The Tea Party and the Mafia
By Richard K. Barry
Upon considering what has been going on in Washington with the so-called civil war between Tea Party radicals and more mainstream Republicans, a thought has occurred to me. It's more of an analogy really.
Consider this as reported by Bloomberg:
The point I would make is that the relationship of big-business conservatism to the Tea Party is a little like the relationship of the Mafia to elements within it that draw too much attention. The "free market system" as it runs, runs best for those who already have most of the money. Shutting the government down and the debt ceiling fight only disrupts the relatively smooth functioning that allows those who have to get more. Similarly, the Mafia never likes actions that drew attention to it and disrupt the business-as-usual grind that make its success possible.
When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says that the goal should be to elect people who "understand the free market and not silliness," by silliness they mean anything that disrupts the rules of a game already rigged to ensure that the rich get richer and the poor get screwed.
Upon considering what has been going on in Washington with the so-called civil war between Tea Party radicals and more mainstream Republicans, a thought has occurred to me. It's more of an analogy really.
Consider this as reported by Bloomberg:
“We are going to get engaged,” said Scott Reed, senior political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The need is now more than ever to elect people who understand the free market and not silliness.” The chamber spent $35.7 million on federal elections in 2012, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based group that tracks campaign spending.
The point I would make is that the relationship of big-business conservatism to the Tea Party is a little like the relationship of the Mafia to elements within it that draw too much attention. The "free market system" as it runs, runs best for those who already have most of the money. Shutting the government down and the debt ceiling fight only disrupts the relatively smooth functioning that allows those who have to get more. Similarly, the Mafia never likes actions that drew attention to it and disrupt the business-as-usual grind that make its success possible.
When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says that the goal should be to elect people who "understand the free market and not silliness," by silliness they mean anything that disrupts the rules of a game already rigged to ensure that the rich get richer and the poor get screwed.
posted by Richard K. Barry at
12:04 PM
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