Why is the conservative movement is so consumed with, in Steve Bannon's words, "deconstructing the administrative state"? What exactly is the administrative state & why don't liberals defend it with the same vigor conservatives bring to attacking it? I talk with a political scientist about the occasionally surprising relationship between democracy & bureaucracy.
Many years ago, in the aftermath of the Savings & Loan debacle when the Resolution Trust Company was trying to sort out the mess, I read in a critical op-ed "To a bureaucrat, time is revenue, not cost."
May be an element of truth in that, but who exactly do people think is going to keep the wheels of government turning? Fairies?
Perhaps there is a "bureaucratic personality" that values security, order and procedure over risky entrepreneurialism and its potential big payoffs. Good!
Have to change the way people fundamentally think about taxation. I voted for Hillary over Bernie because I was like 'How ya gonna pay for that, Bernie?' Tons of people can be brought to change like I did.
'The taxpayer money myth is the antiquated belief that taxes fund government spending, and the existence of this idea is an existential threat to progressive policy. This myth legitimizes harmful ideas such as “welfare recipients mooch off of taxpayers” and makes cutting welfare programs much more popular. The myth establishes “taxpayers” as a privileged class. If taxpayers fund the government, then it follows that they should decide what the government does — after all, it’s their money. As a result, the most marginalized and disadvantaged people are seen as the least worthy recipients of government assistance while the rich and powerful rig the levers of power to receive favor after favor.'
This discussion is too abstract to be effective. If you want votes you have to sell short term benefit and sell it often, clearly and with a repeated message. The benefit must be near term, within 5 years at most, best if today. Climate change investment with no benefits for decades from now it not a winnning message. Lower cost energy with clean energy now and getting better all the time, yes more please. Abortion laws promise to put fear into all women of childbearing age now because miscarriage can be subject to vigilante law suites per Texas laws (already copied). First women arrested for murder in Texas April 2022 and jailed. Not law yet but proposed, the police jump the gun but there are laws proposed. There should be continuous propaganda, promotion, etc. to remove all MAGA cult from office because the MAGA cult laws damage is now in terms of fear. It will come to more and more states unless folks understand the continuous decline and focus on the here and now pain from abortion laws. The short-term benefit from clean energy should be enough to vote against MAGA cult opposition to clean energy. My thoughts on the abortion issue are posted on medium under "The abortion enforcement paradox"
Monty Python comes to mind: "What have the Romans ever done for us?!" Sadly, too little mind is paid to the power of propaganda and the ruthlessness with which the wrong right has crafted and pulled through decades long campaigns to malign support for the public good. The info was out there even before Jane Mayer's "Dark Money", yes whimpy Dems have shied away from demonizing the true demons. Now that truthful arguments and reason count for nothing, and the wrong right has legions of loonies armed to the teeth and large swaths of the police under their sway – what are we left with?
Many years ago, in the aftermath of the Savings & Loan debacle when the Resolution Trust Company was trying to sort out the mess, I read in a critical op-ed "To a bureaucrat, time is revenue, not cost."
May be an element of truth in that, but who exactly do people think is going to keep the wheels of government turning? Fairies?
Perhaps there is a "bureaucratic personality" that values security, order and procedure over risky entrepreneurialism and its potential big payoffs. Good!
I just want to say, as a tax accountant, thank you both for sticking up for the IRS.
Have to change the way people fundamentally think about taxation. I voted for Hillary over Bernie because I was like 'How ya gonna pay for that, Bernie?' Tons of people can be brought to change like I did.
'The taxpayer money myth is the antiquated belief that taxes fund government spending, and the existence of this idea is an existential threat to progressive policy. This myth legitimizes harmful ideas such as “welfare recipients mooch off of taxpayers” and makes cutting welfare programs much more popular. The myth establishes “taxpayers” as a privileged class. If taxpayers fund the government, then it follows that they should decide what the government does — after all, it’s their money. As a result, the most marginalized and disadvantaged people are seen as the least worthy recipients of government assistance while the rich and powerful rig the levers of power to receive favor after favor.'
https://www.thecrimson.com/column/a-time-for-new-ideas/article/2020/3/18/gilbert-myth-of-taxpayer-money/
This discussion is too abstract to be effective. If you want votes you have to sell short term benefit and sell it often, clearly and with a repeated message. The benefit must be near term, within 5 years at most, best if today. Climate change investment with no benefits for decades from now it not a winnning message. Lower cost energy with clean energy now and getting better all the time, yes more please. Abortion laws promise to put fear into all women of childbearing age now because miscarriage can be subject to vigilante law suites per Texas laws (already copied). First women arrested for murder in Texas April 2022 and jailed. Not law yet but proposed, the police jump the gun but there are laws proposed. There should be continuous propaganda, promotion, etc. to remove all MAGA cult from office because the MAGA cult laws damage is now in terms of fear. It will come to more and more states unless folks understand the continuous decline and focus on the here and now pain from abortion laws. The short-term benefit from clean energy should be enough to vote against MAGA cult opposition to clean energy. My thoughts on the abortion issue are posted on medium under "The abortion enforcement paradox"
Monty Python comes to mind: "What have the Romans ever done for us?!" Sadly, too little mind is paid to the power of propaganda and the ruthlessness with which the wrong right has crafted and pulled through decades long campaigns to malign support for the public good. The info was out there even before Jane Mayer's "Dark Money", yes whimpy Dems have shied away from demonizing the true demons. Now that truthful arguments and reason count for nothing, and the wrong right has legions of loonies armed to the teeth and large swaths of the police under their sway – what are we left with?