Parasitism

A friend just sent me an article dated early 2000 regarding the common threat to the left and right and that is globalism through multinational corporations. The old enemy of the left was capitalism and of the right, socialism. At the end of the article was a description of the various "-isms" that currently plague our society albeit one... parasitism. I found that to be a very profound omission since this strikes at the very core of many of the "indefinable" problems and societal ills we face on a daily basis.

I shall define chronic parasitism (as applied to society) as any situation where the public sector consumes more than 20% of a country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). In the U.S., this level is sitting at about 40% and is rising steadily. The 20% is based on several studies where a flat tax or a value added tax could be implemented and cover the cost of government. At first blush, one must wonder where that other 20% is going and what would happen if it were summarily eliminated. Since government is a necessary evil, if you will pardon the expression, we must assume that the other 20% is going to bureaucratic parasites.

On a smaller scale, look at the problems the new governor of California is having cutting the pork.

Everything in our society is run on some sort of balance mechanism. If conservatives get too heavy handed with their policies, they are swept out of office. The reverse of this situation as related to liberals is now the current case. The fact is that we need certain socialistic functions for the common good, BUT we cannot let this become some sort of trend, such as socialized medicine.

The fundamental problem in the liberal spectrum is it believes in massive forced income redistribution which stifles income generation which in turn cause parasites to appear due to social aid programs, etc., etc. This is amplified by a severe blindspot regarding economic theory and, simply, where money comes from.

The fundamental problem in the conservative spectrum is unbridled capitalism yields the Tyco, MCI, and Enron's of the world.

So what to do?

There is a nearly unstoppable trend in our society to make virtually every aspect of our life risk-free. This is mainly driven by liberal trial lawyers and liberal do-gooders for the children and all those starving (overweight) Americans. This creates an atmosphere where people DO NOT take responsibility for their actions as they can easily blame it on someone else with legal assistance. This lackadaisical attitude lowers peoples' guard and allows these large corporate scandals and other rip-offs to continue to happen. In short, we are being stripped of our street smarts and to what end? So we can easily be manipulated by those in power (carefully not defining left, right, up, or down.)

Since the left and the right are both guilty of growth in government or growth in parasitism without giving real value for government services, every effort must be made to reduce parasitism before if bankrupts our government and society. How many different ways do we have to give warning signs...The Soviets with large military expenditures and nearly all the rest in parasitism brought it down. Germany and France have created horrible parasitic worker benefits that are financially imploding the two countries as well as strangling the businesses therein.

Folks, it is simply a case of not getting what we are paying for by a factor of two. Think about that the next time you vote for a new bond issue.

Reference:

Schurmann, Franz, 14 April 2000, How Globalism Became Public Enemy Number One For Both Left And Right, This article is available for reprint. For rates and information, call (415) 438-4755 or e-mail pacificnews@pacificnews.org