REPUBLICAN CAMEL DEALERS

Reading in the media about Republicans comparing the economic recovery of 1929 to that of 2008 with the intention of criticizing Barack Obama caused me to overlook the most important aspect of both events; the same thing caused both economic crises. The Republican policy being pursued in the new Congress is exactly the same ones that got us many problems in 29 and in 08. In addition, Democratic policies are what was leading the recoveries.

Why is it so hard to understand that unfettered greed is innate and is what drives Republican policy. They cry about individualism, meaning they do not want anyone looking over their shoulders in their business dealing even though they are the one who know they will cheat and steal until “the government” catches them. All though they deny it, this is what their complaints about big government it all about; everyone should hate government. This is what deregulation is all about—it is a lot easier to rob banks if there are no police. They deny this while complaining about lack of individual responsibility among liberals, and how welfare creates lazy people makes poverty worse, etc. This is uniting because both liberals and conservatives hate cheaters and lazy people; suddenly and magically, everyone on welfare is lazy and a cheat. In truth, human greed motivates their complaints; welfare gives away money they think is theirs. How many times have I read one of them writing, “liberals are leeches who want to live off their hard earned money”?

All of this cheating on welfare is a winning political mantra for Republicans; the blanket they use to cover their real objective, which is to “cheat the system”, which will cause an economic crisis. Like conservatives, businesses do not have to be bad or evil or the like, but they often are. Free unregulated enterprise, they cry, finds a fair price for goods and services; this would be true if it were not for human individualism and greed. I have a car to sell that has a bad transmission or a house to sell that has a wet basement, do you really think the seller will tell the potential buyer these things. Does the warning, buyer beware; magically absolve the seller of all responsibility.    

One of my favorite stories is about a used camel dealer.

A buyer came to him and asked for a camel that could last for seven days in the desert, carry 300 pounds, and was good-natured. The dealer said he had the perfect animal to sell him. The buyer bought the camel and left only to return in three day complaining that the camel could not last but 3 days in the desert, could only carry 100 pounds, and bit and kicked everyone. Of course, the dealer holding his finger in front of his lip, said, Shhhh, if you talk about YOUR CAMEL that way no one will buy it from you.  

Driven by peoples’ innate fear that someone is going to “cheat the system” and the equally “innate greed”, many people bought the Republican argument and voted them into office; Nov. 4 2014 is a case in point. It is no surprise that the first few days in session, Congress has moved to do the same old thing. My question is, “Why did voters buy the same old camel that they bought in 1929, in 2008.” The answer is they have an innate need for the government they have been told to hate; understanding human nature is like understanding women—although it cannot be done, we cannot live without government.

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