The Arizona law’s fate actually was sealed in 1791, when the First Amendment was ratified; 220 years later, one wonders: When will people eager to empower government to regulate speech about itself abandon the fiction that political money can be regulated without regulating political speech?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-supreme-court-win-for-political-speech-and-political-money/2011/06/28/AGVX0mpH_story.html
Compare with this author's misguided take:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/high-court-deals-public-campaign-financing-a-heavy-blow/2011/06/28/AGDiIrpH_story.html
These types of laws are like trying to fight fires by using cooling fans.
There's a reason people spend ooodles of money to win elections - governments have too much power, Federal, State and Local governments are not limited strongly enough to prevent the corruptions that result from excessive power.
Therefore - people are willing to spend whatever it takes, in money and life energy, in order to gain control over that power. POWER COMMANDS A POWER STRUGGLE.
It is oft said and still true - power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Limited government brings a reduced motive for gaining and keeping office. If you can't use government to oppress your competitors (as is the purpose of unions), you won't give people money to run. If you can use government to oppress your competitors (unions and any number of examples), you'll spend whatever you can to get a "favorably disposed" candidate in office.
Those who dream of big government orchestrations of nirvanna either ignore or can't see this plain truth.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-supreme-court-win-for-political-speech-and-political-money/2011/06/28/AGVX0mpH_story.html
Compare with this author's misguided take:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/high-court-deals-public-campaign-financing-a-heavy-blow/2011/06/28/AGDiIrpH_story.html
These types of laws are like trying to fight fires by using cooling fans.
There's a reason people spend ooodles of money to win elections - governments have too much power, Federal, State and Local governments are not limited strongly enough to prevent the corruptions that result from excessive power.
Therefore - people are willing to spend whatever it takes, in money and life energy, in order to gain control over that power. POWER COMMANDS A POWER STRUGGLE.
It is oft said and still true - power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Limited government brings a reduced motive for gaining and keeping office. If you can't use government to oppress your competitors (as is the purpose of unions), you won't give people money to run. If you can use government to oppress your competitors (unions and any number of examples), you'll spend whatever you can to get a "favorably disposed" candidate in office.
Those who dream of big government orchestrations of nirvanna either ignore or can't see this plain truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment