialist agenda or be suspected of conspiring against the revolution. (Forbes)

Ramirez warned workers that if they do not join the state-run unions or socialist community groups they would be fired from their jobs.  Further, Ramirez instructed the country's major oil company, PDVSA, to comply with Chavez's wishes to support social works projects and sell oil to China. (AP)

"By now there should not be one single counter-revolutionary left in the heart of the oil trade unions. We must stay on alert," Rafael Ramírez, the oil minister and head of PDVSA, said in [the] televised speech. (Guardian UK)

The Obama administration, along with Congress, is taking a decidedly similar path with American businesses.  Just as Chavez has been taking control of private industry such as food companies, electricity, telecommunications, media, steel and more, the United States has been taking control of the auto industry, banking, investments, etc.

Community organizations and unions such as the ACLU, SEIU, ACORN, UAW and others have enormous power and influence over their members, often securing millions of dollars in campaign contributions for elected officials.  Those elected officials are then lobbied heavily to produce legislation in favor of growing these organizations.  It's a form of the "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" game that has been all too prevalent in Washington as of late.

A congressional bill that is flying somewhat under the radar as the nation focuses on the Sotomayor confirmations, the death of Michael Jackson and the latest contestants kicked off So You Think You Can Dance, is the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, also known as Card Check.  Defined simply, this bill would allow unions to coerce employees to join the union by taking away their secret ballot, or be repeatedly harassed by union bosses.  More on the act here.

Chavez has openly discussed his pleasure with the Obama administration as it heads down a path to socialism.  Obama seems to be taking Chavez's play-by-play instructions seriously as he and congress attempt to overhaul health care insurance and completely take over the energy industry.

Americans take note: So goes Venezuela, the US is sure to follow.

The FDIC has given a negative review to a Massachusetts community bank with no delinquent loans or foreclosures on its books and no anticipated losses.  The "needs to improve" rating is a result of the bank being picky about lending, according to the FDIC's interest in the Community Reivestment Act.

Joseph Petrucelli, chief executive of East Bridgewater Savings since 1992, told the Boston Business Journal that his bank is "paranoid about credit quality."

Apparently that will get you a poor rating in the eyes of the FDIC.  The agency also faulted Petrucelli for not promoting the bank's loan products enough.  East Bridgewater Savings does not have a website and offers fixed rate mortgages.

In comparison to others in the lending business, EBS only made an average of 28 cents in loans per dollar deposited over the last five years while its banking competitors had a 90% average loan to deposit ratio, according to Fox News reports.  The bank also turned a profit last year of $87,000.

The rare "needs to improve" rating is a slap in the face to a bank that chose not to make risky loans at the strong suggestion of the federal government.  The Community Reinvestment Act is of 1977 is "intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound banking operations." as stated on the act's website.

The key words here are "consistent with safe and sound banking operations."  Petrucelli successfully navigated the banking collapse in this country by keep his bank safe and using sound banking procedures.  How is that worthy of a poor rating by the FDIC?

The CRA is a major part of why lending in this country is in such crisis.  In the late 1970's, U.S. banks began writing loans, and consequently writing off loans, to non-creditworthy customers as a result of the federal government strong-arming them into making poor business decisions.  The economic crisis that the Obama administration is so often pinning on former President George W. Bush has deep roots in the Carter years.  The practice of writing bad mortgages, loaning money to those who couldn't afford to pay it back, and catering to the whim of Congress is precisely why the American banking system is in trouble today.

A message to our corrupt politicians:  Leave our money alone.  Leave our businesses alone.  Stop punishing success.  Let capitalism work.

In another installment of the the government spend-a-thon, Obama is likely to sign into law another $410 billion spending bill called the Omnibus.  It has over 8,500 congressional earmarks.  Some examples of your federal tax dollar expenditures include:

22 facilities or organizations in Pennsylvania receiving $24,000 each for abstinence education and related services

Amtrack (the failing and nearly bankrupt railway company) will receive $1.5 billion in addition to the Intercity Passenger Rail grants totaling $90 million

Formosan Subterranean Termites Research, New Orleans, LA  $6,623,000

Honey Bee Lab in Weslaco, TX  $1,762,000

Termite Species in Hawaii research, Gainesville, FL  $130,000

Swine odor and manure management research, Ames, IL

Wild Rice research, St. Paul, MN

Center for Grape Genetics, Geneva, NY  $2,192,000

Alternative uses for tobacco, MD $280,000

Childhood obesity and nutrition, VT $169,000

Cool season legume research, ID, ND, WA  $235,000

Improved fruit practices in Michigan, $147,000

Maple research in VT $155,000

Pierce's disease (a disease affecting grape vines) in CA  $1,531,000

Swine and other animal waste management in NC, $349,000

Wool research, MT, TX, WY  $206,000

Cotton research, TX  $1,730,000

Pasteurization of shell eggs in Michigan, $935,000

Childhood farm safety, Farm Safety Just for Kids, IA  $69,000

HI Brown tree snake management in Guam, $657,000

HI Rodent control, $162,000

Beaver management and control, MS  $443,000

UT Mormon crickets, $1,049,000

Tri-state predator control program, ID, MT, WY  $926,000

Income enhancement demonstration, OH  $864,000

American Museum of Natural History for public education and research, NY  $250,000

Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois heigh modernization $725,000

University of S. AL, oyster rehabilitation $800,000

Viginia Polytechnic Institute for horseshoe crab research, VA  $400,000

Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary for exhibits and telepresence technology, MI $500,000

City of Las Vegas for copper wire theft prevention  $400,000

Gulf Coast Science Exploreum (a museum in Mobile, AL) for educational exhibits  $500,000

Lakeview Museum of Arts and Lakeview Museum Planetarium in Peoria, IL  $250,000

WCA Metro Chicago economic empowerment program $122,821

There are 7 line items for the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration in Honolulu, HI for such projects as deploying 2 buoys, sea turtle research, education program for Hawaii's schools and others.  The total request is for several million dollars.

Republicans and democrats alike have provided certification letters to the Appropriations Committee requesting billions for earmarks and pet projects like those above, despite Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' repeated claims that there have been none.

The Omnibus bill is completely separate from the $787 economic stimulus package signed by the president one week ago, the housing crisis package forthcoming, the bank bailout and TARP funds, and the recently released 10 year budget blueprint which includes a $364 downpayment on universal healthcare.  Already in massive debt and in the midst of a global recession, the United States will need to raise taxes on the wealthy and businesses making more than $250,000 per year, according to the president's budget proposal.  Individuals, families and businesses that fall into the category of "wealthy Americans" will experience a tax increase of at least 4.5% of their income, a decrease in tax deductions for charitable giving and will no longer be allowed to deduct the interest from their mortgage on their tax returns.