I've been reading and thinking through this idea for a while now and commented back to this post but still don't have a real sense of how we would be better off if Ron Paul were elected. I understand the principles he stands behind and some of them hold real interest for me. With so many politicians deep in corporate pockets, would any of Ron Paul's ideals and principles survive the checks and balances of our government?
What do I agree with...
- Ending our foreign wars
- Scaling back the Industrial War Machine
- Ending Corporate Personhood (need more assurance he believes in this)
- Legalization of hemp
- Examining and/or limiting and the impacts and process of the Federal Reserve
- Ending Income Tax
Where do we separate...
- Climate change
- Abortion
- Free Market economy
- States' rights
Climate Change and Abortion are hot buttons so I'm going to put them on the back burner, they do little to improve the discourse. All I will say is I did not always believe as I do on those things but have changed my view over several years of examination.
Free Market and States' Rights, while hot issues, still provide some room for discussion without delving quite so deeply into very personal ideology so that's my focus. They are also deeply intertwined.
The current economic crisis stems fairly directly from the lack of regulations on the banking industry. Fannie Mae/Freddy Mac played their parts definitely. I am still open to other outlooks and looking for more but this seems pretty accurate and ties in to another view of this economic mess from last year: The Real Cause of the Crash of 2008
Allowing the market to control itself has not worked to date. Every attempt to deregulate has resulted in the eventual economic mess we see now as far back as the S&L Crisis. A move to States' Rights presents problems as well. One only need look at Texas education cutbacks for the 2012 budget, Wisconsin unrest over union-busting and other states following suit to see a growing pattern. With no national rules in place the states are running rough-shod over public interests.
Such legislative manipulations all appear to be a concerted push towards privatization with little to no evidence of public benefit; many, thanks to model bills pushed by ALEC. Without federal regulations the states will continue these patterns and more private institutions will develop in place of public services. Corporations are pushing our civil justice system into increasingly compliant rulings; tort "reform", damage caps, forced arbitration... all epitomized in Citizen's United v. FEC does anyone really think privatized services for security, education, unemployment, healthcare, etc. will be enough? Will a substantial number of corporations stand up to be significant contributors to the American standard of living again instead of only looking at the bottom line?
In many ways the 50s were backwards; sexual inequality, racial discrimination, misogyny... but one portion of society made great strides, we took care of our workers. Large corporations put forward housing developments and true employee incentive programs acknowledging worker pride as the most effective means for ensuring the success of their product. These days we seek formulas to eek out the best consumer approval rating as we outsource jobs with nothing mitigating those losses or ensuring product quality. We need to look to our past.
A strong middle class does wonders to ensure a sustained economy. Providing that same group with company benefits that mean truly improved standards of living ensures a solid support base and care for quality of your brand. Now those same companies look to shave jobs and costs to focus entirely on the bottom line.
In many ways the 50s were backwards; sexual inequality, racial discrimination, misogyny... but one portion of society made great strides, we took care of our workers. Large corporations put forward housing developments and true employee incentive programs acknowledging worker pride as the most effective means for ensuring the success of their product. These days we seek formulas to eek out the best consumer approval rating as we outsource jobs with nothing mitigating those losses or ensuring product quality. We need to look to our past.
A strong middle class does wonders to ensure a sustained economy. Providing that same group with company benefits that mean truly improved standards of living ensures a solid support base and care for quality of your brand. Now those same companies look to shave jobs and costs to focus entirely on the bottom line.
I truly wish I could see a way to separate States' Rights from Corporatism but ALEC and many of our state leaders do little to inspire confidence in such plans.
When looking at the designs ensconced by Ron Paul as legislator and the complete lack of support in many bills he has proposed I see his administration, should it come to fruit, as one that will be even more stonewalled by a Congress deeply embedded in the corporate wallet.
If you are a Democrat, there are still many Congressional champions. We need to seek those out and add to their numbers then solidify support behind the President we elected in 2008. Two years without a Senate super-majority capable of bypassing obstructionist filibusters combined with unlimited corporate spending led us to the 2010 mid-term elections. Following the conservative tax cut plans will get us no closer to improving the condition of Our homes, cities, states or country.
When looking at the designs ensconced by Ron Paul as legislator and the complete lack of support in many bills he has proposed I see his administration, should it come to fruit, as one that will be even more stonewalled by a Congress deeply embedded in the corporate wallet.
If you are a Democrat, there are still many Congressional champions. We need to seek those out and add to their numbers then solidify support behind the President we elected in 2008. Two years without a Senate super-majority capable of bypassing obstructionist filibusters combined with unlimited corporate spending led us to the 2010 mid-term elections. Following the conservative tax cut plans will get us no closer to improving the condition of Our homes, cities, states or country.
