THE BUSINESS OF THE STATE
NOVEMBER 3, 2010. As liberals are getting up off the floor this morning, their faces bleeding, and as they add up their losses in yesterday’s election and wonder what it means for their future, it’s worth reflecting on what government does, what it does as a matter of course and habit, what it gives and what it takes away.
First, government survives. Don’t forget that one. Like any group or organism, it wants to live. To accomplish that, it needs to grow. This, of course, isn’t a matter of constitutional function, it’s visceral.
Like any mafia, it develops partnerships toward that end. Unions, businessmen, special interests, professional victims, doctors, trade organizations. It seeks out common interests with these and other partners. And then we have pork. Tons of pork. The folks back home in the states need contracts and money.
Let’s focus on “professional victims,” in the abstract. Government has the very important job of seeking out and creating more and more victims, in perpetuity, because then it can help these victims, and in the process, grow larger.
If you represent left-handed gray-eyed partially bald therapy patients, and you can make a case, somehow, that this group is being put upon by society, you can go belly to belly with politicians. They will listen to you. They will do mental calculations and think about what your votes might mean. They will try to figure out a way to give you money.
In the best of all possible worlds for government, the whole population would be composed of victims.
At some point in the last century, government intellectuals began to realize their partnership with the AMA and other medical groups could pay off in unexpected ways. If researchers continued to invent categories and sub-categories of illnesses and diseases and mental disorders, and if more and more people placed themselves under the banner of PATIENT, from cradle to grave, this could work out very well for government.
Look at ObamaCare in that light.
On another front, if government could convince the public that open borders and endless immigration were policies flowing from humane intent, it could gather millions of new victims (and voters). The public has always been willing to support “charity” and overlook the cynicism behind the mask.
If teachers’ unions could be expanded and take over the education system, government could support these unions and place low-paid teachers on its list of “people who need help.”
Government is a fungus. Its job is to grow and expand.
And of course, the burgeoning tax system itself is a way to take money from people who earn it and give it to people who earn less. It’s a way to aid the extension of the fungus, if the people whose money is being taken can be convinced they’re doing a good thing.
Now, the last thing the government wants to be seen doing is LESS.
That would be a signal that government isn’t so important.
“We’re doing less this year. Isn’t that wonderful? Don’t you like us more for doing less?”
Are you kidding? That’s a step on the road to fungal suicide.
“Hell, why did we vote for you and put you there if you’re going to be doing less? We put you there to get something done. So do it. We don’t know what ‘it’ is, but do it. Show us you’re active. Get off your asses and make something happen.”
And this is where freedom comes in. With a little thought, we can figure out that if the government does less, the individual is freer.
Only one problem. Who is ready for more freedom? Who remembers what it means? Who is going to react to more freedom by applauding the government?
“Yeah, I’m going to help re-elect those guys because they did less and helped me get some more of that freedom.”
The citizen has his palms up. He’s weighing the alternatives. He’s got his scales. He’s testing and weighing.
“I can be free over here. Or I can be a victim over there. Which one is better?”
For many, many years, the horror movie called government has been:
FUNGUS MEETS VICTIM.
FUNGUS INVENTS VICTIM.
Did something change last night?
That depends on how many of the winners understand these issues and are willing to risk their careers and honor and reputation by burning the fungus.
JON RAPPOPORT
Jon Rappoport has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years. He is the author of a unique course for home schools and adults, LOGIC AND ANALYSIS. To make inquiries: qjrconsulting@gmail.com