The Ups and Downs

The cycle is gaining more frequency. The ups and downs of things and people we like, or even just notice, get to be more rapid than a preteen pop star. It’s cool to like one day and so yesterday the next.

Democrats were high when they captured majorities in the legislative branch and the White House, only to see things come apart almost immediately. Their demise is widely expected this fall, as opponents hope that the economy doesn’t turn rapidly for the better and derail their opposition momentum.

I never remember when the “what have you done for me lately” crowd held so much sway. There are the adamant Republican supply-siders who, despite recent history containing abundant truth to the contrary, still believe that less regulation, taxes, and government, in general, will solve all of our problems.

We have been doing this since the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, and it has accomplished three things. We have suffered through a myriad of economic failures, brought on by the lack of regulation and the attitude in the culture of “Greed is Good.” We can start with Iran Contra, which showed us that even congress couldn’t stop a war the inside zealots feel is necessary. We can move on to Banking Crisis I, Enron, the Internet Bubble, Madoff, and finally the Housing Bubble, or Banking Crisis II. These events caused more havoc and began the culture of Wall Street wins the general public loses or, as most refer to it, the “Too Big to Fail Syndrome.”

The second thing this economic theory has done is fuel an anti-tax movement that is “Too Big to Ignore.” It has contributed significantly to the class struggle in our society, although in a strange way. Somehow, what’s left of the middle class and a surprising number of struggling families have become convinced that by letting the wealthy have more of the money, somehow (and this is difficult for me to get my mind around) they, the little folks, will prosper.

The healthcare debate was a great example. Never was so much money and effort expended to derail an attempt to change a failed policy. One on one, most politicians admit that our healthcare system doesn’t work. Market forces don’t work the same in healthcare unless we are willing to let the poor die in the streets, but they're somehow in the mentality of the no-tax / no government people that the way around this is to keep on doing the same thing, only more.

The third thing is the demonization, some would say criminalization, of the working class and poor people. They, if you read between the lines, are the problem. They suck up treasury with all social welfare programs, drop out of school, have babies in their teens, join gangs, drink too much, do drugs, abandon their families, and don’t work. Frankly, that doesn’t sound like a day at the beach to me, and effectively that picture doesn’t reflect reality. Even if these people are working and can’t make a go of it, somehow it’s their fault they get sick, lose their job or otherwise fail.

The US spent billions in Iraq rebuilding the infrastructure, including schools. As soon as the Legislature passed the “Economic Stimulus Legislation,” the opponents started to call it socialism.

I will repeat this and repeat this until someone proves me wrong. All politicians are Taxers and Spenders. If you want to live in a country where only the very wealthy can enjoy the benefits, if you want to continue to finance the largest standing military organization in the world at the expense of good roads, functioning schools, cities that work, basic healthcare for everyone, we can continue to think in terms of “free markets and minimal government.”

If you want to admit that people can do dumb things left to their own devices, reasonable consumer protections and serious consequences for violators will go a long way to evening up the rules. If we start concentrating on making life better for all of our citizens rather than just the wealthy, investing in the infrastructure, cleaning up the environment, and reforming education would go a long way.

Don’t get me wrong; I see nothing wrong with getting rich. Some of my friends are really rich. But in all honesty, how much is enough, and what are the restraints on wealth? There are definite restraints on labor. While thousands lose their jobs, hundreds glide slowly to the ground with their version of the golden parachute. I’m for tax reform. Let’s quit fooling ourselves that giving more wealth to the rich is good economic and social policy.