cowan@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU (09/23/86)
Libertarianism seems suspect. Why do I say this? Because several recent messages have labeled both left-wing and right-wing views as "libertarian." How could this be so? Is it that Libertarians are fixated on the danger of "big government" affecting our freedom, and that this focus on government serves to mystify what's really going on? The reason I object to the emphasis on government is that public policy is really not determined by "the government." As Noam Chomsky said in 1969, "This is a caricature, and a dangerous one. We must emphasize that .. public policy is a reflection, to a very significant extent, of economic power that is entirely removed from the political process." (MIT Review Panel on Special Laboratories, Final Report) Chomsky is saying that it's the other way around. The government is controlled by the political process, a process greatly influenced by economic interests. Senator Mark Hatfield (R-Oregon) had a similar perspective, urging "the reintroduction of human ideals into what is now policy formed mainly by economic considerations." (personal correspondence, 1969) In other words, Money is Power. Accepting this view, the question one should ask is not whether government is inherently good or bad, but rather, "Who runs the government?" and "Who does it serve?" -rich ------- -------