So, grumble, grumble . . . . .
The mid-term elections were strange, indeed. Republicans, on the whole, offered no ideas. Democrats assumed a defensive position and offered very little. The superficial result, 63.6% of registered voters stayed home. Who, then, is going to solve the problems of continuous warfare, the lack of research and development, infrastructure maintenance, the US economy, and who will reign in the Wall Street robber-barons? Who will address the issues of equality, environment and the U.S. quality of life issues? Answer: no one that I know of.
Amongst our several elected officials, we must ask what their motivation was to de-motivate the electorate? Money? You can bet your ass that money moves mind-sets whether it comes in the form of a campaign contribution, a quid-pro-quo bribe or fear of another’s well-funded PAC. Money, corporate, the 1%; their contributions dwarf anything you have in mind. So, what do the big boys want? Control!!
Corporations want to control government policy for their benefit, but too much control equals "Corporatism”, a form of fascism. Go ahead, look it up. You have doubts? I should say, we are on the road to fascism. I have said this since Goldwater and the John Birch Society jumped out of the political shrubbery. This is my last warning – I’m getting much too old for this kind of grumbling.
No one listened to me, no one listened to Caseylaw when he/she posted this last April. The subject is money. The example is Koch Brother money and what they want.
The following is the Koch Brother’s goal as expressed by David Koch in 1980 when he ran for Vice-President as a Libertarian. I have also observed that the Tea Party is eating these ideas up, little by little, and here we are.
Here are just a few excerpts of the Libertarian Party platform that David Koch ran on in 1980:
“We urge the repeal of federal campaign finance laws, and the immediate abolition of the despotic Federal Election Commission.”
“We favor the abolition of Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
“We oppose any compulsory insurance or tax-supported plan to provide health services, including those which finance abortion services.”
“We also favor the deregulation of the medical insurance industry.”
“We favor the repeal of the fraudulent, virtually bankrupt, and increasingly oppressive Social Security system. Pending that repeal, participation in Social Security should be made voluntary.”
“We propose the abolition of the governmental Postal Service. The present system, in addition to being inefficient, encourages governmental surveillance of private correspondence. Pending abolition, we call for an end to the monopoly system and for allowing free competition in all aspects of postal service.”
“We oppose all personal and corporate income taxation, including capital gains taxes.”
“We support the eventual repeal of all taxation.”
“As an interim measure, all criminal and civil sanctions against tax evasion should be terminated immediately.”
“We support repeal of all law which impede the ability of any person to find employment, such as minimum wage laws.”
“We advocate the complete separation of education and State. Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools and colleges should be ended.”
“We condemn compulsory education laws … and we call for the immediate repeal of such laws.”
“We support the repeal of all taxes on the income or property of private schools, whether profit or non-profit.”
“We support the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency.”
“We support abolition of the Department of Energy.”
“We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the Department of Transportation.”
“We demand the return of America's railroad system to private ownership. We call for the privatization of the public roads and national highway system.”
“We specifically oppose laws requiring an individual to buy or use so-called "self-protection" equipment such as safety belts, air bags, or crash helmets.”
“We advocate the abolition of the Federal Aviation Administration.”
“We advocate the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration.”
“We support an end to all subsidies for child-bearing built into our present laws, including all welfare plans and the provision of tax-supported services for children.”
“We oppose all government welfare, relief projects, and ‘aid to the poor’ programs. All these government programs are privacy-invading, paternalistic, demeaning, and inefficient. The proper source of help for such persons is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals.”
“We call for the privatization of the inland waterways, and of the distribution system that brings water to industry, agriculture and households.”
“We call for the repeal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.”
“We call for the abolition of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.”
“We support the repeal of all state usury laws.”
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Okay, you don’t like these government policy ideas, so, what are you going to do about them?