I don't like to label people. I don't like to speak in generalities.
Unfortunately we live in a society where labels and generalities have
become quite acceptable, particularly when talking in terms of politics
and political beliefs. It is, in my opinion, because of this, at least
partially, that we often forget we live in an individualist society. It
is among the most unique societies in human history. As part of
Westernized culture we have romanticized the idea of freedom, but as
Americans we have squandered the ideals of the founding fathers and
allowed a tyrannical centralized government and their corporate backers
to gain too much power and influence over our personal lives. I believe
this is because we as human beings seem to have this tendency toward
wanting to collectivize. This likely has something to do with the human
desire to be loved and accepted by others. We worry that if we don't
share the same customs and beliefs as others that they will not accept
us for loving, caring human beings.
Because we live in a world where generalizations are prevalent in the
media, how we define the labels we use becomes distorted. For instance,
progressives are supposed to hate corporations and love government
regulations and intervention in the markets. Conservatives and
libertarians, on the other hand, are supposed to love corporations by
hating such government regulations and interventions and loving the idea
of smaller government. But the opposite is true. While many
progressives would be loathe to admit that they love and support huge
corporate entities, in practice they do. In the real world it is actions
that matter, not words. It is not so much what you say as what you do
that really makes the difference.
Any so called progressive that is reading this is by now likely throwing
a fit. Inside his head he is likely fuming as he thinks about how much
he hates corporations. His sensibilities are likely quite insulted by my
accusation that he loves and supports them. He may well wonder how it
is that I can support such an accusation. Well, for one thing, in at
least one way they are in complete agreement with one of the most
infamous robber barons ever. Like John D. Rockefeller, they hate
competition and love monopolies.
Why would I say this? Simple, they hate free markets and at the same
time they support the most heinous monopoly of all, the government
monopoly on legalized force. They are constantly bashing free market
philosophies and blaming them for the economic problems we currently
face, but the fact is that there has not been true free markets in this
country for a very long time, if indeed there ever were. Government
interventions in the markets have been going on since before the
founding of the nation, but they've become more egregious in the past
few decades with the most offensive intrusion being the introduction of
the latest iteration of the central bank, the privately owned Federal
Reserve System, a century ago. If anyone is to blame for our current
financial fiasco it is big centralized government. They have proven they
are either too incompetent, too inept, or too corrupt to trust when it
comes to centralized planning of the economy.
Free markets are all about competition. They're all about a free flow of
ideas to try to keep as many consumers as happy as possible by
providing products and services that are demanded by the consuming
public. John D. Rockefeller said that competition is a sin and
apparently progressives agree for they seem to think that big government
regulation is a better way than competition to keep corporations in
check. They seem to think it's better to grant a monopoly on legitimized
force to a small group of elites and then have them erect barriers that
prevent competition from entering the market in an effort to contain
corporate influence rather than eliminating barriers, letting
competition bring choice to the marketplace and then letting the
consumers decide which products and services they wish to purchase and
which they wish to shun. In this manner, progressives and the robber
barons are on the same page.
Let us not forget that corporations are government entities. The
government defines what a corporation is and what the rules are to
incorporate. Government allows for limitations to be placed on the
liabilities corporations can be held accountable for, hence the LL in
LLC. Big government decides the fate of these corporations, not the
courts, not the consumers, and agents of big government are going to
label their inept friends as "too big to fail" instead of letting the
free marketplace do its job and force the inept to fail so that the
competent can replace them.
What do the progressives do? Do they demand that incompetent, inept and
corrupt government get out of the way so that competent, more
innovative, more productive businesses can step in and replace
corporations and give the consumer choice? Do they call for power to be
removed from centralized federal government and placed in the hands of
those who will compete for the trust of the common folk?
No. They call for more laws that increase the powers of the very people
who caused the problem in the first place. They don't call for the break
up of the cartels and monopolies that are labeled "too big to fail,"
they just call for better enforcement of regulations and more
restrictions. They want to make it more difficult for competition to
enter the marketplace. They don't call for the arrests of corrupt
politicians who helped create policy that created this mess, they call
for more taxation, as if throwing money at a problem involving people
who create the money in the first place will do anything to solve the
problem. In short, they want to give more money and more power to the
elite who already have too much wealth and too much power. They want to
grow the power of the central government which then grows the power of
the mega corporations. It is a recipe that will lead to an even more
spectacular failure than we saw in 2008.
Progressives like to think they're all about progress. It's just a trick
of the language, at least when it comes to their policies on business
and corporations. Their policies are really quite regressive, but not
too many people would want to be labeled a regressive. If you really
want to allow the people to have their say, then laws restricting choice
need to be repealed. Laws making it difficult to enter the marketplace
need to be repealed. The Affordable Healthcare Act, more commonly known
as Obamacare, much lauded by so called progressives, needs to be
repealed. A freer market where consumers can truly vote with their
dollars needs to be established and then one day, hopefully, a truly
free market which holds accountable the inept, incompetent and corrupt
and exalts the competent and innovative will be allowed to flourish in
our nation. Now that would be progress. When that happens we will all
surely prosper as the high tide will raise all ships. When that happens
the dream of freedom we keep in our hearts will be realized and we will
understand why our forebears romanticized it so.
If you enjoy my writings, please visit szandorblestman.com to make a donation.
Below is a list of all my works available at smashwords.com. Please help
me by purchasing one or more of my ebooks and writing favorable reviews
if you like them so that others might also find and enjoy them.
Caged in America: A Collection of Essays Celebrating Freedom. By Szandor Blestman
Ron Paul's Wisdom, A Layman's Perspective. A Collection of Opinion Editorials. By Szandor Blestman
Galaxium. A screenplay By Matthew Ballotti
The Colors of Elberia; book 1 of The Black Blade Trilogy. By Matthew Ballotti
The Legacy of the Tareks; book 2 of The Black Blade Trilogy. By Matthew Ballotti
The Power of the Tech; book 3 of The Black Blade Trilogy. By Matthew Ballotti
The Edge of Sanity. By Matthew Ballotti
The Ouijiers By Matthew Ballotti
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