Sunday, June 13, 2010

IMAGINE

Just imagine if George Bush had privatized Social Security before the derivative market collapsed. In fact, as a didactic exercise, imagine if there was no government at all! First, a majority of the senior population almost immediately would vanish like smoke in the wind. Without benefits and subsidies and social services and police protection, they would cease to exist. And, for an economy that depends on consumption for 70% of it's juice, this would be apocalyptic.

The wealthy would have to form coops and fund armies to protect the borders from countries that have governments. They would have to fund highways and build and maintain airports for their private jets. They would also have to fund medical research, since they would be the only ones with access to health care. They would also need domestic armies to protect themselves from insurgents that would be sharpening guillotines. They would have to spend most of their wealth just to protect themselves both internally and externally. And there would be no patriotism. The only "allegiance" would be to the coin of the realm. Life would be "nasty, brutish, and short."

The institution of slavery would almost certainly return. This scenario obviously would not accommodate democracy in any form. And I believe, though I could be wrong, this is not what the founding fathers had in mind and what American history teaches us.

Imagine if Rick Scott, the economic pedophile, didn't exist. Imagine if commentators like Beck and Limbaugh; self-proclaimed entertainers that have done nothing in their lives to better this country or its people, didn't exist. Like the well at the bottom of the gulf, they spew toxicity, only in the form of hate propaganda and misinformation. They impede progress (look this word up in the dictionary), and make millions doing it thanks to liberty afforded by our government and the fear and selfishness of some Americans.