regulations

Back from Vacation, days away, free from you know what…

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Then, my first trip to the news sites reeled me right back into the scrum.

The days were sunny, warm, and intellectually active in North Carolina. Except for the pollen and shady activity going on in the back parking lot of the hotel, it was a great week. Even the drive down and back was okay, far better than the mental struggle it usually is.

So, what harshed my mellow? Fox News. They ran a real, thoughtful, cranky story about a businessman in the south whose pole is too big. (Stop giggling.) And so is what he puts on his pole. Who says so, pink-haired, tree-hugging, liberal elites? Nope. The towns and cities he does business in around the southeast. The southeast. Not typical regulatory-maze country.

Jim, the businessman wants to show his patriotism by erecting giant poles with giant American flags on them. He says he has 100’s of thousands of square feet of American Flags he wants to spread around the country, to honor America, and show his thankfulness.

Jim and the eager beaver Fox news host are astounded that Jim is having trouble with various cities about the poles. And sometimes the flags. It’s a national story of interest, now. On Fox.

And there is the MAGA movement’s mentality in a nutshell. See, the cities and towns have local ordinances about how high your poles can be and–often–about how big the flags (or signs) can be, too. Again, this in in Tennessee, North Carolina, and other southern states Jim didn’t mention. Not your liberal snowflake, woke states.

The problem is that Jim doesn’t care about regulations. Rules are not for him. He’s a self-made man (very commendable, by the way) but for some reason he thinks that grants him the right to do what he wants. Fox’s, eager beaver kind of nods in agreement.

This wouldn’t be such a big deal but it’s Jim’s reasoning that sets him apart: he wants to honor America, not himself, by erecting larger than regulation flag poles and flying larger than regulation flags.

Let’s forget a better use of his money might be helping the poor in his communities. Or contributing to conservative causes and politicians. Or helping feed the hungry. Flags just flap in the breeze. (Unknown, but maybe he does do that kind of good work, too, in addition to his Flag Life.)

But isn’t it a better way to honor America, a better way to thank this country, isn’t it a better thing to obey the rules and regulations of the places you choose to work in, make money in, and live in? Wouldn’t respecting the local ordinances of the town folk be a better way to show your gratitude for America? Be a defender and believer and supporter of the community, not a troublemaker?

Jim needs to hear what he is saying with his words, a constant complaint about MAGA. He loves America, wants to fly flags, for America, honor America…but gosh darn it, no one is going to tell him how to do it. He’s doing it his way or legions of lawyers will become wealthy for no good reason.

It’s the theory of male exceptionalism (no caps on purpose) that dominates the right wing of our country. Rules and regulations are for normal people. Not us exceptional people. Wonder how many businesses in Jim’s home town researched the rules about flags/signs and did it the right way, the way the local citizens and government want? Or maybe they said, “screw it, we don’t need more flags, anyway.”

I like Jim’s idea about spreading patriotism around the United States. But why can’t he do to code? Why does he need to fight for a bigger pole, a bigger flag, than everyone else? Care to guess?

America is what it is because of Exceptional People (caps on purpose): War heroes, explorers, inventors, and the daily Exceptionalism by cops, doctors, firemen, teachers, et.al.

But America has lasted so long, done so well, because we are a nation of laws, regulations, and the stability laws and regulations bring. And Americans believe in law and order. I’ll bet a majority of American drivers obey the speed limit. We all know those exceptional drivers who don’t. Like them much?

Honestly, of all the things to take a patriotic stand on: the height of your flag pole?

Honoring your town and it’s laws is more patriotic than adding a few feet to your pole. (Typed with a straight face. Honest.)

America Great, Again? No. America Gone.

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In 2024, 77 million people voted for Trump. 75 million voted for Harris. 90 million did not vote. 2024 might have been the last chance for those 90 million to vote in a presidential election.

The long game of Trump and the Modern Republican Party (MRP) is to turn America into Russia, with Trump the New Putin and MRP members lining up–and butt kissing– to be Trump’s/Putin’s successor.

