The Smallest Minority

I wish it weren't true but I've felt substantially the same way.
Of course I also noted the death of NATO as a defensive alliance with Bill Clinton's attack on the Balkans. Which no one seemed even the least bit troubled with at the time.

What genuinely pisses me off is that the nation became socialist under an ostensibly Republican president. FDR wasn't able to complete the job.

In my mind, the American experiment in self-government ended with the first OJ trial.

Why? Because:

1) A large slice of the public, possibly a majority, thought he was guilty, AND

2) they were ecstatic that he was acquitted.

Mark that well. Enough Americans for it to be at least a *common* response, if not a majority response, were in a mood to publicly celebrate BECAUSE they believed the justice system had failed to convict a murderer.

Yeah, it's been an ongoing thing since before your (I'd wager this to be true) entire readership was even born.

In no way is that any sort of excuse for what has taken place here, on this topic, and that link you had a day or three ago with Bill Whittle, taking the length of the "Bailout Bill" to task should serve as a wake-up to everyone who doubts that the cannibals are tending the pot.

Billy Beck (Somnambulents on Parade) had something similar to say a couple of weeks ago, regarding a comment by Rich Lowry, on the same subject, and our, "moving irrevocably in the direction of a social democracy," with its then impending passage and obvious bloating as the minutes ticked away.

To which Billy responded with, "The fact of this discussion means that it already is."

That's not to say I'm not worried about the size of this last step, or its area of intervention (yes, I'm a free-market-is-the-Holy-Grail type) , since it seems to be at least as big and egregious as other obvious governmental overreach of the past. It's still nothing all that new.

Not sure how to correct this, or even if it's possible.

Come back and read tomorrow's "Quote of the Decade."

It's the long dive into tyranny, oppression, statism and socialism. The Enlightenment hit the high note of human Reason and belief in an ordered and understandable universe and the lesser souls have been trying to undo that ever since.

America is just one player on the road to Endarkenment, and in true American style, we don't shit around when we do something. Pry off the wheels of capitalism? Hell yeah! with $700 billion dollars for the start and giving oversight of business to a body that is so useless that tarring and feathering them seems to be a waste of good tar and feathers.

The Greeks and the Roman played this out already. We already know what happens when the curtains drop and the lights go out, it's just matter of when and what the hell you, personally, are going to do it before the last act and what comes after.

The only good news is this massive cultural train wreck seems to be happening over centuries, although we seem to see it gathering steam lately, I think we have at least one more round at the bar.

I find myself agreeing that the bailout was a bad idea but for a much different reason. It actually proves a point I have been trying to make on here for awhile.

It came to light yesterday that AIG folks used government bailout money to go on vacation, get some facials etc. There is despicable relationship that has been allowed to flourish between corporate America and our government. Both parties are guilty of this as each has members of Congress that are essentially corporate stoolies. This is also very evident in the government's relationship with the defense industry.

These ties must be severed or seriously curtailed. This way, I think, all of us will get our wish.

I think most of you believe the government is the problem but the real man behind the curtain is the Corporation. They run the show in this country.

It is the Age of Corporatism.

It actually proves a point I have been trying to make on here for awhile.

That you're willing to lie shamelessly and then later pretend you've got credibility?

Oh, don't worry, you've amply proven that. No, that you're a liar, Markadelphia, is something that no one else would challenge.

There is despicable relationship that has been allowed to flourish between corporate America and our government.

And your solution is to take the corporations and make them part of the government. Brilliant! There won't be any waste or other issues there!

We'll get the people with Good Morals! Show me anywhere where Good Intentions went awry! Wait, why are you handing em a shovel and gloves and why are you putting on a biohazard mask?

real man behind the curtain is the Corporation. They run the show in this country.

I thought that was Rove?

It is the Age of Corporatism.

Oh, and by the way, I'd appreciate if you'd (first deal with your lies, Markadelphia, but that's unlikely) stop with Pronouncements from On High.

You don't have the education or achievements to do that. Bloody hell, you don't even know what a theory is.

I'd note to others, since it would be wasted to note it to you, that your solutions end up without fail increasing the amount of power the government holds, money it dispenses, without noticing why there's so much of an attempt to "buy" politicians.

It's because they have the power and the money. Increasing their power and money just hikes the price they'll ask.

The Endarkenment comes through the abandonment of the principles of the Enlightenment.

The idea of granting the government more power is inane and the sign of an useful idiot.

The only reason we have corporations dinking around as much as they do with the politicians is because they have too much control in the marketplace.

There is no curtain, it's clearly on parade that the pols are taking money from the corps, and then breaking every constraint of the Constitution. Ain't the age of the corp, it's the age of unbridled Government.

And all those useful idiots are working day and night to pull down all the Enlightenment edifices carefully constructed.

"It's because they have the power and the money. Increasing their power and money just hikes the price they'll ask."

And decreases our personal liberties. Which is what the statists want.

And least we forget, Marky argued that nationalized health care is a Good Thing.

And, another point, the corps don't have the power of force like the State does.

And, another point, the corps don't have the power of force like the State does.

Russell, I know the point you're trying to get at there, that it's only the government that has the guns at the barrel of which taxes are collected, but it sure looks like it's a bunch of corporations that are aiming those things these days. Sure, there's an abstraction layer named "the government", but it's a pretty thin abstraction after last week.

The aiming of said weapons can only happen if the congressweasles let the corporations aim them. Force is part of the State, not of the corporation.

The government has grown in power and size, and whoever controls those levels, controls the corporations.

Ergo, the corporations that want control are buying the feckless cowards in Congress. Reduce the power of the government reduces the power corporations can buy through the government. And the reverse is true.

but it sure looks like it's a bunch of corporations that are aiming those things these days. Sure, there's an abstraction layer named "the government", but it's a pretty thin abstraction after last week.

Which is a feature, not a bug, according to people like Markadelphia.

Yes, there's still an abstraction layer. And that's important.

The solution is to reduce the power of government to point the guns, and the attraction of people and corporations buying off people in power drops dramatically.

You might see that as a small abstraction, but it's really not. Elections change who's in power - unless you've got an empowered bureaucrat. (Again, note who insists on them.)

I have to agree with Unix-Jedi; if the corporations had the power, they wouldn't have to bribe the government. Which means that the government has too much power that can be whored out to the corporations.
Just my opinion.

I agree, I'm just saying that as a practical matter, the corporations seem to be driving things these days. I certainly don't think that's a good thing.

Yes, theoretically, politicians can be unelected, but in the wake of McCain - Feingold and other district gerrymandering, it's not very likely. And, of course, your point about unelected bureaucrats is well taken.

I would love to reduce the amount of power that the government has available for sale. I just don't have any idea how to get there. We had one guy up for president this go around who even wanted to try, and frankly, nearly everyone--even people nominally on the side of reduction of government power--claimed he was a joke.