I would like to expound upon the relationship between Big Government and Big Business; to prove exactly how our rights are being eroded, and to analyze the situation.
This is very big, folks. Bear with me whether you're from the left, right, or outside the two-party system. This affects you. First, the idea behind this Corporatism is defined by Robert Locke. It was also explained by Karl Marx, who called it Capitalism, but latter Marxists have not drawn realistic connections. This presentation will.
What Is Corporatism?
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...le.asp?ID=3054
I gotta give credit to Liberty Landing for referring me to this article in the first place. Now for my presentation.
I. Modern Powers
A. Obligatory Priviledges (Government)
B. Taxpayer Larceny (Corporate & Private)
C. Consumer Burden
D. The Corporatist Machine
E. Miscellaneous Powers
II. Summary Analysis
III. Conjecture
I. Modern Powers
The best way I can demonstrate this is from back to front. We'll start with today's corporate state and how it operates. The notable events of the past two years will serve for this example.
A. Obligatory Priviledges
(Free Speech)
You recall the FCC fining Clear Channel Communications for Howard Stern's broadcast. Clear Channel did not take it to court and was willing to cut Howard from it's stations. Why? Money. Think of the lawyer costs to this corporation.
The corporation cooperated with the unconstitutional portion of our government.
In another example, churches can lose their tax-exempt status if the pastors speak about politics. Why do they comply? Money.
(Self Defense)
A Pizza Hut delivery driver was fired for defending himself from a robber. We all know that we would lose our jobs if we carried a weapon to work and used it in the same fashion. Why? Money. Think of the Workman's Compensation rates the employer would have to dish out.
The employer cooperated with regulations.
In all these examples, notice the government forces
private entities (which are not US Citizens) into a position where they have to
pay for the private individuals, who are employed or in direct service thereof, to enjoy their rights. These entities, which mostly exist to turn a profit, respond by taking the path of least financial resistance.
Let's look at one more scenario. The government allows employers to use hours-for-dollars wage slavery. In this system, a company may obtain more production (labor) from it's workers for free. What's the catch? The government compulses those employers by regulation into Workman's Comp, Minimum Wage, Child Labor Laws, and Overtime; not to mention business taxes. The price of this priviledge is measurable.
I summarize these types of cases under the term Obligatory Priviledges. The Workman's Comp example is a unique case of OP, where the government obligates one private entity to another; which in turn mandates the otherwise unconstitutional rules implicitly. They are only applicable to businesses and organizations.
B. Taxpayer Larceny
Majority Leader Bill Frist pandered to the republican fundamentalist base (article between him and Robertson in google) with his Sanctity of Marriage Act in an attempt to prohibit gays from entering into lawful agreements with one another. Frist's brother owns a health care corporation, which stands to benefit from his Prescription Drug Benefit program. The social program was signed into law by president Bush, even to the dismay of Christian fundies!
Boeing asked the Federal Government for $20 billion, in response to their lost business post-911, and got it from Bush.
Social programs put private entities and individuals on the backs of the taxpayer. Social Security, Corporate & Individual Welfare, Food Stamps, etc all come out of the taxpayer's pocket without his/her consent and sometimes without his/her choice to use the program.
C. Consumer Burden
100% of corporate income taxes can be found within the cost of goods and services. Who pays Bill Gates taxes? You do. How? When you buy Windows at $199.99 (or whatever it is right now) Gates sends the government a portion of that in Income Tax. Without this tax, Gates would not have to charge you as much for Windows. Market competition therefore would reduce this price -- that is if there were any. Bad example, but this demonstrates how the government is a partial Owner of every business in America.
These costs add up. The manufacturer (Pepsi) pays income taxes on it's goods which are sold to commercial outlets (Food Lion, 76, BP, fast food joints.) In turn, the commercial businesses sell them again and pay income taxes on their profits. By the time you get the product, you've paid a portion of the income taxes on both big businesses as well as all the employees who work for them.
If I may demonstrate the difference, Pantry's owner corporation has just begun manufacturing it's own soda product line. Retail on this name brand for a 20 oz bottle is $.89 compared to Pepsi at $1.19. That's a 25% difference in price! How does this happen? Simple. This corporation doesn't have to pay Pepsi's income taxes this way.
In the long run, the price of goods is raised to staggering levels. This makes it hard on the consumer to purchase and to start up a business. Consumer burden restricts economic growth.
Ask yourself, "Am I paying too much taxes?" You are. You are working to pay for taxes on you and the people you buy things from. This is why you have to work as much as a modern man or woman to pay for the basic necessities.
D. The Corporatist Machine
Government works with the private sector to help the current system continue. I can prove this on the following points.
1. Public Education
2. Zoning
3. Political Deals
4. Business Licensing
Government schools do one thing that no one seems to disagree with. They teach kids to A) get your diploma, B) get into college, and C) get a job. There are 4 legal ways to make an income; investing money, selling property, jobs, and starting a business. You'll notice that the other 3 items require you to possess something. The school system does not teach people how to do any of these other items...but they'll teach you how to go get exploited. They'll
praise you for being a good cog in the corporatist machine. The only interest served by this is that of employers already out there in the marketplace. How? This discourages competition in the market, and encourages more competition in the workforce.
