Excerpted from Thom Hartmann’s newest book, http://www.buzzflash.com/store/reviews/305”> Screwed; The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- And What We Can Do About It The Lie of the Free Market Listen to the right-wing pundits--the people I call the cons--and they will tell you something completely different. They suggest (and some actually believe) that a middle class will naturally spring into being when the kingdoms of corporate power are freed from government restrictions.
The way to create good jobs, according to the cons, is to "free" the market. When business gets to do whatever it wants, they say, it will create wealth, and that wealth will trickle down to the rest of us, creating a middle class.
The con's belief in "free" markets is a bit like the old Catholic Church's insistence that the Earth was at the center of the solar system. The free-market line is widely believed by those in power, and those who challenge this belief are labeled heretics--and it's wrong.
Here's a headline for these cons who are masquerading as economists without having studied either economics or history:
There is no such thing as a "free" market. Markets are the creation of government.
Governments provide markets with a stable currency for financial transactions. They provide a legal infrastructure and court systems to enforce the contracts that make the market possible. They provide educated workforces through public education, and those workers show up at their places of business after traveling on public roads, rails, and airways provided by the government. Businesses that use the "free" market are protected by police and fire departments provided by the government, and they send their communications--from phone to e-mail--over lines that follow public rights of way maintained and protected by the government.
And, most important, the rules of the game of business are defined by the government. Any sports fan can tell you that without rules and referees football, baseball, basketball, and hockey would be a mess. Similarly, business without rules won't work. In a corporate kingdom--a corporatocracy--those rules are made by the businesses themselves and will inevitably screw workers and citizens. In a democracy those rules are made by We the People, both through our elected representatives and through union negotiations with the business kings/lords/CEOs.
Returning to Classical Economics Ronald Reagan's favorite punch line was: "I've always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
Sure, it's easy to laugh along and think that government is bad--until you need government. Until you've been taken advantage of and want to use the government court system, or you get old and sick and need Medicare, or your house catches fire and you'd like your local fire department to come by and put it out.
Reagan often used to say that the government is stealing your money. The cons love that mantra: "It's your money."
Nobody likes to pay taxes. And nearly three decades of deceitful PR convincing Americans that there's no need to invest in our nation--and, thus, no need to pay for it with taxes--has left us with an electorate that so hates the word tax that cons can use it to turn voters against almost anyone advocating any government program. If you're a politician and someone calls you a "tax-and-spend liberal," that generally means "good-bye to your votes."
The cons exploit this with the "It's your money" lie. "It's your money, and the liberals want it!" shout cons on the radio. They're talking about taxes, of course. But are our tax dollars really "our" money?
If I walk into a 7-Eleven store with a dollar in my pocket and say, "Gee, I'd really like that Hershey bar," and if I tear it open and take a bite out of it, that Hershey bar now belongs to me. And that dollar belongs to 7-Eleven, even though it's still in my pocket. It's pretty simple. As soon as I used the candy bar, I'd entered into an agreement to pay for it. It's a form of a contract even though I've never signed anything with a convenience store in my life. It's not my money anymore, even though it's still in my pocket, once I take possession of the candy bar.
We make an agreement by staying in this country that we will live by its rules.
I get up in the morning and the lights come on because my government is regulating the local utility for both safety and reliability. (FDR had to force electric utilities to serve many communities--thus the Rural Electrification Administration.) I open the tap to brush my teeth, and the water is pure because my government has purified it and delivered it to me from miles away in a safe fashion. The toothpaste I use isn't poisonous because the government passed laws that make it possible for aggrieved consumers to sue if they're harmed. Its ingredients are listed because the government requires it.
When I drive to work, the streets are paved by my government, and the streetlights work because my government planned them right and keeps them in good working order. The radio station where I broadcast from can do business because my government provides a stable currency and a framework of contract laws that allow a corporation to exist and function. The food I eat for lunch at a nearby restaurant is safe both because it was inspected at its source by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and because the local government checks our restaurants for sanitary conditions. I can eat without worrying that bandits are going to run into the restaurant and demand everybody's wallet because the police are on the job. And I can go about my day without worrying that we'll be bombed by invaders from another country because the State Department and the U.S. Army both negotiate and protect our nation. With a little bit of thought, you can add dozens of other things to this list--all provided with taxpayer dollars.
Living in this society and using these services is like picking up and biting into the Hershey bar at the 7-Eleven: I've agreed to pay for them because I live here and I use them. The form of my agreement is called taxes. Therefore the money from my paycheck that goes to pay my taxes is not my money. It's the money I owe to cover the cost associated with the things I use each and every day. To suggest that it's "my" money is to spit in the face of our Founders--to suggest that somehow each of us is above and separate from the social contract we've all agreed to by living in this great nation.
When the cons say, "It's your money," what they really mean is that they don't believe in the social contract. They don't believe in paying for the services we use every day or in taking care of the poor and the sick and the elderly who can't take care of themselves. They are anti-American, anti-democracy, anti-Christian (and anti-Jewish and anti--every other major religion) zealots. They are a danger to our democracy and our country.
In the artful locution "Free Markets", the "Free" is a public relations job....ie, a word that reinforces Positive connotations about "markets", which itself is merely a less charged word than property, or money.
