Of Predators

Thomas Frank writing in the Journal argues that Republicans misunderstand, and therefore misuse, when they -- borrowing James K. Galbraith's construct -- identify the Government as a Predator. To Frank and Galbraith the Government is only a Predator when it serves evil corporate, as opposed to public, interests.

Last week, I criticized Sheila Bair for her transparent attempt to preserve the solvency of her agency by stealing from secured creditors. In fairness to her, she merely wanted to get in on the scam the administration has already facilitated for the UAW and JP Morgan.

Sensible people, including the President, understand that one of the core problems with the our health-care system is its employer centric-ness. While Democrats have mostly ignored the sensible conservative proposal to extend to individuals the tax advantages that privilege corporate provided coverage, Sen Ron Wyden (D, Oregon) did propose a reasonable, if convoluted, bi-partisan ammendment, that in some circumstances would have given some employees more control of their coverage. Big Business and Big Labor joined hands, were blessed by the President, and the offending proposal was (shamefully) killed.

These sorts of policy choices are the rule, not the exception. As noted previously, Republicans are, for the time being, without power in Washington and, so, if Government is now acting the Predator, it is doing so without their corrupting influence.

The classical, which is to say conservative, teaching on the subject is "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." In this view, it is Frank and Galbraith who are hopelessly unable to appreciate the predator gene in the DNA of our leviathan state.