Zoning laws prohibit you from starting a business from your home. They also make it impossible for you to dig for gold, oil, plant a garden, raise livestock, build an electric generator, sell your land to an industry, or do anything that could save or profit you money. The businesses of today benefit directly from your inability to become independent. You become a customer just like everybody else.
If you are a homeowner, you gain an Obligatory Priviledge through your local government. Homeowner associations have used county councils to force unwanted residents out of the financial proximities of their homes to protect their land value. As you know, land values depend somewhat upon area. Government grants homeowner associations the power of Eminent Domain implicitly in return for compliance with existing zoning regulations which are against property rights.
Frist's deal is just one of many examples I can put up about how the two-party system works with individuals and companies to maintain the status quo. This example is peculiar only in that government increases in size and scope as a result of the deal. Supposing the church was able to give out welfare, it would benefit similarily by gaining new potential religious recruits. Corporate welfare is a major component in this; and FDIC insurance makes the taxpayer responsible for any bank which runs out of funds.
Business licensing seems to require everyone who wishes to sell a product or service to be a Business, yet flea markets have allowed independent people to sell their goods for many decades without such. I think the reason for this is that unless you sell $5500/yr worth of inventory, you don't have to have to pay income taxes on it. Nonetheless, the ability to make transactions is an Obligatory Priviledge. In order to do so, you must comply with all the existing regulations.
E. Miscellaneous Powers
Corporate bankruptcy law, according to Locke, allows a big business to run into the red and come back out in black just like our government; all at the expense of the taxpayer. By this and corporate welfare, all our corporations are on a form of financial life support...forever. This will exist as long as we are on a paper money supply that is declared legal tender by the government. So much for free market competition!
II. Summary Analysis
To begin this, I'd like to quote Double-L who said it perfectly:
Quote:
Originally posted by Liberty_Landing,
The entire purpose behind a totalitarian state is to win the people's cooperation in the war against their rights. The modern totalitarian state buys people's cooperation, which is why we've seen the rise of the welfare state. |
It is winning on the following fronts by selling Obligatory Priviledges:
--Businesses & Organizations against Free Speech & Self Defense; pinning establishments against new costs
--Homeowner's Associations against Property Rights; giving eminent-domain temporarily and implicitly
Summary Powers of the Corporate State:
--Partial Ownership of the means and Partial Control of production; which is the private sector
--Partial Ownership of the Citizenry; via income tax
--Power to Redistribute the Incomes of Taxpayers; corporate & individual welfare
--Power to Create and Manipulate the Value of Money
--Power to Grant Unconstitutional Power to the People
Summary Obligatory Priviledges of the Private Sector:
1. Employment (hours-for-dollars wage slavery)
Obligations: Minimum Wage, Workman's Comp, Affirmative Action, Child Labor, Overtime, Income Tax, etc
Translation: Tyranny
2. Commerce (selling)
Obligations: Business Licensing & compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.
Translation: Trade Permission
3. Financial Bailouts (from bankruptcy; also corporate and individual welfare)
Obligations: Compliance with program regulations; i.e. no welfare if you continue producing children
Translation: Financial Immortality; Competition Failsafe
4. Broadcasting Rights
Obligations: FCC regulations
Translation: Broadcasting Permission
5. Tax-Exempt Status (for organizations like churches)
Obligations: Compliance with status regulations; i.e. no politically-oriented sermons
Translation: Permission to Organize
6. Limited Eminent Domain (homeowner's associations)
Obligations: Compliance with zoning standards
Translation: Landlording
III. Conjecture
To my right-wing friends and especially ANY libertarians, you've gotta understand this corporatism issue. If you do not, you are in the dark. This is why the left thinks we're a bunch of dumb corporate sheep who are trying to give them free power. The left merely sets the price of that power and lets it be sold; but this is changing. Without the social regulations in place today, corporations would enjoy freedom from fiscal responsibility at absolutely no cost to them whatsoever. Therefore, our capitalist solutions must focus on attacking Obligatory Priviledges which are held by businesses and organizations. This will reduce the levels of corporate and socialist injustice. My commission worker proposal is a start, but there is much to be done. We cannot advance Economic Freedom until the government is out of the business of buying and selling power..and the Federal Reserve is shut down permanently.
And for you leftists, again I can't apologize enough for not seeing what's been going on. But look, you can raise minimum wage to $500/hr, you can create programs which put all the citizens on taxpayer support...none of that is going to stop Corporatism, because the companies can go broke and get bailed out by their buddies. The stress on our economy falls upon the working man. As long as your leaders are raising the price of these priviledges, could you see to it that businesses must display their prices in silver and gold? We capitalists appreciate your assistance in fighting corporatism.
Politics is now about money and power. Each major party tries to get money and power for it's favored constituency while recruiting sheep (who supposedly share values) who are in the dark as to the true nature of our system. The right serves the rich and the left serves the poor. The root cause of this system is people's faith in government to solve their economic problems. They do not trust the free market to deliver goods and services.
I need everyone's help to get the word out. It needs to be shown in it's entirety to the politically-inclined,
not rewritten or retold by another. Soon I will have a website launched with this information available, along with explanations on all the issues. Let's all work together, despite our differences.