Randomize

I was trying to explain yesterday why my beliefs lean to left libertarianism (i.e., somewhat close to democratic socialism), and how that has absolutely nothing to do with Marxist Socialism or Communism.

In short, it’s because I believe the government is not the enemy, nor is business. Instead, the enemy is *unfettered* corporate power and *unchecked* government.

We check corporate powers through a combination of free-market capitalism (voting with our feet), unions, and where those are ineffective (and they are in a number of broad classes of corporate abuse), we use the law and the courts to regulate them. Now, I work in the business of dealing with regulations, so I’m keenly aware that there are good regulations and bad ones, but that doesn’t mean we should just drop all regulations just because a big business complains about them.

*Both* of these are incredibly important to keeping corporate power in check. And if you’ve *read* The Wealth of Nations, you would know that this is fully in agreement with Adam Smith’s own beliefs on capitalism — he is not the father of the economic anarchy that the far-right libertarian wing makes him out to be.

On the other hand, we check government powers by ensuring that legislators are working for educated, engaged voters, not for special interests who plaster the airwaves with lies to scare the masses who can’t be bothered to do some research before taking a position.

And we check both with a free, competitive, open press.

Well, here’s one small example of what happens when regulators fight for their *constituents*, not for big media conglomerates who bankroll their campaigns and then abuse their natural monopoly. And it also happens to be one more reason that I’m confident that I’m backing the right guy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fcc-proposal-cable-tv-boxes_us_56aa781ae4b05e4e3703b26e?

And… that’s my last political post for awhile…