The Pernicious Effects of Deregulation
One of the main effects of deregulation is that people can go into government with the mentality that they can do whatever they want to. The constant refrain of people who support deregulation is, "NOBODY TELLS ME WHAT TO DO!"
The obstensible argument that the right is presenting is that the size of government is too large and that there are way too many rules and regulations. But when you hire ideologues with that kind of mentality, that rules should go the way of the Dodobird, then why should I enforce any rules that are already on the books? Thus, the Republicans are putting their foot in their mouths -- what they are really advocating is no rules at all so that they can do whatever they want.
What they really want is something no different than unruly kids want from their parents -- the freedom to stay up at 2 in the morning, take candy bars to school, eat only snacks and pop all afternoon, the freedom to take the car out whenever they want.
The culture of corruption and the constant GOP whining about rules and regulations are directly related. There have been attempts to live with as few rules as possible. In fact, Booman Tribune tried to go by one rule -- Don't be a Prick. And it worked for a long time. But even Booman finally had to cave in and develop rules to show people what was expected of them and what isn't liked.
Hobbes explained the need for rules perfectly -- if we don't have rules, then people will come to the point where they think they can do whatever they want. Man would revert to a state of nature where people would kill or be killed. Somalia and Iraq are two perfect examples of what happens when the basic structure of government breaks down. People take matters into their own hands and substitute loyalty to clan or tribe over loyalty to government.
When you are born into a government or you move to another country, you give up certain rights. You agree to live by the rules that the government sets out for you. You agree to give up the right to take matters into your own hands and give that right up to the government. Government breaks down when people decide that they no longer want to live by the rules they agreed to, but want to go their own way and do their own thing.
Now, it could be argued at this point that we threw off the British oppressors and that therefore revolt can be justified. But there is a big difference between the whining by the Republicans over too much rules and regulations and the throwing off of dictators by our forefathers. If a government suppresses basic human rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press, then revolt could be justified -- witness the Orange Revolution, the Cedar Revolution, or the collapse of Communism. There is no comparison between people who want to overthrow the reigns of tyranny and people who revolt because they do not like such things as the Clean Air Act. Revolting against the British was a revolt by the people for the common good. Revolting against laws that are for the common good, like protecting our skies, is what the Republicans are doing.
There is a certain doublethink evident in the Republican 2-year-old whines about rules and regulations. Modern Conservative thought involves the holding of two opposites. On the one hand, Conservatives always whine about the extent of rules and regulations. But on the other hand, they are always whining about how us Liberals are always permissive with their children and would let them do whatever they want, such as New Age hocus pocus, premarital sex, homosexual behavior, and having abortions.
They can't have it both ways. The problem with that kind of mentality is that rules are always for the other person and never for them. Thus, the only time Conservatives have use for rules is when they are for the other person. They always whine about fiscal irresponsibility on our parts; however, neither Reagan nor Bush have ever balanced a budget.
The key to unraveling the GOP ideology is not just to debunk their words, but to debunk their actions. Because by their actions, we can see what the Republicans really mean when they whine about rules and regulations. By their actions, what they really want is the freedom to torture. And by his silence, John McCain gave his consent to Bush to declare that he did not have to obey the anti-torture bill after he signed it into law.
By their actions, they do not care if wealthy corporations want to soak the poor. For example:
Jersey Central Power & Light customers will see their bills jump by 14 percent, or $13.30 a month, pushing the average monthly bill to $106.72. Customers of Public Service Electric & Gas, the state's largest utility, will be hit with an 11.7 percent increase, or $10.86 more a month, increasing the average monthly tab to $103.65.
Consumers may not see any dip in electric prices soon, others warned. Next year, the utilities will buy power to replace contracts signed in 2005 when the average residential price amounted to 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour.
By their actions, they do not care if wealthy corporations want to gouge the poor and the elderly -- who are most suceptible to such price fluctuations.
(Personal note: I couldn't help but ramble on to Edith about a situation involving a friend of mine that happened in Washington DC about a year and a half ago. I'll share it now with you. This friend had a pretty frightening seizure while working in the Senate. She was admitted into a very well-regarded Foggy Bottom hospital, then came back home with my partner and I to stay the night. After another terrifying seizure on our couch, we called 911. By this time, it was late in the evening and it became clear at the hospital that there plan of care was to plop her in a bed and leave her be. They just didn't have the nurses on duty, they said, to check on her very often, if at all. As I remember it, there were three nurses working the unit that night. We said we were worried about our friend's safety and asked what are options were. Your options, we were told, are either you stay all night and watch her or you don't. We stayed. Staffing matters.)
By their actions, they do not care if friends and loved ones are in the hospitals begging for the lives of people they care for. And this was supposedly one of the better hospitals of that city.
And by their actions, they tell me that theirs is an apocalyptic worldview. They think, based on their refusal to accept laws against pollution, that the world is going to come to an end anyway and that either Jesus will come and rapture them out of it or that we are all going to die anyway and they might as well control as much of the world's resources as possible. That is the worldview behind the current Neocon worldview of imperialist dominance through the Oil Empire. Regulations are the biggest obstacle to this for them.
So, whenever you see pieces whining about how the Big Bad Government is taking away the Freedom of the Markets to do whatever they want, we need to recognize it for what it is -- elephant dung. We should tell them to be a good boy and turn off the lights and go back to bed -- no means no.
The fact that too man people have decided to ditch rules and do their own thing is the reason why we have gotten to where we are today.
