Rand Paul is the Tea Party. At least he is it's logical conclusion.
If the Tea Party believes that limited government is best, and that a free market with as few regulations as possible is best, than it's not that far a jump from Tea Party-ism to what apparently is Ron Paul's brand of Libertarianism. Well, the Tea Party embraced him, and now that he has jumped the shark, just let them try to distance themselves from him.
The Tea Party believes that the only proper role of the federal government is to defend the borders, conduct foreign policy and provide general security in case of disaster. All else of any consequence is the proper role of state and local governments, and in reality, business and property owners. That includes social legislation, business and safety regulation.
Well there's a fly in this ointment.
If the devastated economy caused by the Wall Street meltdown isn't enough, then the twin disasters of the oil spill in the Gulf, and the mine tragedies in West Virginia are clear examples of what happens when businesses are allowed to run unsupervised like the unruly children that corporations as persons really are. The federal government under Bush withdrew from it's role of steward and allowed BP and Massey Coal to cut corners on safety measures to save money and maximize profit. And it wasn't just that, but the entire culture of deregulation begun by Reagan, and continued by Clinton and Bush Senior that has ensured that more disasters will continue.
And in the meantime, the Tea Party says: "Leave us alone!"
And now comes the Tea Party's new poster boy Rand Paul. In 24 hours he has exposed the weakness of the Tea Party argument with his Jump The Shark moment on Rachel Maddow's show.
The disasters on the Gulf, West Virgina and Wall Street are clear signals that what Paul and the Tea Party are proposing is bad medicine for this country.
Dr. Paul's philosophy in a nutshell as written by him to a Kentucky paper is that while public facilities of any kind should not be allowed to discriminate:
And:
A free society will abide unofficial, private discrimination – even when that means allowing hate-filled groups to exclude people based on the color of their skin.
Admittedly the subject of anti discrimination law is not entirely related to safety and environmental regulation, but Paul's statement is analogous to what many in the Tea Party feel about government involvement in business. Should we be willing abide by the sinners in business because we should trust the private sector to police itself?
We did that for too long, and the most recent mining disasters in West Virginia are examples of an industry that cuts corners for profit and risks the safety of it's workers.
In 2006, the Sago mine in West Virginia blew up and caved in asphyxiating 12 of 13 miners that were trapped there. The rap sheet on the owner ICG, was a mile long.
In 2005, the mine was cited by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) 208 times for violating regulations, up from 68 in 2004. Of those, 96 were considered significant and substantial.[9]
The Charleston Gazette said "Sago mine has history of roof falls". MSHA found 52 violations from April to June, of which 31 were "serious and substantial" (S&S). From early July to late September, MSHA found 70 violations, 42 of which were S&S. MSHA inspections from early October to late December resulted in 46 citations and three orders, 18 of which were S&S. Violations include failure to follow the approved roof control and mine ventilation plans and problems concerning emergency escapeways and required pre-shift safety examinations. The Gazette article explained that "S&S" violations are those that MSHA believes are likely to cause an accident that would seriously injure a miner.[citation needed]
How many "serious and substantial" violations could you hide under a laissez - faire "trust the private sector to step up, fix it and let's not get into their business policy?"
Also, it makes a great deal of difference if you seal a blast area with mere foam sealer that can only withstand 5 pounds per square inch of pressure, rather than use the required concrete blocks or the equivalent that can withstand 20 pounds per square inch.
The fact that the MSHA got serious and forced ICG into compliance with many of it's regulations in no way stopped them from committing new ones when the back was turned.
And they have yet to learn their lesson as shown by the Upper Big Branch mining disaster:
Mine safety investigators are still searching for an exact cause, though the methane explosion, largely preventable by proper ventilation, is being closely examined. Investigators are also reviewing the record of safety violations at the Upper Big Branch mine, which amassed more than 1,100 violations in the past three years, many of them serious, including 50 of them in March 2010 for violations including improper ventilation of methane and poor escape routes. Federal regulators had ordered portions of the mine closed 60 times over the year preceding the explosion.[23]
In addition, the FBI has reportedly also launched a probe, investigating possible criminal wrongdoing at the mine, including criminal negligence and possible bribery of federal regulators.[24]
Because efforts to discipline Massey are nascent, or that attempts to tighten regulations are not yet present, we have no reaction from Dr. Paul concerning the preexisting violations that may have lead to these disasters. And keep in mind that he is running to become a Senator from Kentucky, a coal mining state. But we DO have his reaction to the government's actions in the Gulf:
Paul's defense of oil company BP PLC came during an interview as he tried to explain his controversial take on civil rights law, an issue that seemed to suddenly swamp his campaign after his victory in Tuesday's GOP primary.
'What I don't like from the president's administration is this sort of, 'I'll put my boot heel on the throat of BP,' Paul said in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America.' 'I think that sounds really un-American in his criticism of business.'
'May 20: Rand Paul says he 'unequivocally...will not support any efforts to repeal' the bill. NBC's John Yang reports.
Nightly News
On the oil spill, Paul, a libertarian and tea party favorite, said he had heard nothing from BP indicating it wouldn't pay for the spill that threatens devastating environmental damage along the Gulf of Mexico coast.
'And I think it's part of this sort of blame-game society in the sense that it's always got to be somebody's fault instead of the fact that maybe sometimes accidents happen," Paul said.'
Has Dr. Paul forgotten that BP neglected include acoustic off switches, that it lied about it's ability to fix oil leaks at 5000 feet?
What Dr. Paul and the Tea Party do not realize is that are no truly private companies. Only when a worker "sells" his or her labor to a company is there any semblance of a true "private sector." Every concern from the candy shop to the power company has customers, and therefore has an effect on the surrounding community.
If the local Mom and Pop store is allowed to discriminate, then that gives license to other members of a business community to do the same. This applies to all quasi - public utilities, and it applies to all other matters that concern the public at large where most of us feel that regulation is necessary. It applies to criminal law, and it applies to safety. You can't steal, and you have to fix the elevator cables. And yes, that means greasing the rails and casters.
Take your pick: Civil rights, mine safety, environmental security, corporate greed, etc. You can't hide behind the idea of "individual rights," just as a gun enthusiast can't pack heat on Federal property.
Dr. Paul, every business no matter how big or small, conducts itself as a quasi - public utility. They all have an effect on the community, either by improving it, or endangering it. The limits to libertarianism are quite clear.
One thing is certain. Rand Paul has revealed the Tea Party for what it is: a group of petty, selfish children who hate it when mommy or daddy slap their hands.
One good thing came out of this. Rand Paul and the Tea Party have through their idiocy given us a new pair of glasses with which to view the recent catastrophes. Laissez-faire or regulate? I say regulate! Regulate now!