When this country was founded, government was essentially seen as a necessary evil. It was something we needed, but only in very small doses — otherwise, it would become toxic.
Well, now, government is for the most part just evil. And definitely toxic. It’s grown far too powerful to be a force for good, and it’s because we’ve let it grow too powerful. How? And what, if anything, can we do to stop it, if not reverse it?
Conservative author and commentator John Hayward delved into that today in another one of his must-read threads:
Capitalism and self-government are inextricably linked. If the people don't control their property and labor, they have no autonomy that cannot be taken away from them by politicians.
To keep this link healthy, it is essential to build the highest wall between MONEY and POWER.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
Of course money and power cannot be fully separated – it's terribly naïve to think so. But we should be aware that wealthy people are interested in buying political influence, and if they accumulate too much, they can damage that vital link between free markets and freedom.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
There is a natural tendency in successful free markets for capital to centralize – and political power follows it to become dangerously centralized too. Prosperous endeavors grow, successful investors invest more, and consumers reap benefits from growing corporations.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
The problem is that as Big Business gets bigger, it develops more of an appetite for Big Government. This has become painfully obvious over the past generation, but it shouldn't be surprising. Corporate titans want to become political titans too. Politicians want their money.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
The power of Big Government can be used for the benefit of Big Business, by imposing regulations that burden smaller competitors and "socializing" costs that large corporations would otherwise pay themselves. Let Gov and Biz grow large enough, and they inevitably fuse together.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
Today we're seeing dire examples of the greatest danger lurking in that fusion: the erosion of individual freedom and autonomy that comes with placing corporate power at the disposal of politicians. Private sector "partners" can enforce political agendas in ways the State cannot.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
The "Great Reset" we SHOULD be talking about right now is forcibly separating political and corporate power. Capitalism is a vital element of freedom that must be protected from politicians… and, sometimes, from capitalists. Big Biz and Big Gov must be separated.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
You could describe this fusion of corporate and political power as corruption, but unfortunately too many anti-corruption "activists "cling to the fantasy of Clean Big Government, a dangerous faith that corruption can only be purged by making the State even MORE powerful.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
That's the heart of the problem: there are no Clean Big Governments. Leviathan states are INHERENTLY corrupt. They just pass laws and speech codes that prevent anyone from calling out their corruption. They normalize it by rebranding it as policies and mandates.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
There's really only one reliable way to minimize corruption, to prevent Big Biz and Big Gov from fornicating, to keep wealthy interest from buying power and ambitious politicians from selling it: the value of power must be reduced to bring down demand.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
If politicians weren't such a good investment, special interests wouldn't spend so much money buying them. The rule of law is essential to preserving both economic and political freedom, which are twins joined forever by the nature of choice and consequence.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
The rule of law demands honestly, clarity, and impartiality. You'll never get any of that while politicians view themselves as heavyweight players in the game they're supposed to be impartially overseeing. The endgame of capitalism must not be the acquisition of political power.
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
Politicians view capital as a club, a weapon they can use to coerce the population into "correct" thinking and behavior. Billionaires view political power as a form of super-capital only they can afford to buy. We urgently need to adjust the attitudes of both groups. /end
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) January 12, 2022
Well said. As usual.