Doubling Down on Speech-as-a-Favor
Monday, March 10, 2014
The bureaucracy, that unaccountable de facto "fourth branch" of the government, is
up to no good, as George Will
points out. Regarding the recent IRS scandal, Will observes:
So, the IRS, far from repenting of its abusive behavior, is trying to codify the abuses. It hopes to nullify with new rules the existing legal right of 501(c)(4) groups, many of which are conservative, to participate in politics. The proposed rules have drawn more than 140,000 comments, most of them complaints, some from liberals wary of IRS attempts to broadly define "candidate-related political activity" and to narrow the permissible amount of this. [links in original, my bold]Had the GOP made good on its Clinton-era promise to dismantle the welfare state "brick by brick", the IRS, if it still existed by now, would hardly be in its current powerful position. As it is, it has been left in place to continue its violations of our property rights even as it starts dictating who will get to exercise freedom of speech. Do note that it is the whole idea of "tax-exempt status" -- which is a concession to the legitimacy of governmental looting of income -- that is driving this power grab. I don't know how this particular pressure-group goodie first arose, but it sounds suspiciously like something the cowardly GOP could get behind. Since when was an inalienable right something we had to beg for from a gang of thieves?
The last time the GOP held power, it failed to even reduce the size of government, let alone take steps to return it to its proper scope. Will it have learned its lesson upon returning to power by the grace of ObamaCare? I am not optimistic, and our ominously shrinking lack of government protection for freedom of speech bodes ill for it having many more chances to do so.
-- CAV
2 comments:
Gus, I believe we are witnessing operation of racketeering influence and corrupt organization (embedded within our federal government).
What had been problematic in various municipal governments for ages has now roosted robustly in D.C. in obvious sight of 60 Senate lawyers content to feather their nests.
Say what you always do, but 14 of the 18 members of the Judiciary Committee are lawyers, including its chairman. There is little recourse for real investigation while this committee contiues to condone such egregious corruption.
In fact, it sets a terrible precedent for operation of future administrations.
Over 98% of U.S. workers do not have law degrees. What makes voters content with representation by 60% of senators who regularly demonstrate how out-of-touch they are with ordinary citizens?
Short Answer: TV, Radio, Twitter, and FB ads funded by not-for-profit front companies for lobbying groups.
So who lobbies for the rest of us?
I cannot think of organization.
Apologies for the long delay posting your comment. As you probably know, I lost my Internet connection for a couple of days and have had other severe and unanticipated time constraints.
As usual, you bring up lawyers, but I think their heavy presence in our legislatures are a symptom and not a cause.
VOTERS -- who expect the government to pass loot around (and somehow don't expect to eventually have their turn being robbed or bossed around on such a precedent -- are the problem. Were our government not robbing people, ordering them around, and passing out favors, there would neither be a "need" for lobbying nor would the law be so complex that there would be such a huge demand (and, therefore, supply) of attorneys. Furthermore, with the opportunities for improper activity cut off to them, fewer unsavory types would be attracted to that profession.
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