The difference is in who to trust, greedy CEOs or self-interested politicians. Is there a middle ground?
By Jack E. Lohman
As a former CEO with 40 years in the health care industry, I lean toward capitalism. But since retiring I’ve gotten a closer look at our politicians and I don’t like what I see.
Most American politicians (though not all) are corrupted by the special interest money that helps them get re-elected. The longer they are in the worse they seem to get. (But there ARE a couple of honest ones!)
Had I an employee or member of the board, who took outside money and gave away corporate assets in return, I’d have had them jailed. But in politics we seem to expect it, though they do the same thing.
The extremes…
Communism is a dictatorship not at all welcome by free minds, and socialism has allowed politicians to give away the store to get re-elected. But it’s not as “terrible” as some on the right would have you believe. Their main flamboyance (that I know of and approve) is government-paid health care and upper education. Both can be abused, and “too much of a good thing” has drained their economy.
The happy medium?
- How about “politicians who are not on the take?”
- How about free-market CEOs, but with “regulations that prevent legalized thievery from the public AND shareholders?”
- How about politicians who comply with the laws they pass for the rest of us, rather than placing themselves in an Ivory Tower?
The first is the most important!
- 100% turnover in November
- Public funding of campaigns (cost = $5 per taxpayer per year)
- Term limits (double the length, limit to ONE)
- 5 year restriction on lobbying (member and staff)
- Reforms on redistricting
- Implement STOCK Act
- Members subject to all laws they pass for the people
Live with it, or fix it. But it will have to be done by the voters; the Fat Cats and politicians like things the way they are.
Moneyed Politicians 