Bush lied, people died! Ted Kennedy is a drunken, human dirigible! The
Republicans are immoral, corrupt --- running a criminal enterprise! The
Democrats are Socialists in sheep's clothing! Only in America do we use
the word 'politics' to describe our political system so well: 'Poli' in
Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures.'
It's entertaining (and never dull) watching Republicans and Democrats vie
with each other to tell us who will do the most for us --- with our own
money. But why the despicable statements? "If there is any justice, he'll
get AIDs and his grandchildren will die of it." Or, "I'll be watching,
hoping someone shoots him!" Or "Gingrich should be hanged!"
Why the venom, viciousness and vitriolic claims and counterclaims from
candidates who otherwise are friendly, courteous and quite likeable,
regardless of political affiliation when you meet them face to face. Are
the stakes really so high?
Yes. The stakes are humongous and politicians hope voters won't notice
what's really going on behind the scenes. The federal government spends an
incomprehensible $2.7 trillion dollars annually. To get "their" fair share
of the fishes and the loaves through a symbiotic relationship, voters are
contributing more than $800 million to candidates to get "their" people
elected. Inasmuch as all political power is derived from what government
can do to you or for you, collectively, political campaigns are about how
trillions of dollars will be spent and who gets what.
Whoever wins clinches the power to pay for thousands of things for which
never in a million years would ordinary people pay with their own money.
Among them: Art Photographs of streaming toilet paper unrolling when
thrown from an airplane; $315 million for "a bridge to nowhere;" and
incredibly, $2 billion annually "trying" to prove global warming is
manmade. C'mon, for $2 billion who wouldn't say humans cause global
warming? Just follow the money, "the mother's milk of politics." Dishing
out $2.7 trillion is a humongous amount of political power.
Once upon a time taxes were collected only to support legitimate functions
of government; to protect private property and people from criminals and
foreign aggressors; to invoke a common system of justice; and to create a
fair field without favor. (See the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution).
Today, most money the government spends is for not for traditional
purposes. Most tax money comes from the middle class to subsidize the
middle class (prescription drugs to golf courses) with the government
taking a customary "handling charge." Why the middle class? Because, as
Willie Sutton the bank robber said, "That's where the money is." It's also
where the votes are.
Voters, in ever-increasing numbers, look to who promises the greatest
benefits (to be paid by someone else). In loose terms, Republicans fund
the military-industrial complex. Democrats fund the poverty, educational,
environmental complex. Illusions, deceptions and lofty appeals, such as
"it's for the children," are indispensable. However, Albert Shanker, a
longtime president of the American Federation of Teachers, let the cat out
of the bag when he said, "I'll start representing kids when kids start
paying union dues."
Another lofty appeal is "national defense." The government and Northrop
Grumman, in a symbiotic relationship, proposed building the stealth bomber
at a cost of $800 million each in 383 congressional districts in 46
states. Why do you suppose? Efficiency? The point is not to legitimatize
national defense or education, but to demonstrate the humongous stakes in
politics. While national defense and education may be legitimate, there
are thousands of indefensible government programs (aka congressional
earmarks/pork) involving trillions of dollars that are questionable. And
that's what elections are about: money, who spends it and who gets it.
George Washington once said, "Government is not reason, it is not
eloquence, it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful
master."
In the private market, all legal transactions are voluntary based on
persuasion. Consumers discriminate when spending their own money.
Government transactions, however, are based on forced taxation, coercion
and favoritism. For instance, politicians, businesses and
environmentalists who cannot get people to support them voluntarily must
resort to force and favor from government.
Politicians have the power to take your money, property and life. Even the
two richest billionaires in America, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates cannot
do this together.
Murray Rothbard defined the essence of government as: "There is us and
there is the Government. If, then, the Government is not 'us,' if it is
not 'the human family' getting together to decide mutual problems, if it
is not a lodge meeting or country club, what is it? "Briefly, the
Government is that organization in society which attempts to maintain a
monopoly of the use of force and violence in a given territorial area. In
particular, it is the only organization in society that obtains its
revenue not by voluntary contribution or payment for services rendered but
by coercion."
This is why government must be bound down by the chains of the
Constitution. Otherwise, as H.L. Mencken said, "Every election is a sort
of advance auction sale of stolen goods."
__________________________________________________________________
Schnaubelt, president of Citizens for
Private Property Rights, has been a commercial real estate
broker for 39
years and was a San Diego City Councilman from 1977-81.
____________________________________________________________________________
Fred Schnaubelt