Ron Hera writes in the Mises Institute’s “The Free Market” publication the following:  ”The U.S. economy is anything but a free market today.  In fact, the U.S. government increasingly resembles an oligarchy in which the oligarchs are large corporations, i.e., a ‘corporatocracy.’ Thus, the illegitimate offspring of the grand government envisaged by Keynes and the institution of central banking is a corporate state.”

He continues:  ”Without a large government, businesses have little incentive to influence it, but with the government (local, state, federal) representing nearly half of the U.S. economy, influencing the government is a mission-critical objective for every company.  The size of government implied by Keynesian economics provides motive and opportunity but only the largest corporations have the means to succeed.”

Now the fun part: “The goals of businesses seeking to influence the government include winning government business, mandating consumption of products and services (from child car seats to health insurance), avoiding taxes, guaranteeing profits, creating regulatory loopholes, protecting markets, eliminating competition, socializing losses and so forth.”  

His article in the Mises publication is one of the most concisely clear descriptions of the relationship between government and the corporate world I have read, packed with the understated bombshell, iron-clad type of writing that the folks associated with the Mises Institute are known for.  I can’t currently find an online version, but will post it if I do.  Hopefully more and more people will soon understand that the purpose of this government is to line the pockets of the corporate cronies, Obamacare being just another example.  Uncle Sam is now requiring premium payment while simultaneously maintaining the power of determining what, if anything, will be “covered.”  Think they’ll help the giant corporations turn a profit with this recipe?

G. Keith Smith, M.D.