"Conservatives" are not really opposed to "Government" per se.....they ARE opposed to Democracy, which they view as a corruption of the "legitimate" authority of Property, or if you prefer, Money.
They will never get on talk radio and say what they mean, which is that despite their prideful nonsense about bringing "Democracy" to Iraq, they believe that Democracy here is no more than "two foxes and a chicken voting on what to eat for dinner".
In their alleged minds, "democracy" is "socialism", and "socialism" is evil because it substitutes the authority of the citizens for the authority of MONEY/OWNERSHIP.
In the "example" cited above, Cons would prefer one Rich Chicken to dictate on the basis of its "property rights" what all the foxes in creation should eat for dinner...or not eat at all.
by
Jay Diamond (7 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 10 comments)
on Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 3:47:24 PM
Yet when one converses with a right winger it is quickly noted that their iron clad belief system is unassailable and impenetrable. If one notes that CEO's are getting 1500 times the pay of the worker one is quickly told, study hard and become a CEO. If one notes that most of those held in Guantanemo were not captured on battlefields and thus are questionably linked to terrorism one is told that all those muslims are fanatics and deserve torture and death. Ifone states that the Bush administration is violating the basic structures our founders so wisely put in place one is told that government is bad and who cares.
I understand how and why the wealthiest among us, excepting those with actual consciences of course, are so loyal toBush and company, but the how and why of working class loyalties to these folks astonishes and flabbergasts me.....
by
ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments)
on Monday, September 11, 2006 at 7:18:25 AM
My beef is to allow me to put my tax dollars where I think it should be used. If I work and I pay taxes; then I should have the say to where in government I want my tax dollars used.
I think alot of people are disenfranchised and go for the Republican line of BS because they feel like their money goes in a big pot..and someone else distributes the funds to some other place. So if they stop taking taxes..it takes the disgruntled attitude away...while not solving the real problem.
Alot of Republicans who would have believed in government and taxes went against that grain...because internal govermental agencies would hoard the big pot and the tax dollars for their programs.
The way I see it....the republicans decided to breakup that tax dollar monopoly so to speak.
I am all for paying and working and giving my fee for services, but don't lump me into a category or force me to pay for something in the collosal giant called government I don't use. I don't support the military, not asking them to defend or protect me...so who the hell are they to take my money to build bombs and kill innocent people?
Americans have the right to say where their tax dollars, or their government fee is to be spent on. In my view we are not free until we can exercise this right.
This is what forced me to leave the country. I will not work and support hypocrisy by the present Bush Cons using my sweat and hard earned taxes in paying for War...that is against my right to religion. Whoever said Freedom of Religion is a founding fathers principle must be either ignorant or under duress. The same goes for Democrats who support the same military arsenal.
Give me my freedom to Religion and the right to pay my taxes where I deem fit to pay in government.
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Dom Jermano (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 930 comments)
on Monday, September 11, 2006 at 9:14:48 AM
How many people would delegate money for the courts, for roads, for police, for education, for financial aid to foreign nations...
It might be reasonable to be able to delegate some small percentage of your taxes, but there are a lot basics that need to be taken care of. The problem is, we need to elect legislators who do this and do it right. That's the challenge.
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Rob Kall (807 articles, 3921 quicklinks, 332 diaries, 1702 comments)
on Monday, September 11, 2006 at 11:50:56 AM
Nice picture Rob...always wondered what you looked like.
I think there would be alot of people who would support the basics. They want a say in where they put their taxes. We will only know how many people will do this when people are given the opportunity to exercise their freedom.
There would be a provision with the W2 forms to state where your taxes are used and sent. All Employers would have to follow the law and submit the W2 forms.
If I want my money to go for bridge repair because I am a truck driver and it would help my driving route..then my taxes can go to that specific Governmental Transportation Agency.
If I am a banker and I want to lower interest rates to stimulate the economy by making loans available to the people, I would put my tax dollars in the Federal Finance Committee who would be working for that change.
It doesn't matter what effort people are placing their money, what matters is that people are given the freedom to choose where it goes.
If we are constantly shaken down by these robber representatives who promise one thing one day and lie the next, at least we know we have control of our own individual lives. And why the hell not....its my money.
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Dom Jermano (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 930 comments)
on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 at 1:28:08 AM
The only one that would be the exception is Social Security. I think everyone should be required to pay social security. And politicians can not take money from it for other projects.
I also think that changes to Social Security should include providing payments to a family if a person dies at the age of 65 and has not been able to use or get the money they paid for all through their life.
Also if a person has paid money into the system and they died an earlier age say 18-65...their money should be provided to their families. Not disappear into the Government coffers. Social Security should be attached to a life Insurance Policy in which a portion of the social security is used to pay a premium for life Insurance. When the person dies the policy amount goes to the insured family. This with the added amount of their money not returned because of their death will be substantial for American family security.
I don't accept Bush Stock Market plans for Social Security. But do like my Insurance Plan/
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Dom Jermano (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 930 comments)
on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 at 5:33:33 AM
No it doesn't exist Ardee..There is no provision to be able to use Social Security being held in the accounts to be used to pay the portion for a life insurance policy. Even if it was a whole life policy. At least when the time came for retirement the person would get double the amount of their social security check.
by
Dom Jermano (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 930 comments)
on Saturday, September 16, 2006 at 7:29:12 PM
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