Am I the only one to notice the overuse and abuse by both major parties of the perjorative term "un-American"? As an active supporter of the modern day tea party movement, I urge those of us who wish to be effective in grassroots politics to strive to use accurate and honest language when referring to our opponents and play fair in this debate even if they won't.
Fight for principle and live by the words you cherish. Remember that your words define you. Don't be discouraged in our shared fight for a greater respect of indiviual liberty. Remind yourself at Tea Parties to read great works of daily publications like: Taki-Mag, American Conservative Magazine, Lew Rockwell, Mises Institute, and even this blog. Don't be afraid to be firm in your opinions; over the past three years that I've been involved in politics, I have been discouraged, shouted down, and harassed more by people who were simply ignorant of how much I actually agreed with them than by anybody on the opposition. And to close I have to say in the words of the great Lew Rockwell:
"It's not left vs. right; it's the state vs. you."
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"It's not left vs. right; it's the state vs. you."
I think the big picture of struggle for power in USA politics is actually more of a cut-throat ménage à trois: state - corporations - voters.
Each group has its own factions, but the power players are state and corporations. Both are rather successful at manipulating the voting populace which rarely poses meaningful resistance to either. And both would have you think that it is the other group vs you.
Without the state, voters wouldn't exist and corporations would be nothing more than groups of people with a contract between them. So the even bigger picture is still "state vs. you".
"Without the state, voters wouldn't exist..."
You wouldn't exist? Or do you mean that individuals would no longer have any fractional, unilateral power over society? I thought libertarians were into voting with their feet.
"...corporations would be nothing more than groups of people with a contract between them."
Isn't that what they are today?
"So the even bigger picture is still 'state vs. you.'"
I don't know what big picture you hope for, but without the state it sounds like corporations vs. you. And that would make you a consumer-voter in the new corporate government. I don't think corporations will be taking any direct orders from you. Power does what it will, and groups of people with contracts will be more powerful than you the individual.
In spaghetti westerns, who holds the power in tumbleweed towns? It's always the big cattle man who can hire the guns or a wandering group of outlaws. The regular folk always feel somebody's spurs. :)
I'm pretty sure he means that people wouldn't function as voters, exercising majority rule over others. Clearly he's not saying that peole would simply vanish.
Corporations today are often far more than this; in many cases they recieve considerable "corporate welfare" or other government favoritism at the taxpayers' expense.
They're more powerful now because they're granted extra-market power through collusion with the state. Without those benefits, they would, in fact, be forced to "take orders" from the consumer -- and they'd go out of business if they didn't.
"I'm pretty sure he means that people wouldn't function as voters, exercising majority rule over others."
Not exercising rule over others...and corporations?
The procedures of our state actually have a number of balances against majority rule. It's in the wild west where people are lynched willy-nilly by angry mobs or unstoppable cattle barons.
If there is anything that follows majority rule, it's a well functioning market. And whatever power you don't have over others is power you don't have over "groups of people with a contract between them."
"Corporations today are often far more than this; in many cases they recieve considerable 'corporate welfare' or other government favoritism at the taxpayers' expense."
Can corporations become considerably more powerful than you without the state?
"They're more powerful now because they're granted extra-market power through collusion with the state. Without those benefits, they would, in fact, be forced to 'take orders' from the consumer -- and they'd go out of business if they didn't."
Like a party voted out of power? :)
The state also limits the power of corporations and protects you from them in the process. As corporations grow in power, they can drive out competition and erode your passive power of consumption. After all, you trade because you need, not to directly express your feelings about how a company conducts itself. Size matters in the market. And you are very, very small. :(
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What a powerful quote! It's not right or left, it's the state versus you! I wish more people weren't so focused on liberal or conservative and instead decided to do what is best for everyone as a whole. We are too selfish! Great post, thanks for inspiring me!
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Amen to this. I hate playing dirty. If you can't win with honesty you don't deserive to be there.
The most shameful behavior I've ever done is, one defines the meaning of a word, while giving a speech in public. little girls dresses