Rand Paul is an anti-government libertarian, but he's running as a GOP candidate. He also can't seem to avoid hurting himself. Think Progress writes Paul Calls White House Pressure On BP ‘Un-American,’ Says That ‘Sometimes Accidents Happen’. So he's saying there shouldn't be regulation on BP and there should the EPA shouldn't regulate coal mines and I assume since he wants to get rid of the Fed they shouldn't regulate banks.
His competitor Jack Conway would be a fool to not bring this up all the time. The campaign should be "Not less government but good government". Ok, maybe someone could improve the wording there. :) But the Democrats should be all over this because Rand Paul's libertarian ideology is just slightly further out there mainstream GOP ideology. The GOP position in this Congress (and under Bush) has been for less and less regulation and oversight and let the market decide. There's a real opportunity here to teach the limits of free markets.
Free markets let mining companies ignore safety regulations for the miners, because they'll just get new miners. Free markets let oil drilling companies ignore safety regulations and occasionally have an "accident" that destroys a coast line (or two) for a few years (or longer). Free markets let huge Wall Street banks gamble with the economy at risk so they can make crazy amounts of money and get bailed out by the government lest we all suffer.
I like companies, and nobody wants senseless oppressive regulations; but capitalism works on competitive markets not free markets (which is why monopolies are bad). We obviously need a zero tolerance policy for say nuclear plant safety. It turns out we also need one for off-shore drilling platforms. And for systemic problems with giant banks. And we should regulate safety in coal mines and with food and drugs and as best we can disease control and disaster response.
People are willing to let the government tell them to take off their shoes before getting on a plane because some idiot tried to put a bomb in their shoe (and failed). Someone else put a bomb in their underwear and it failed but people are apparently not willing to take off their underwear to fly. They are mostly willing to let the government take a nude photo of them through their clothes before they get on a plane. But the GOP candidate for Senator in KY is not willing to tell oil drilling companies that they have to have safety measures in place in their off-shore wells. And he's not willing to tell restaurants that they have to serve people even if they're black. And a lot of Republicans in Congress think that banks shouldn't have their derivative trading be regulated.
I really don't get this. And I really don't know why Democrats aren't making more comparison like these.
No comments:
Post a Comment