Will Americans Continue to Let Libertarianism Destroy our Country and Kill Us?
By Thom Hartmann A...
We have now reached peak Libertarianism, and this bizarre experiment that has been promoted by the billionaire class for over 40 years is literally killing us.Back in the years before Reagan, a real estate lobbying group came up with the idea of creating a political party to justify deregulating the real estate and finance industries so they could make more money. The party would give them ideological and political cover, and they developed an elaborate theology around it.
It was called the Libertarian Party, and their principle argument was that if everybody acted separately and independently, in all cases with maximum selfishness, that that would benefit society. There would be no government needed beyond an army and a police force, and a court system to defend the rights of property owners.
In 1980, billionaire David Koch ran for vice president on the newly formed Libertarian Party ticket. His platform was to privatize the Post Office, shut down all public schools, privatize Medicare and Medicaid, end food stamps and all other forms of "welfare," deregulate all corporate oversight, and sell off the federal government's land and other assets to billionaires and big corporations.
Since then, Libertarian billionaires and right wing media have been working hard to get Americans to agree with Ronald Reagan's statement from his first inaugural address that, "Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem."
And Trump is getting us there now.
Every federal agency of any consequence is now run by a lobbyist or former industry insider.
The Labor department is trying to destroy organize labor; the Interior department is selling off our public lands; the EPA is promoting deadly pesticides and allowing more and more pollution; the FCC is dancing to the tune of giant telco companies; the Education department is actively working to shut down and privatize our public school systems; the USDA is shutting down food inspections; even the IRS and Social Security agencies have been gutted, with tens of thousands of their employees laid off so that very, very wealthy people are no longer being audited and the wait time for a Social Security disability claim is now over two years.
The guy Trump put in charge of the Post Office is actively destroying the Post Office, and the bonus for Trump might be that this will throw a huge monkey wrench in any effort to vote by mail in November.
Trump has removed us from the Paris Climate Accords, and fossil fuel lobbyists now control America's response to global warming.
Our nation's response to the coronavirus has been turned over to private testing and drug companies, and the Trump administration refuses to implement any official government policy, saying that it's all up to "individual responsibility."
The result is over 130,000 dead Americans and another 3 million infected and afraid they may soon die, too.
While the Libertarian ideas and policies promoted by that lobbying group back in the 1960s have made CEOs and billionaire investors very, very rich, it's killing the rest of us.
Franklin Roosevelt put America back together after the Republican Great Depression, and built the largest and wealthiest middle class in the history of the world at the time.
Now, 40 years of libertarian Reaganomics have gutted the middle class, made a handful of oligarchs wealthier than anybody in the history of the world, and brought an entire generation of hustlers and grifters into public office via the GOP.
When America was still coasting on FDR's success in rebuilding our government and institutions, nobody took very seriously the crackpot efforts to tear it all down.
Now that they've had 40 years to make their project work, we're hitting peak Libertarianism and it's tearing our country apart, pitting Americans against each other, and literally killing thousands of people every day.
If America is to survive as a functioning democratic republic, we must repudiate the "greed is good" ideology of Libertarianism, get billionaires and their money out of politics, and rebuild our civil institutions.
That starts with waking Americans up to the incredible damage that 40 years of libertarian Reaganism has done to this country.
Pass it on.
-Thom
Comments
#2
Also, will we charge rent for the public land that we all own?
Since they took it, destroyed nature, and put buildings on?
I was thinking that they can keep their buildings - But the buildings and roads can't remain on our public land.. And each person involved, will be charged a million dollars each a day, until the buildings are moved, and the trees, and other plants are re-planted exactly as the satellite photos show.
#3
Although I have listened for much more than a decade, Thom always brings me new info. This time it was the real estate angle of that history.
My relative took the training and worked in real estate for one year. It was simply people constantly trying to financially screw the person they were working with, for, or selling to. They decided to save their soul and go into another field.
Trump and his gang used that business for every dirty illegal deal they could pull-off. Let's see if the Southern District of NY manages to do the right thing when he leaves office. And in the meantime, I will do the work and pass the word. Thank you for trying to do the same, all you!
#4
Great rant Thom, you are truly a megachurch of Republican hate.
You forget two points.
1. Every time you have a Libertarian guest on your show they contradict you when you tell them what you think Libertarians believe.
2. Trump and Libertarian beliefs constantly oppose one another.
I get you abhor free thinking individuals but please try to direct your anger into the appropriate group of people as it will give you another whole day's worth of material.
#5
The one downside of Liberal/Progressive policies is that the public never really feels the true extent of the damage done by Republicans. I remember hearing Paul Krugman say, when the economy was crashing all around us, at the end of the “Dubya” administration, (and I paraphrase) “what kept the economy from falling into a deep Depression, were the safety nets enacted by liberal/progressive politicians such as Social Security, unemployment benefits, Food Stamps, etc.” These Liberal policies insulate the electorate from ever feeling the full brunt of Republican, neofascist, greed and as Thom says, Libertarian economics. Therefore, they have become complacent and often act like privileged, spoiled brats that cannot understand or refuse to comprehend the futility of politicians that have only one economic plan. “If we just make the rich richer. Everything will be wonderful.” That is their delusional view of paradise. “If we just make the rich richer…” This their answer for everything!
This is what keeps us in this destructive cycle of “Boom and Bust” that has become the norm since the era of Reagan. The solution however, is not to repeal the Liberal/Progressive policies that have saved our economy over and over. But we must hold accountable those that take advantage of the complacency of much of the electorate and those that pander to the racist and selfish attitudes and emotions that, unfortunately about a third of the population is often eagerly receptive to, while another segment of the population is often vulnerable to. Usually the tactics of Republicans are often treasonous in nature and in any case their rhetoric is almost always built on out and out lies.
The answer is ACCOUNTABILITY!! ACCOUNTABILITY!!! ACCOUNTABILITY!!! It has to be made clear to the average citizen that these corrupt treasonous liars are not above the law.
#6
Whatabutt should give us some examples of sucessful Libertarian governments.
#7
Speaking of Libertarians ...
Profit Looters of our Broken Economic System Are Insatiable
"A new report details Charles Koch’s 50-year war on the U.S. Postal Service."
There are billions the profit looters have been trying to secure for decades and they hope to take advantage of a pandemic to check this off of their bucket list. There is also a union they want to destroy. There is a public service they want to privatize and put profit before service and people.
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After roadkill/flattening of the EPA, Tearing up corporate regulations on polluting. What makes you so suspicious that they are trying to get rid of us??
It must be your imagination Thom.
Remember: The ONLY thing the right cares about, that is closer than family, is their wallet.
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