With the August Congressional recess, Washington has suddenly gone quiet. The contentious debates on the issues of the day are still there. But they have moved off the Washington stage back out to the heartland of America. That is really where they should and will be decided.
This momentary lull is perhaps a good time to reflect on the nature of the debates and where they are taking us. Much is being made about divide between the Democrats and the Republicans, the liberals and the conservatives, the Blue Dog Democrats and the House leadership, business vs. government, the Congress vs. the Presidency and with the Supreme Court nomination, the role of the Congress vs. that of the Courts. Add to this the debates over specific issues and one gets a strange brew of passion, argument and hostile feelings.
But, at the heart of these debates there is a central theme that is often being overlooked. That is, what is the proper role of government and how can it and should it fit into our lives? This was the central questions that our Founding Fathers grappled with in their day. We know that those debates grew very heated and strained many of their personal relationships to the breaking point. It is therefore no surprise that tempers and passions boil over in today’s discussions.
A Commentary on “No Government, No Markets”
The appropriate role of government should be to provide the proper “enabling environment”. Without this the private sector can not properly function. Yes a market can exist without a government. But do you really want to go back to bartering? A primitive economy can function without government, but in order to run a sophisticated, global economy a proper enabling environment is essential. Other active markets also exist outside of the auspices of societal protections, but they are usually associated with illegal activities such as the drug trade, prostitution, gambling, etc. Caveat Emptor - “Let the buyer beware” is very much in order.