Follow the Money

Liberals seem to have an aversion to "evil corporations" (well, unless they are in cahoots with a local government to take a private citizen's property away, but that's another story). In general, it's because the corporations wield such great power over us regular slobs with their vast amounts of wealth. But alas, as usual, there is an 800 lb. gorilla of inconsistency sitting right there in the living room that they are ignoring (and he's eating all of the chips and drinking all of the beer): Using the same criteria for demonizing corporations and corporate leaders, the federal government is the absolute worst offender of all, and yet giving more power to the federal government is a liberal's religion.

Let's assume that everything they say about corporations and their leaders is correct (which it's not). Ok, well, why is money so alluring and attractive that such evil would seek it out in such large quantities? One word: power. Money IS power, and that's the sole reason to have it.

When one is young, money offers the power of independence - to provide one's needs without help from someone else. As one gets older, money represents the power to control one's own destiny. As greater wealth is realized, there is the visceral epiphany that at some point, money becomes power over other people. You can use money to get people to do what you want them to because they too crave the different powers money can bring.

Now, let me pose a question: How often have you heard of people who have made their millions turning to politics? I would say quite often - especially on the federal level I would offer that it represents most of the incumbents. Here's another one: Barring retirement because of age, or being voted out of office, how many incumbents can you recall leaving politics to go and make more money? I would bet, if you're honest that even if you can recall even one or two, that that's about it. Why is this?

It's because government offers the most intoxicating level of power there is - beyond even what mere money can offer. As a matter of fact, you have all of the benefits of the power money wields - because you are using the vast resources of millions of other people's money. In addition, you have the power to (in a very real sense) control significant portions of people's lives. Why do this? It's because power is an end in itself, and the more one can get, the better.

The government has far greater resources than any corporation. It has sway, through regulation over those corporations. It has far less accountability than any corporate office - even before all of the Enrons and Tycos. And it routinely abuses the charter that defines its scope of power, the United States Constitution.

Now, you'd think that that would have the liberals up in arms! But of course not because what they fail (or refuse) to realize is that the power politicians have is the same power they accuse corporate leaders of abusing, but in greater quantities. But for some reason they assume that those going into politics will use THIS power for good. It makes absolutely NO sense, especially when you realize that a lot of those same corporate demons are the ones going into politics to being with!

So I say if you just follow the money (i.e. where the rich go to get more power - into politics) you'll see where we should truly be concerned. Should we be concerned about corporate greed as well? Absolutely. But to say that, and ignore the power held over our heads by politicians would be - no, it IS - ruinous, narrow-minded, and dangerous to our individual liberties.