the finger of blame

Anton Sherwood (dasher@netcom.com)
Wed, 14 Jan 1998 19:39:46 -0800 (PST)

>> : John Clark, one of the more intelligent free market advisors, would
>> : answer: "If you remove governments, all this corruption will disappear
>> : and the free market will bring up only efficient companies." The problem
>> : is that by removing government, you only remove a cover under which the
>> : true power elite hides. The power structures remain - and before you can
>> : say "Jebediah", your country will be ruled directly by big enterprises.
>
>> Evidence?
>
>For the power structures, there's lots of evidence. US history is full of it.
>Start with JFK, go over to Vietnam, look at Watergate, look at how Reagan was
>put up as a strawman for Bush and how Bush (former CIA-boss, coming from a
>rich family, good connections to investment banks, big in the oil industry
>with Zapata Oil), how Bush started the Gulf War etc.

You said that the power structures remain after the state is REMOVED.
Was the Vietnam War run in the ABSENCE of a powerful government?
Did Nixon turn to crime to protect his PRIVATE power-base?
Did Bush start the Gulf War while he was OUT of office?

That some privileged people are able to manipulate the state's power
to their own ends, no one but a blindfolded idealist denies. This proves
NOTHING about what they would be able to do WITHOUT using the state.

The claim that "Reagan was put up as a strawman for Bush" would be
more plausible if Reagan's and Bush's economic policies were similar.

> [...] People in the Middle Ages (another fine Free Market) [...]

Idiot.

>> : About military: Why do you think we have it? Because some bums in the
>> : government think we need it to defend our country?
>
>> Because military forces have been around longer than anyone can remember,
>> and few dare question their necessity? I dunno, you tell us.
>
>No, I won't. Give me a rational explanation.

The state, as a quasi-living self-perpetuating entity, repeats the
behaviors that tend to increase its power, irrespective of whether
such behaviors are good for the society that it nominally serves.
One such behavior is war-making. (As I said before.)

Anton Sherwood *\\* +1 415 267 0685 *\\* DASher@netcom.com