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Commentary - Sep 12, 2005 - Printable Version
- What Does it all Mean, Anyway?
by Robin Buckallew
I just read the news that Dubya's approval rating has dropped below 40%. In fact, nearly 70% of the citizens express some amount of disapproval. I thought about cheering, because people were finally waking up. But wait - before you begin popping the cork on that bottle of imported French champagne, perhaps you should read on. When you read what the people are telling the pollsters, it becomes clear that the drop in approval does not indicate a massive sea change in the political direction of our country. In fact, quite the opposite. It appears that the reason people are upset with Dubya is that he just hasn't been Dubya enough for them. They still love the bellicose, swaggering, language-mangling Dubya of the first term. There seems to be mainly one thing on their minds - gas prices. About half are frustrated with the war in Iraq, but don't read too much into this, my fellow peace activists - most of these folks aren't seeking peace, they just want us to win the war in a big finish and show those "towel heads" a thing or two, and they are angry that this hasn't happened; they are also angry that the war raised gas prices instead of lowering them. About half were frustrated at the slow response to Katrina, which is heartening. But by far and away the main reason that was mentioned was the 70% that were angry that Dubya hadn't done anything to bring gas prices back down. Nothing in the world could be more unfair. Many of the people who voted for Dubya voted for him on free-market principles. He ran as a free-market purist, and a great many people voted for him as a free-market purist. Let the market be free, let the market set the prices, the market will solve our problems. I heard it over and over again, and I still hear it. Like many other things that were said (or weren't said) during the campaign, this one has hidden meanings. The decoded version of free-market purism simply means we remove the regulations that are in place to protect public health and safety, and the market will do the right thing - as long as people want it enough to pay for it and demand it in the marketplace. For most people, this translates to removing "burdensome" environmental regulations that prohibit "development" or "economic growth". In fact, that is nearly always what is mentioned - the imaginary strait jacket of environmental regulations. You occasionally hear them mention that this would also include the removal of safety protections for workers, leading to a free-for-all in the field of worker endangerment to cut costs. It is also not usually mentioned that this also would mean the removal of minimum wage laws, as well as protections from unreasonable termination, and many of the other benefits, such as the 40 hour week, that Americans have come to take for granted. After all, most Americans really do prefer that they are protected, that they have their wages at a livable level, and that they are protected from being fired. It's not so readily apparent that Americans care if their neighbor enjoys the same protections. Looking at the controversies and comments that surround every Wal-Mart opening, in fact, it becomes apparent that most Americans really would rather their neighbors didn't enjoy any protections that might possibly raise the price of goods one iota.
On the other hand, the recent surge in gas prices is a symbol of the free market in action. Those consumers who are unwilling to pay the high prices will adjust their driving, fill their gas tanks less frequently, and stay out of the marketplace. On the other hand, most Americans will continue to drive their own private car by themselves, paying the exorbitant prices, and demanding that their free market principles be violated to drive the price down. For a proponent of the free-market to demand government intervention is simply an example of hypocrisy at its worst.
So, what do most of the dissatisfied former Dubya supporters really want? Well, it seems they want small government - where business and commerce and taxes are concerned. Government should not regulate the public marketplace, even though it might have a positive effect on the public welfare and protect the citizens, fulfilling its obligation under the social contract. Government, on the other hand, is welcomed into our private affairs, such as our sexuality, our marriage, our morality, and the purity of our entertainment. Such decisions as we make in our private home regarding these matters does not necessarily have a great impact on society as a whole. My neighbor's life and well-being isn't threatened if I watch a "dirty" TV show or read a "smutty" book. In spite of that, this appears to be the one area of government that Dubya's biggest supporters think is valid for government interference. Don't let people decide for themselves what they or their children should be watching or reading - you know much better than they do what is appropriate, and the government should agree with you.
So, before you pop that cork, think soberly about the task that lies ahead. Many people want the tax cuts, they want the stacking of the court with right-wing conservatives. Many don't even mind corporate intrusion into every area of public life. They just want the gas prices to come down so they can continue driving their SUV without any real discomfort at all. They aren't out there asking for world peace (though they do want us to win the war, set up "democracy" in Iraq, and come home); they aren't out there asking for an end to poverty; they aren't demanding a change to the status quo, just a change of their own position in it. In other words, if the low approval rating causes the country to send Dubya packing, we are likely to see the elevation of another Dubya - tax-cutting, bellicose, belligerent and bullying - but one who promises to keep gas prices down below a dollar a gallon.
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