Regulation

Okay, so let me see if I can get this straight…

Regulation is useless for business because businesses, being run by basically good people will do basically the right thing all by themselves and, therefore do not need regulation, right? Also, since having no regulation is good for business, that means that it’s good for America, right? Because what’s good for business is good for America, yeah?

Okay, first off, BALDERDASH! This line of reasoning/argument only goes to prove John McCain’s statement that we are the “United States of Amnesia”. At the beginning of the last century, when we really started making the switch from an agrarian nation to an industrial nation, there was a LOT of stuff going on that was GREAT for business, but LOUSY for America. Virtual slavery of children and women. Massive unsafe working conditions. Lousy pay, and “company stores” designed to keep their employees in debt to them functionally forever. Twelve or fourteen hour work days. Seven day work weeks. And if you lost your arm in the machine that you were working on, well that’s just too damned bad. The company can’t use you anymore, and we’re sure as HELL not going to pay you if you can’t work. Oh, well, you can always beg or have your wife or daughter turn tricks. And then there was always debtor’s prisons and workhouses… All of these evils ended – not because of the goodness of Corporate America’s heart – but because of GOVERNMENTAL INTERVENTION. REGULATION.

Second off, why do we have laws? Why do we have laws on the books saying that we shouldn’t kill or rape each other or take each other’s stuff? I mean, we’re all basically good people who, if left to our own devices will do the right thing, right? I mean, if murder laws were taken off of the books tomorrow, I wouldn’t run right and out and kill anyone.

Okay, maybe one. But that’s it. I promise.

So I would like to make this counter-argument… if regulations for businesses are unnecessary because they can be relied upon to regulate themselves, then I would argue that, by continuing the same logic, ALL laws that regulate actions should be stricken down. If corporations can be trusted to behave themselves, surely WE can as well.

Right?

Peace.

Randal