"Free" enterprise?  No such thing.  Not, even in our country, nor any other.  Why?  Insatiable greed, avarice, and abuse.

"Free" market place?  Again, no such thing.  -- The market is owned by those with the means, i.e. the rich, the powerful "haves," big business, etc..

Business must be regulated, as minimally as possible in a "free" country, however.  Grant any business, agency, individual, charity, official, etc. carte blanche, and corruption and abuse quickly result.  Always.  No matter how well-intentioned, altruistic, beneficent.  It is human nature to abuse authority and line one's pockets.

Precisely, what is happening in our once great country as government becomes increasingly fascist.  -- Definition of fascism?  An abusive and dangerous oligarchy based on a pernicious blend of government, big business, and religion. ... A boot-heel cynically placed on the throat of the masses, justified in principle by perversion and bastardization of religion.

While Nazism and fascism place a strangle-hold on freedom, so do socialism and communism.  All four deliberately control business activity and productivity.  With dire results and unacceptable consequences.

For decades, business has been poorly regulated by government in the United States.  Nowhere near as ineffectively and irresponsibly, however, as currently.  Not only is this not in the best interests of the public, it is damaging to business in the long run.

No question, capitalism is the best system to live under.  For the greatest number of people, no doubt.  When improperly regulated, however, it becomes intolerably abusive.  Especially, to those on the bottom of the food chain.

The temptation of business is always to generate as much income as possible, -- off the backs of those on the bottom as necessary.

The proper function of government, however, was, and is, to minimize these abuses.  To consequently ensure domestic tranquility, and prevent violent overthrow of government.  Maintain reasonable order.  With the least intrusion.

Sadly, all levels of government no longer fulfill this obligation, since uncontrolled greed and personal gain have become endemic.  In government, as well as the business community.  Short-term earnings reports and return of investment have taken priority over welfare of employees and quality of goods and services.

... Employees are indeed the people who generate goods and services, crank out the wealth.  On behalf of management and shareholders.  Yet, employee earning and buying power have decreased over the last thirty years.  Nowhere near did either keep up with true inflation.  -- The pain experienced by people on the bottom of the food chain not reflected in inflation statistics.

Statistics reflect the true impact of economic conditions on the upper middle class, the rich, and big business.  Not the bottom, or those close to the bottom.  Not small business, desperately trying to survive day to day, week to week.

If statistics truly represented reality, there would soon be a revolution.  Manipulate data, skew statistics, massage reality, and you effectively control the masses, -- until the deception becomes so obvious and egregious the aggressively stupid public has no choice but to wake up.

To the horror of the GOP and Democrats, there are rumblings.  The sleeping giant may be finally waking up.  Examples?   The fiasco in Iraq, the deficit, exponentially increasing energy prices, the Terri Schiavo fiasco, outrageously fascist judicial nominations, corrupt and abusive politicians such as Tom DeLay, and now, the third rail of politics, -- Social Security.

Republicans are finally realizing the jig may soon be up.  After all, midterm elections are right around the corner.  Mr. Bush's ratings are currently declining.  So are those of Congress.  Iraq is becoming a quagmire with no end in sight, and energy prices are beginning to negatively effect the economy.

Worse, deficits are sky-rocketing with no end in sight.  -- All ominous signs, the pocketbook and wallet may soon be in for rough times.  Not good signs, however, for the party in control of Congress, the White House, and the courts.

With worsening deficits, Republicans are desperate to further loot those on the bottom of the food chain.  Precisely, why the GOP wants to scrap a "progressive" tax system and replace it with a flat tax.  Why?  So the rich and well-to-do pay a far smaller percentage of their income in taxes.

A "progressive" tax system deliberately sticks it, percentage wise, to the "haves." Why?  It effectively returns a small portion of the wealth looted from those on the bottom to the very same people from whom it was originally "stolen."  "Stolen?"  That's right, stolen.

... From all those people working for a minimum wage or under ten bucks an hour, with no benefits.  -- So fabulous salaries, benefits, and return on investment can be paid to management and/or shareholders.

Despite phony protests of the Fascist Right to the contrary, it is a zero-sum game.  Also, it is class war, shamelessly waged by the "haves" against the "have-nots." Interestingly, the middle class is quickly disappearing, consequently.

The Fascist Right has always disingenuously claimed corporations and the rich do not pay taxes.  -- They pass them on to those lower on the food chain.  Why?  They've been allowed and encouraged to do so by statutes and regulations that are deliberately designed to enable evasion of taxes by the privileged few.

In effect, government sanctioned, legalized tax evasion.  -- Certainly, not so severely taxed they would be forced to "eat" the tax expense, and not fully pass it on.  Instead, they're coddled and protected from taxation.  ... While those on the bottom foot the bill.  Precisely, why the tax code is as complicated and incomprehensible as it is.  -- Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with BS.  ... Whatever it takes.  No matter who gets hurt.

Quality of goods and services has severely suffered in the process.  In the long run, this will devastate our country.  So will outsourcing of jobs, begun thirty years ago.  -- An earlier first attack on the blue collar workforce, leading to the Rust Belt.  Now, white collar and engineering positions are currently outsourced to India and elsewhere.  ... Where salaries and benefits are substantially lower.

None of this job outsourcing, both white and blue collar, however, has significantly resulted in creation of new, better, high-paying employment opportunities, as promised.  Despite claims to the contrary by management and its shills on the Fascist Right.

If this continues unabated, in several generations the United States will become a third world country.  Will have forgotten how to design and manufacture.  Will be at the mercy of foreign powers, and subject at home to a pernicious fascist oligarchy lining its pockets at the expense of the citizenry.  In Nazi America.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril