Posted on 10/09/2006 8:38:14 PM PDT by calcowgirl
Assemblyman Ray Haynes represents California’s 66th Assembly District.
In 1922, Ludwig von Mises, an Austrian free market economist, wrote: “It is not the business of entrepreneurs to lead the political fight against Socialism ... It follows, therefore, that neither associations of entrepreneurs, nor those organizations in which entrepreneurs’ support counts, are inclined to fight on principle against socialism.”
When I first joined the Legislature, I could not understand why the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Manufacturers Association, the California Taxpayers’ Association, and the variety of other “business” associations that populate the halls and lobbies of Sacramento could not be counted on to fight the left-wing agenda of my Democrat friends in the Legislature.
On the contrary, they were always ready to accommodate their demands. The unions would fight Republicans with all their influence and power, giving 99 percent of their contributions to Democrats. The business groups would (and still do) give 50 to 60 percent of their campaign money to Democrats. I used to complain that in politics, the Democrats married the unions, who have remained faithful partners. Republicans married the business community, and got a partner who slept around. I then read the Mises quote, and knew that if was true in 1922, and still true in 2002, I wasn’t going to change it by complaining. I personally would fight against encroaching socialism in California, and leave the compromising to the Socialists and business lobbyists.
To work, free markets require two essentials: freedom of contract and protection of private property rights. A society that “takes” — steals — private property is either socialist or traveling quickly down the road to socialism. The threat of losing a lifetime of work to the whim of an all-powerful government will often convince even the most principled person to forego his or her freedom of speech.
I joined the proponents of the November ballot’s Prop. 90, the “Protect Our Homes,” initiative because our current system of land use control, involving both eminent domain and regulatory takings, is the key factor underpinning California’s leftist state and local governments in gaining and holding power.
Previous experience taught me not to expect my friends in the business community to support us, but I did not think they would oppose this roll back of socialism in California. After all, why would they actively oppose those of us standing for free markets — their own freedom to make a profit?
Boy, was I wrong.
Showing all the courage, not to mention self-respect, von Mises indicated they could be expected to show, they say they are afraid of retaliation from the government if they don’t oppose the initiative. Local governments are telling business and developers that, if they don’t oppose Prop. 90, they will make their business lives miserable. They are being told that a financial donation to the anti-90 cause will result in their projects being fast tracked. But if they don’t help, they will enter some sort of governmentally-imposed purgatory, finding themselves lost in the bowels of this or that regulatory or planning agency and expecting to emerge about the time the new temple is built in Jerusalem. I am told that they have to oppose us because they just can’t risk it. The truth is, they are being blackmailed because they have indicated time and again to those in power that they can be blackmailed.
That is how far down the road to socialism California has gone. So much of the financial future of our business community depends on government action that the business community trembles in fear of the government officials. And so obsessed with financial well-being have we become that we are willing to submit to this degradation of our human spirit rather than risk losing it. If America’s founding fathers had possessed this degree of courage, we all would still be paying the stamp tax.
California’s ruling class knows a successful Prop. 90 will be their Waterloo, and they are trying to enlist the aid of all of their economic slaves to fight this last battle. The business community, having assumed the position of economic slave to state government, willingly sells out everyone’s freedom to stay in business.
I know von Mises was right; as long as businessmen see themselves as materialistic “entrepreneurs” first and human beings, if at all, second, they will act like a bunch of “scaredy cats.” And I understand why: they have too little faith in anything more than their own wealth and their illusions of power and prestige, transitory as they are, to move them. They comfort themselves in self-pity or cynicism or both, saying they must play ball to survive in this socialist political environment. I am still disappointed.
Don't forget the second part of the ancient chinese curse that starts out: "May you live in interesting times..." and finishes up with: "... And come to the attention of powerful people!"
I DO live in "interesting times" and I HAVE, in fact, come to the attention of some EXTREMELY powerful personalities; guys with bigtime name recognition, and the kind of power and presence that makes Libs collapse in terror.
I actually think that it would be a greater curse to live in UNinteresting times, and have the attention of nobody.
That saying might be related to the old Chinese proverb, "It's better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a man in a chaotic period."
Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse ME!!! Live it up then, by all means!!! (grin)
That's as good as one of my favorites: "Ya lie down with dogs... Ya come up with fleas!" (bark!)
You KNOW I'm workin' on it.
Still, trying to keep things sorta on the down low, fyknowwhattimean; cut a deep groove with no radar sig; stay subsonic. BIG doin's comin'; as in global scope. Not privvy to dates (hey, I said I've got some peoples' attention, but I'm NOT 'inner sanctum'). Suffice ta say, you'll know when ya see, 'cuz there will be a highly reknowned imprimatur on the events, but apparent only to the aware and vigilant. Sheer magnitude will be one telltale.
KEY POINT:
MSM STILL won't 'get it'. They, along with MOST people, will totally misidentify the major players, resulting in a massive, knee-jerk "black is white" disinformation campaign.
Gotta be wiser to see the sun at night.
Ludwig von Mises BUMP
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