OFFLINE

i wasn't sure what category to post this in.

i think that the nature of government ("government" in general terms) is a reflection of the nature of man. like humanity, government must be viewed as a creature. and like us, as the most influential entity on earth, there are very few checks on government, but government itself. like humans, government is primarily concerned with the preservation of self, and like humans it has a tendency to spread out of control, when left to its own devices. and i think the only metaphor for natural forces (as in when mother nature reminds us that we aren't in total control) is the will of the people. like a hurricane pounding the coast, it always seems to take a great upwelling to bring the government back under the thumb of the people.

i feel this is the reason that the very thing which vows to serve the people, often winds up being an adversary to the people. in other words, in order for government to exist and operate, it must take money out of the public's hands, via taxation. every dollar the government sector takes, is one less dollar in the hands of the people. that's not to say no services are returned from the government, but then again benefits are received from the private sector, namely through employment and the CREATION of wealth.

so in closing, once the government begins to compete with the private sector (and when i say the private sector, i mean everything outside of the governmnet) then the people begin to lose. once the government stops simply ensuring a level playing field - by enforcing the rules which everyone must follow - and it begins picking industries and companies to "invest in," (which requires more and more funding) then it loses its original mandate, and becomes a manipulator rather than a regulator. this is called crony capitalism.

from wiki:

"Crony capitalism is a term describing an allegedly capitalist economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, and so forth.

Crony capitalism is believed to arise when political cronyism spills over into the business world; self-serving friendships and family ties between businessmen and the government influence the economy and society to the extent that it corrupts public-serving economic and political ideals."

another phrase you may want to look up is "regulatory capture."