Corporatism

One of the great puzzles I have been pondering recently is how both extremes – represented by the Tea Party and the Occupy Movement can have valid arguments. The answer is that our country's system of government has become Corporatism and both the left and right sense how wrong this is!

The representative democracy and free markets that was the basis of our country has been replaced by corporatism. Corporatism is the organization of a society into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and exercising control over persons and activities within their jurisdiction.

Lobbyists have become more important than voters in the political process.  Lobbyists are political arm of corporations (at least the ones that get the attention of lawmakers). Politically, lawmakers are no longer bound by the restrictions placed on them by the Tenth Amendment which clearly prohibits the Federal Government from activities not listed in the Constitution. This has been replaced by Keynesianism, which advocates involvement in every aspect of the economy.

Lobbyists are very adept at navigating the nuances of the current political process. As laws are drafted, they provide the subject matter expertise to legislative subcommittees. As the Bills progress through the legislative process, they provide the talking points for debate and amendment. The Bills that become law are typically too complex for the average Congressman, Senator or Academic to understand. That means the Lobby group provides manpower to the Federal Agency that is inevitably takes the Law and converts it to regulations.

This system is not free markets! It is corporate influenced government layered on top of and disrupting free markets. It is not representative democracy or liberty! It is power flowing from the corporate elite, not the people.