[sparkscoffee] Re: Favors and Loot for Sale
- From: "" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "Sblumen123@xxxxxxx" for DMARC)
- To: sparkscoffee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 13:03:48 -0400
RR
The usual hook, line and sinker capitalist, anti socialist clap trap about
big government ruining our
country.
Comrade B
In a message dated 9/9/2014 11:16:23 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
ristad@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
The Founding Fathers were not unaware that "times change." But in the
whirlwind of life they saw that reason and experience could and had
demonstrated that there were unchanging qualities to the human condition,
grounded in
the fundamental political idea of individual rights.
They understood the various mantles that tyranny could take on – including
the cloak of false benevolence in the form of compulsory redistribution of
wealth. They established a constitutional order that was meant to guard us
from the plunder of violent and greedy men, while leaving each of us that
wide latitude of personal and economic freedom in which we could find our
own meanings for life, and adapt to new circumstances consistent with our
conscience and concerns.
This is what made America great. This is what made a country in which
individuals could say without embarrassment or conceit that they were "proud
to
be Americans."- See more at:
http://thedailybell.com/editorials/35634/Richard-Ebeling-Proud-to-be-an-American-What-Should-It-Mean/#sthash.120AKuSg.dpuf
By _Walter E. Williams_
(http://www.lewrockwell.com/author/walter-e-williams/?post_type=article)
September 9, 2014
During the 2012 presidential campaign, Barack Obama raised a little over
$1 billion, while Mitt Romney raised a little under $1 billion.
Congressional candidates raised over $3.5 billion. In 2013, there were 12,341
registered lobbyists and $3.2 billion was spent on lobbying. During the years
the
Clintons have been in national politics, they’ve received at least $1.4
billion in contributions, according to Time magazine and the Center for
Responsive Politics, making them “The First Family of Fundraising.”
Here are my questions to you: Why do people and organizations cough up
billions of dollars to line political coffers? One might answer that these
groups and individuals are simply extraordinarily civic-minded Americans who
have a deep and abiding interest in encouraging elected officials to live up
to their oath of office to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution.
Another possible answer is that the people who spend these billions of dollars
on
politicians just love participating in the political process. If you
believe either of these explanations for coughing up billions for politicians,
you’re probably a candidate for psychiatric attention, a straitjacket and a
padded cell.
A far better explanation for the billions going to the campaign coffers of
Washington politicians and lobbyists lies in the awesome government power
and control over business, property, employment and other areas of our
lives. Having such power, Washington politicians are in the position to grant
special privileges, extend favors, change laws and do other things that if
done by a private person would land him in jail.
The major component of congressional power is the use of the IRS to take
the earnings of one American to give to another.
The Dow Chemical Co. posted record lobbying expenditures last year,
spending over $12 million. Joined by Alcoa, who spent $3.5 million, Dow
supports
the campaigns of congressmen who support natural gas export restrictions.
Natural gas is a raw material for both companies. They fear natural gas
prices would rise if export restrictions were lifted. Dow and other big users
of natural gas make charitable contributions to environmentalists who seek
to limit natural gas exploration. Natural gas export restrictions empower
Russia’s Vladimir Putin by making Europeans more dependent on Russian natural
gas.
General Electric spends tens of millions of dollars lobbying. Part of
their agenda was to help get Congress to outlaw incandescent light bulbs so
that they could sell their more expensive compact fluorescent bulbs. It should
come as no surprise that General Electric is a contributor to global
warmers who helped convince Congress that incandescent bulbs were destroying
the
planet.
These are just two examples, among thousands, of the role of money in
politics. Most concerns about money in politics tend to focus on relatively
trivial matters such as the costs of running for office and interest-group
influence on Congress and the White House. The bedrock problem is the awesome
power of Congress. We Americans have asked, demanded and allowed
congressmen to ignore their oaths of office and ignore the constitutional
limitations
imposed on them. The greater the congressional power to give handouts and
grant favors and make special privileges the greater the value of being
able to influence congressional decision-making. There’s no better influence
than money.
-RR
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