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The Placement of Power

By Kael the Sapiocrat

I'll start off with this:

Small government is none other than corporate dominance. Power is like energy, you can't get rid of it, you can only transfer it somewhere else.

So earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal the Obama-era "net neutrality" rules, preemptive regulations which required internet service providers, such as AT&T, to treat all websites the same and prevent them from prioritizing some websites or streaming services over others. The measure was put in place so that it would create an open and fair Internet that can be shared by all. Most of America is for net neutrality rules. On the other side of the argument is the FCC and its notorious chairman, Ajit Pai, a former Verizon attorney. His most quoted statement in regards to net neutrality? "...it hampers investments and innovation" (or something like that). He (and others) want to roll back net neutrality rules so that government can get out of the business of "micromanaging." In other words, he wants to reintroduce "light-touch" regulations so that ISPs can reap more profits from the average consumer.

Even now, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are attempting to pass a controversial tax reform bill that will rival only the Reagan-era trickle-down economics of the 80s. Such tax breaks will be Congress' Christmas present to the nation's wealthy while doubling as a stocking full of coal in the form of attacking entitlements to low to middle income Americans and senior citizens. 

Which brings me to my point...

This and many other actions corroborated by conservative politicians and supporters is all an effort to "reduce the size of government" and "give power back to the people." Conservative thinkers are good at creating the delusion that there are only two forces in politics -- the government and the people, where government is consistently intruding upon the God-given freedoms and liberties that we enjoy. What they fail to tell you is that there are actually three forces -- government, the people, and big business. Big business consists of those private companies and corporations that are powerful enough to undermine a society and influence its politics. Government is expected to serve as a safeguard against the abuses of big business for the common citizenry. Regulations? What's wrong with them? They're made to protect us. If we allowed regulations to roll back and businesses to run  unchecked, we're only taking power away from government (ourselves) and giving it to the wealthy. Additionally, government has been increasingly painted as the villain -- the eternal adversary of individual liberties and freedoms. When in actuality, it's not government that's the problem...it's the people that we put in it.

In my opinion, we have truly demonized government. You may say because its full of crooked people and individuals who are hell bent on taking advantage of their power and exploiting hard working people. But see that's the thing -- it's not government, it's the people that we choose to be in government. And who are they? None other than self-interested players in the world of corporate America. Millionaires and billionaires that use their office to maximize profits and abuse power.

My advice to you...NEVER vote against your own interests. STOP demonizing government. QUIT electing candidates who so brazenly show you that they are not for you, but against you. Only then will government be truly FOR the People. 


Let's discuss...

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Comments

  1. R JohnsonDecember 19, 2017 at 2:42 PM

    I agree with your post but the bigger problem is that we don't have checks and balance anymore. All three houses vote based on their party and not for the people. If all three houses vote based on their party we can't say that there is true checks and balance. When the courts veto'd President Trumps travel ban, it should have been seen as a check against the power of the executive branch not a win for "liberals" to stop President Trump. The country has forgotten the true meaning of Congress, it's easy to see when Congress is not holding the President to a higher standard.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownDecember 19, 2017 at 5:42 PM

      Check and balances exist in government, but not between government and big business. There's such an infusion of the two, that it is virtually impossible to distinguish the two without including those politicians who are actually trying to govern with the People in mind.

      Delete

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