My Work Is Not Done…
By Mitch Berg
…but this bit here is music to my ears.
A majority of Americans now believe the Fed is the greatest threat to their rights:
Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal governments become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. Forty-four percent of those polled disagree.
On the one hand, this is good news; it’s a sign that Obama’s mandate to use government to “change” and “bring hope” has dissipated.
On the other hand, there’s the little matter of making sure the average American retains that vital lesson.
February 26th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Maybe, just maybe, people are beginning to wake up to what the Federal Government has been taking from them for so many years.
WITHOUT LIBERTY THERE IS NO FREEDOM!
February 26th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
I agree that government banking and fiat currency is a huge hazard to our rights….
February 26th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Mitch,
The government is a tool, if people believe it is, in and of itself, some sort of self-atualizing, self-activating body, then by and large, they have a gross misperception.
There is little question certain elements of the government act unilaterally, but that element is far less impactful or even active than that which is done because of policy changes brought about by political parties and the interests behind them.
An example (of which I could probably provide dozens) –
In the middle 1980’s, Reagan complained about lax tax enforcement and claimed he’d balance the budget (or at least go a long way toward it), by hiring more IRS investigators. The result was a highly aggressive IRS, so much so that there were many many thousands of complaints about how assertive/aggressive the IRS had become, intruding upon people’s businesses, creating effectively utterly unreasonable settlement requirements, etc.. Thus, in the early years of the Clinton Administration there was significant pressure to get the IRS to back off – and part of the budget programs of the Clinton years was a reduction in IRS staff – this was furthered in the Bush (Jr.) years – so much so that now there is a considerable amount of complaining about,..yep, lax tax enforcement.
The point is, policy sets course – the government largely acts according the the whim of those with power – whether that’s providing no bid contracts to defense contractors, or FAILING to police the banking industry, policy from the SEC to the EPA to the DOJ is largely determined by the political appointees who head the divisions.
It is one of the major meme’s I see from the right that they think the Federal Government is this big, out of control, self-regulating boogey-man, that enacts policy without input or direction from anyone. That’s simply not really the case, not on big issues like say, health care, or medicare drug benefits, or banking regulations, or (and this could go on to thousands of points)..
Clearly there ARE elements of the government which operate semi-autonomously, but when contrasted against those which don’t, the power balance is FAR higher on the side which is controlled by appointees.
Consequently, if the majority of the country feels ‘Uncle Sam’ is the biggest threat, then they are pretty dwarfed in their understanding of what the government truly does and why. Further, creating mistrust of government is NOT a healthy thing, the government can be a highly effective, highly efficient tool – in the right hands, or it can be utter crap in the wrong hands, because it IS so powerful, but sewing fear makes that situation only worse. It puts people in office who have contempt for the government, believe it can’t do anything right, and who therefore think it is simply there for their individual purpose, because no policy, from waging war to providing police services to road construction to school funding to medical care for the poor, can be done well, so why try? That belief is corrosive, and more, it suggests that those who believe it ultimately, imho, do not believe government can function at all very well, so (again imho) – that our form of government is inept – and to me, that suggests that they fundamentally don’t like the US Government, which is little different, considering our Constitution is what guides and restricts (and allows) the role our government takes, they then truly don’t much really like our Constitution either (boil it all away that’s where you get).
Whether or not that last part is true, the first part still is – namely that the government does what the powerful want. The government should be restricted therefore from allowing the powerful to control the less powerful, but thinking the government itself is an autonomous, uncontrolled organ, hardly.
February 26th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Scott,
Taxes were higher (by far) in the 1960’s and 1970’s, especially on the wealthy (as a percentage of income) – since we entered the ‘conservative era’ in 1981, and taxes and government services pared back – do you think the government now takes less or more than it did from your parents?
February 26th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Ah peev has once again slipped the surly bonds of medication.
February 26th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Further, creating mistrust of government is NOT a healthy thing, the government can be a highly effective, highly efficient tool – in the right hands, or it can be utter crap in the wrong hands, because it IS so powerful, but sewing fear makes that situation only worse.
George Orwell, move over. Peev’s got your back.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
considering our Constitution is what guides and restricts (and allows) the role our government takes
Peev cracks a funny. This administration regards the constitution the same way we regard mosquitos at a summer picnic.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Penigma-
Everyone wants to exercise unbridled power, that is, power without accountability. This goes for politicians as well as the CEO’s of private corporations. Hell, even the guy behind the counter at the convenience store wants to do his job as he sees fit, not as his boss tells him.
In a free enterprise system people in business who exercise power are kept in check by the reality of economics. No matter how much you want to make curly lightbulbs and save the planet, if no one will choose them over incandescents, you fail.
In government you can pass a law to make people buy curly lightbulbs, and then do everything possible to make your position unaccountable to the people, but instead to party leaders and businessmen who depend on your largess.
No matter how idealistic or skilled a politician is, they want power without ability. They will become corrupt and their corruption will hurt those least able to defend themselves — the poor and the working class.
The Founders understood this. That is why the Bill of rights restricts the government, not millionaires or “moneyed interests”.
February 27th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Pen- “Taxes were higher on the wealthy (as a percentage of income) in the 60`s and 70`s.” True, i believe- rates were as high as around 70%. However, the amount percentage-wise paid by the wealthy as a group has climbed steadily higher since those days. As you`ve heard, the top 1% in income now pay about 40% of total income taxes. This, as said above , is a much higher total than in the 60`s and 70`s. Probobly from the wealthy having more tax shelters and the “poor” paying more of their share than today (bottom 40% or so now pay hardly any income taxes). Ironic, isn`t it- as the tax “rates” came down, the wealthy, as a group, end up paying more of the total tax bill.
March 1st, 2010 at 2:16 pm
“…creating mistrust of government is NOT a healthy thing,…”
Peevee, why do you hate Thomas Jefferson so much?
….
“the government can be a highly effective, highly efficient tool”
Peevish Boy, can you actually cite any examples?