OT: protectionist practices?

[Darrin Chandler]

On Fri, Jun 01, 2007 at 10:47:22AM -0700, Fritz wrote:

> Government itself has no interest.  However, the politicians occupying
> it at any given time certainly do.  Most politicians like giving
> speeches and getting re-elected and in todays times there's no better
> way to get re-elected than to "sell your services" to potentially
> large campaign donors.

I learned from science teachers, science books, and systems analyst
consultants that the value of a model is not how close it is to reality,
but how well it can be used to predict behavior.

The reality is that there's no such thing as "The Government" since it's
merely a collection of people, with individual motivations,
proclivities, strengths and faults. Not just politicians, but staffers
and civil servants.

However, it is extremely useful to think of government as an actual
entity in severeal ways. Notably, it tends to fight to keep power it has
gained and keep control over resources (money) it has gained.

> Our federal government has evolved into the "stick-up gun" for large,
> private, corporate interests:  in essence a wealth transfer mechanism.
> 
> A question for all the libertarian, Second Amendment fans on this list:
> When there's a handgun shooting do you blame the gun or the shooter?

I don't agree. While corporations and other lobbying groups have
influence, and interests diverging from mine, I have trouble holding
them culpable. I hold the government accountable (through my
representatives). The government is not a "gun" being wielded by others.
It's a system meant to represent us and act in the interest of the
public good.

We have means of influencing the government and holding it accountable.
That certain groups seem to have disproportionate influence is merely a
reflection that MOST people DON'T BOTHER to exercise their right to
vote, or to write to their representative / senator / governor /
president.

Thinking of the government as a mere "gun" means it is only a tool in
the hands of someone else. That absolves them of all wrongdoing. Since
we are able and meant to control our own government, this also absolves
US of all wrongdoing. It's shucking our responsibility, and it's
nonsense.

If every angry talk show caller and every irrate mailing list / web
forum participant actually wrote to their representative and voted then
our government would be a lot different than it is.

I know that some of you DO actually do these things. Good for you, and
keep at it!

-- 
Darrin Chandler            |  Phoenix BSD User Group  |  MetaBUG
dwchandler at stilyagin.com   |  http://phxbug.org/      |  http://metabug.org/
http://www.stilyagin.com/  |  Daemons in the Desert   |  Global BUG Federation