© 2013 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. Nearly a hundred years ago Walter Lippmann wrote about the sickness of an over-governed society. Good thing he is not alive today. He would find more than a sickness with today’s society. It is reasonable to ask: when is too much government really too much?
Early in the life of our country Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” Especially in the last one hundred years our government really gained ground on liberty. We certainly see the distorting influences of too much government in our lives. Americans are heading toward a society of tyranny. Perhaps we not living in a completely totalitarian society, but it is easy to answer: are we Americans heading toward more liberty or more tyranny?
When government tells us how many ounces of soda we can purchase at any one time, this is tyranny. Further, people in business tell horror stories about government workers who operate with the force of a dictator. Example: we have Constitutional Rights except when a government functionary says we do not. Can I keep from incriminating myself with the IRS via the Fifth Amendment in the Bill of Rights? No, therefore it was goodbye U. S. Constitution regardless of Supreme Court rulings.
What should government be doing? Walter Lippmann wrote, “In a free society the state does not administer the affairs of men. It administers justice among men who conduct their own affairs.” The legitimate role of government in a free society is focused only on justice and the defense of our nation both externally and internally.
Further, while I grumble at many “Nanny State” regulations I do see a smidgen of value in seatbelts and helmets since they mitigate the damage I do to those citizens when I, myself, drive in error. That is justice to me that if people drive on the road and I cause an accident, I do not kill them.
That said, government has taken the few valid interventions and made a command and control society where all citizen actions are controlled by the government. It is now government of the government by the government for the government. We know where we want to start to have the government intervene in the lives of citizens. Can we say where government intervention should end?
For anyone in a family, command and control by the leader rarely works. The male elephant can trumpet to the herd, but the herd will decide ultimately through voluntary decision making what the herd will do. Our economy is stifled by all of the rules. It is a wonder we still have anyone in business. Most of what people in business do is try to have voluntary exchange and do so in some work-around for all of the command and control government rules.
This is tax week. Actually, for our society every day, hour, minute and second is tax time. But this week is the deadline to file taxes which makes us focus on the command and control nature of our government. Many of the decisions I make in business are in reaction to rules and regulations such that I must do two things: comply with the government rules/taxes/regulations, and still stay in business.
What a strange society we live in where many citizens and businesses decide where to live in our country by tax policy. This is that distortion of our country by a society that is over-governed. How strange it is when tax policy sends jobs to other states and jobs to other countries. Strange indeed is this American Life where citizens are reactive to government rather than the other way around.
The most powerful force in American business is government. And government seems oblivious to common sense. Example: our country could be a net exporter of energy. There is enough money in those untapped energy resources to deal effectively with our financial crisis, if, our Congress does not just spend all of that extra money as past Congresses have tended to do.
We have a workable resolution of our financial crisis. However, government will not use that energy solution. So is our country moving toward more liberty or tyranny?
Dr. Michael Swickard hosts the syndicated radio talk show News New Mexico on six to nine a.m. Monday - Friday on a number of New Mexico radio stations and through streaming. Email: michael@swickard.com
