Free Market vs Conservatism

There are a lot of things that peeve me about the democratic corpses that fester across our political landscape. The most prominent peeve has to be that people seem to think that democracy is actually alive and well. Sadly the “voice of the people”, like so many other dreams, was a lovely fantasy that evaporated the second it met the harsh morning light of reality. Sure there are still democratic processes in place, but pure democracy is a myth. The ‘Majority Rules’ still limps along insofar as the populace can swing some elemental changes in the political system, but the scope and nature of those changes is severely restricted…. and of course the minority calls “foul!” when their favourite candidate doesn’t get to sit in the hot seat.

On one hand we have the move towards fascism (the corporate state/meld) that was so prevalent in America over the last few decades, big business dominating the political landscape by donation, lobby groups, and sheer economic power. On the other hand we have the annexing of business by government (socialist control of assets) that may be making a come back in America, and has been the mainstay of Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Cuba, and so forth for so long.

In the first example we have big business (in the form of power blocks) telling the government what to do for economic reasons, on the other we have the governmental morass (the biggest administrative business in most developed economies) telling the corporations what to do. In neither example do the actual people get much say.

Politics seems to boil down to a non-representative  two party system, be it Democrat/Republican, Conservative/Labour, or Liberal/Labour. Despite the names we usually get a pro-corporation party, and a pro-administration party, the first champions the Fascist cause, the other the Socialist cause. This basically means that individuals must subsume their own political beliefs into the party gestalt, replacing individual choice with party politics. Sadly when voters look at a party they see the one or two issues that are important to them, then are forced to carry the other party goals as a default. Equally sadly just because a party claims to stand for something doesn’t mean they share your definition of it.

My favourite example, buoyed by the gasses seeping from the democratic graveyard, has to be the free market. Proponents of free market economies, including the Republican Party, claim that an economy will fare best when it is allowed to work unhindered by government involvement.

One day I hope to see some example of this outside a theoretical model, as there has never been an example in real life.

The American economy for example has been coddled by government protections since its inception, yet punishes other economies that fail to deal freely with them. Artificial suppression of food and oil prices keeps farming economically nonviable, which is amazing considering we are talking about the supply of FOOD; something we can not possibly exist without. Farming subsidies, tariffs on foreign imports and trade deals with favoured nations have all ensured a steady and reliable source of food, but they have also ensured that primary industry can not survive if it isn’t propped up by government protections.

Similar issues arise with car manufacturing. The “Buy America” campaign is by its vary nature an attack on the free market. In free market economics patriotism is the enemy of competition. If an industry can not survive, true to Social Darwinism, it should be allowed to perish. Companies, despite the legal fiction, are not individuals. There is no moral prerogative to save the failing industry when there is not enough demand to support it. Yes jobs will be lost, but if the Free Market is to be believed, those displaced people should gravitate to areas where there is a demand.

Free market economics only work if we ignore the geopolitical borders and the workforce becomes truly fluid in nature. Of course that means many folk will be working in jobs they’ve always considered beneath them, with true economic fluidity the need for many of the more complex accountancy, fiscal, and legal system would fade and with them the numbers of accountants, bankers, stock brokers, government officials and lawyers. The status symbol jobs would be reduced in number and some of us might have to *GASP* retrain (with the eye opening advantages of a new perspective and position), or take up *SHUDDER* more manual labour (with the benefits of not driving a desk).

A call for true Free Market Economy and is a call to dissolve national boundaries, to eliminate nationality, race, sex, and location as restrictions to employment and embrace a true world citizenship. Those call centers in India, and the sweatshops in the Phillipines are both perfect examples of a Free Market Economy. The work goes where the least cost goes into producing it.   

PS Technically this would mean any Republican/Conservative/Liberal claiming to be both true to his parties ideals and a patriot would have to be a liar (unless you agree with Oscar Wilde)

PPS. In Australia the Liberal (by name) party is the conservative (by action) party

……next post (in this series) Free Market vs Socialism