Two Definitions of Government – Progressive vs Corporate

This was a response to part of business editorial on DJT’s “Wheeling and Dealing” over the Carrier jobs.

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I agree that DJT’s approach to governing is frightening.

What I take issue with is this statement from the editorial:

“The government’s job is to provide an educated workforce, quality infrastructure and a regulatory environment that fosters fair competition in a free market.”

What that statement says to me is that government is all about protecting and empowering businesses and that the people will some how benefit from “trickle down” in the form of jobs. Jobs with low pay, limited hours, and no benefits.

I prefer a definition of government that is about We the People and one that charters businesses to support the people:

Government of, by, and for the People requires both:
– A government with the moral purpose to equally protect and empower all the People such that
– The People’s individual freedoms are maximized and
– Economic, social, racial, and environmental injustices are minimized, and
– The active participation of a majority of these People to maintain such a government.

To contrast these two views of government, I’ll reference phrases from the above editorial statement:

– “educated workforce” Yes, the People must be educated, but the primary purpose of that education is to create competent citizens first, then enable them to succeed through employment of their choice. Education as a workforce is secondary to being a responsible citizen and maintaining government of, by, and for the People. Citizens must be knowledgeable of the different systems which affect their lives and must be able to elect government officials who can maximize those systems to support the People.

– “regulatory environment that fosters fair competition in a free market” Yes, we want fair competition, but today’s free market fundamentalists don’t want any regulation that limits their freedom to maximize profit. Regulations, however, are about protecting the People from abuse by those with power who can’t self-regulate their freedoms.

– “quality infrastructure” Again the primary purpose of infrastructure is to protect and empower the People. The fact that this also benefits private enterprise is necessary for the economy but also secondary to the purpose of the People’s government.

The People are not here to serve enterprise. Enterprise and government are here to serve We the People and we need to re-establish government that protects and empowers the People and regulates enterprise to eliminate abuse of the People.