- Login
Myth of free markets
From Denise “Chip” Black, Milford:
Many people believe that the free market can solve our problems. This is a dangerous myth. The reality is that the free market is not free and it cannot possibly solve all our problems.
The bottom line of this myth is profit. People and companies are putting profits over humanity, decency, honor and country. This is happening because the free market perpetuates poverty, unemployment, ecological degradation and income disparity.
Gerard Anderson, a professor of health policy and management and the director of Johns Hopkins Center for Hospital Finance and Management, attributes the high cost of medical care to the market system.
Solving our nation’s multifaceted problems requires citizens, especially business and political leaders, to cooperate and respect each other. As a nation, we need to find our way back to living ethically.
One Response to Myth of free markets
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
tom
August 24, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Denise. You’re close, but also way off and need to do some more historical research into the intertwined connections (or let’s jsut say hidden agendas) of both a government and politicians that control public policy based on the amount of money they receive from big businesses. Let’s put yourself into the seat of nearly every modern politician. You decide to run but have little to no cash in which to do so. Realizing that there’s no way you’re ever going to get your name advertised and known to the masses so that you will have the funding to advertise yourself to the masses, but quickly realize that the only ones there that can provide said financing is. That’s right Big businesses. So after a year or so of work you’re now a full blown politician, but just like every other one (even the ones that start out with noble intensions) quickly realize that those very same corporations that paid your way into office, are now there with their hands out looking for several ways to get a return on their investment. Be it no bid contracts, diverted contracts, inside line on how to bid on government or public works projects or simply to introduce and then fight to pass any number of legislation that wins said big corporation property or employment tax credits which of course are at 1st costly, but make the corporation in which you work for rack up even more in profits while the middle class residents you represent end up shouldering that lost tax revenue.
Still does not address the various layers of special interests, lobbyists and other influential people of whom also want their “piece of the pie”. Quickly you realize that 150 to 250K a year along with lifetime benefits are nothing compared to the MILLIONS there are to be made for yourself, your constituents and more importantly so…. The folks that you will most certainly need to donate once again come re-election time. All at the expense of the very taxpayers you promised you would represent and fight for.
The current woes of this country are not the fault of the free enterprise system or even the government, but actually the 2 of them (and so many others behind the scenes) that know just how easily our entire political system can be bought and/or manipulated for massive profits, all at the expense of the almost non existant middle class.
Like I mentioned to another letter writer. Novel idea, but only something that will continue to get far worse before it ever gets better, and most certainly won’t be in our lifetimes.
And as for all the talk of government oversight, oversight comittees and other multiple layers of government created to “watch over” the entire system. Simple.. Here chickens……. I’m the (government) farmer and I’ve hired a (fox) oversight comittee (with your tax dollars) to watch over all the spending on the hen house.
Bush sure was no brainiack, but this ‘change you can believe in’ was only a snow job for placing one of the last nails in the coffin of the middle class “hens” that are now missing from the hen house.
Tom