SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC
FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794
It is in the breaking news sidebar!
Posted on 04/14/2003 2:38:06 AM PDT by The Raven
A mixed economy is when Republicans and Democrats reach an unspoken, silent agreement. The silent agreement is as follows. Republicans don't want socialism. At the same time, they're terrified of endorsing principles such as freedom, individual rights and capitalism. Democrats are not afraid of principles such as collectivism and group responsibility elevated above individual rights. However, they want to win elections above all else, and principled socialism has never sold very well in the USA.
How do they resolve this "problem"? When there's a crisis in the economy (for example: health care, prescription drug prices, utilities, stock market fraud) brought about by the inability of capitalism to function (due to all the government controls in the mixed economy), Republicans agree to maintaining private, for-profit businesses in exchange for ever more controls imposed by the Democrats on private enterprise.
Each side "wins" in this arrangement. Republicans get to say, "See? We stopped the Democrats from imposing socialism on you." The reality, of course, is that they brought us ever closer to socialism because of the additional government controls. Democrats get to say, "See? We stopped short of doing what we wanted to do (that is, totally have the government take over some economic function), and it's still not working. In fact, it's getting worse. It's the fault of capitalism and the Republicans." Democrats never have to take responsibility for the failures of partial socialism since, with Republican help, they stop short of legislating full socialism.
The arrangement has served each party well for decades, into the present moment. Clearly, the Republicans get the short end of the stick, but the Republicans don't have nearly the spine of the Democrats. The question is this: what happens once we achieve full socialism? Who accepts the blame and who takes the credit when everything starts to collapse economically?
If you sense that each party is dishonest and wrong, then you are right. However, the fact that each party is dishonest does not prove that both sides -- socialism and capitalism -- are wrong. It only shows that socialism needs capitalism to compromise itself into accepting partial socialism. When partial socialism fails, then capitalism gets blamed. The result is that sooner or later we get still more socialism.
Consider Medicare. It failed way beyond what critics predicted back in the 1960's. It's past the point of bankruptcy and has hampered if not ruined medical care by bringing government bureaucracy and hyper-regulation to this important field. Yet the solution of our present conservative government is to expand Medicare benefits by granting "free" prescription drugs to the elderly population. Socialism is failing and Republicans propose more socialism in order to save what they keep calling capitalism.
Genuine, unfettered capitalism advances human life and, when consistently practiced, lets human beings keep the products of their own efforts. It is fair because it allows people to keep what is morally theirs, whether it's $1 or $1 billion. It is practical because private ownership and the profit motive encourage personal responsibility, innovation and competence. Capitalism never won because it never was given a chance. The folly of today is that most people think capitalism won -- which in theory, it probably did. But in practice we still have more socialism than not.
So what next? The coming years will tell. The current economic stagnation may be an indication that our mixed economy is slowly collapsing into the economic paralysis of all out socialism. Only more capitalism, not more socialism, will save us. We need aggressive action in favor of making capitalism legal again. A few tepid tax cuts, phased in over the next decade or two, won't be enough to save us (nor, quite possibly, George W. Bush's presidency in 2004). The question is: do any of our political leaders realize all this? If so, do they have the courage to say so?
Been saying for years and years and years and... that there is only ONE political party in the United States. Guess not going to wait around for the apologies...
A good start would be to vote against the anti-freedom, anti-capitalist, democratic crime syndicate...the socialists undermining freedom and capitalism at every turn.
Great article.
Issue 101
Voting for the lesser of evils always begets evil. How can so many people thinking they're right be so wrong?
How is it that people and society in general have prospered and increased their well being for decades yet the politicians and bureaucrats say we must have another 3,000 laws and regulations each year on top of the 100,000+ laws already on the books... That without them people and society face "disaster". People and society have done quite well without next year's 3,000 new federal laws and regulations. Why all of a sudden can people and society not continue to do quite well without them? The fact is, they'd be better off without 99% of them.
So who really benefits from 3,000 new laws and regulations each year? -- not to mention state laws and regulations. Politicians and bureaucrats. They create boogieman problems and with a complicit media towing their boogieman problems cast a net of false fear and unwarranted despair in people.
Quite literally, they create problems where none exist. They're sick in that they chose to frighten people and foist false despair on them and do that to collect their unearned paychecks. Their job security is predicated on deceiving as many people as possible.
It cost more than just one and a half trillion dollars a year to fund government abuse. That abuse hinders people's development, especially children being indoctrinated rather than educated, harms the economy and causes boom and bust cycles in markets.
Fully integrated honesty is key. That we have the government we have, that has gone so far off course from the government the founders created, is a product of irrationality and dishonesty. Changing the laws via the "system" is almost completely useless. Politicians create dozens of unconstitutional laws before even considering repealing just one unconstitutional law. That is not a system -- it's a quagmire of deception, irrationality, fraud and abuse.
Politics is not the solution -- politics is the problem.
Who are the producers?
Who are the parasites?
Praise the value producers --
Ostracizing the parasitical value destroyers.
Okay so how do we fix it?
It can't be fixed. Get over it. Do something different that will hasten it's collapse and replace it with honest justice, respect and protection for individual rights and their property. Lead by example rather than be a follower.
The effects of government are half created by Republicans and half created by Democrats. It's like how Mr. Brown used to jokingly ask the neighborhood kids: "which do you want, a fat lip or a busted eye brow?"
Way back then I didn't understand how politics works to control the people. But politicians and bureaucrats can only control the people so long as people believe and act as thought politics is the solution.
Step one for helping sick politicians and bureaucrats:
Get your head out of their sandbox.
Step two: Demand that they address Issue 101. Do the same with the media.
Step three: Ostracize government officials that fail to honestly address Issue 101. Do the same with the media.
Step four: Champion the science and business communities -- often under relentless attack by the government -- that create jobs, necessities, luxuries and ever greater advancements that support human life, family and society.
Who are the parasites?the welfare state? Politicians?
Help me understand what exactly you are advocating. Are you suggesting a word of words against the poor themselves? We are in for major resistance from religion if that stance is taken. I have for a long time talked with my parish Priest about the government usurping the church's role of caretaker of the poor. It seems to me the church favors this though along the lines of "well the more help the better doesn't matter where it comes from". As I point out to him, the church would get more direct help if the taxes i pay weren't skimmed numerous times before reaching the poor.
As far as politicians go, they are a necessary evil are they not? Term limits, campaign spending caps and lobbyist lulu prohibitions would all limit their power but how do you get the "inmates" to vote for their own convictions and sentences?
Who are the producers?Everyone that works or risks investment capital?
Champion the science and business communities -- often under relentless attack by the government -- that create jobs, necessities, luxuries and ever greater advancements that support human life, family and society.
Who are the parasites?the welfare state? Politicians?
Politicians, bureaucrats, much of the media and academics that manipulate others by using irrationality, deception and dishonesty.
As far as politicians go, they are a necessary evil are they not?
Do you think irrationality, deception and dishonesty are necessary evils?
Look, if they're not willing to forthrightly address Issue 101 they aren't being honest and are the problem -- an unnecessary evil. People need to get their heads out of the parasitical elites' sandbox.
Have you noticed in the recent few months and years how the United Nations has rendered itself irrelevant? How the French government has rendered itself irrelevant? How the German and Russian governments are rendering themselves toward irrelevance? Have you noticed how certain politicians -- mostly Democrats -- have rendered themselves irrelevant? How other politicians are rending themselves toward irrelevance? Have you noticed how much of the mainstream news media is rendering themselves less and less relevant? How does that happen? Why does that happen?
What is the juxtaposition?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.