From the early 1800’s on, America’s Federal Government—our government–has been designed and built to protect the American Citizen. The normal, AVERAGE American citizen. It’s easy to see this defense in terms of war: The United States, for example saved the world during a war fought an foreign ground in the 1940s.

But the biggest government “wars” have been fought against American Businesses. Once America settled on Capitalism as our new religion, innovative intelligent entrepreneurs began to find ways to make money. Lots of money. Slavery was an important part of many entrepreneurs business plans. The “free” and “low-priced” labor of slaves, immigrants, and poor whites made many an American Businessman rich.

And the lack of regulation or rules benefited new American companies, as well. The leather industry, for example, dumped used tanning chemicals into the nearest river since there was no cost and the free water carried the chemicals away, to be someone else’s problem. The Acid rain of the 1970’s is a perfect example of unregulated pollution from a specific industry. (Young people, you’ll have to research that since I’ve little space, here.)

It became apparent to intelligent people unregulated commerce and industry was not beneficial for America—or it’s citizen–in the long run. The newly forming financial institutions needed to be monitored, as well, as most Americans were completely ignorant of loans, mortgages, and banking “stuff”. Think Henry Potter in “It’s A Wonderful Life.” (Again, google it.)

At the prodding of angry citizens, the Government of the United States proceeded to design and implement regulatory systems to protect the citizens from capitalist profit seeking. Regulations eventually banned slavery, 7-day work weeks, 20 hour work days, and other unfair labor practices. In addition, regulations enforced pollution controls to stop, for instance, a chemical plant from disposing of its waste in the clean rivers, lakes, and streams of America.

And the Government funded the armies, navies, and air forces to defend America.

It’s easy to see why the Capitalist Businesses of America began to see government as a “problem”, while the “Government” began to see Businesses as problem creators. A natural adversarial relationship developed and a “balance” blossomed, a symbiotic relationship between Government and Business lasting for hundreds of years. I’m not sure what “Make America Great Again” means but modern actions by Trump indicate MAGA wants to go back to the era of NO REGULATION. Republicans have historically been anti-government/probusiness in the last two centuries, so the sentiment is not new. Democrats assumed the roll of pro-government, understanding government regulations mainly benefitted the poor, average, and middle class sections of America as citizens needed a powerful entity to protect them against the rich, powerful businesses. The relationship has never been perfect, but it worked.

Until the last 20-30 years. When Republicans get political power, they dismantle regulations as fast as they can. Why? To increase business profits. And once a regulation is gone, it takes a convoluted process to get it back. The Reagan and both Bush Presidents were regulatory purge-fests, orchestrated and instituted within the framework of a constitutional government…mostly..

But now we have Trump. And two other problems.

  1. Fox News. In their zeal to be Number 1 in cable news in the 1990s, they broadcast their version of the truth. We now have two generations raised on Fox News.
  2. The Internet. In the days before the internet, a crazy conspiracy or nut-job character, were isolated to their region or community. Now, a flat earther in Iowa (no Offense) can connect with a flat earther in China. (again, no offense.)

If we mix in Trump’s ego, we end up with the volatile mix threatening our nation. Trump was born into money and has no concept of anything remotely “normal” about America. He is a billionaire with the usual hunger for more billions and regulations get in his way. His response is Shakespearean: “Out, out damn regulations.”

In our modern world millionaires grow on trees, and all the millionaires want to BE billionaires, so there is a large segment of American Business caring about nothing but profits.

Trump now sees the opportunity to dismantle the “regulatory state” and guarantee unfettered profit-seeking for all millionaires, billionaires, and soon to be trillionaires. Screw the environment. And screw the people.

Even worse, Trump is following the Putin Model (google it) for tearing down a democracy and setting himself up, Trump, to be America’s Putin. He is purging the remaining parts of the government of anyone who doesn’t support him, and if we let it happen, 2022 may be the last time we ever have free and fair elections.

America will finally be great, again?

PS Trump wants to dismantle the Education Department? A statement attributed to Thomas Jefferson explains why: “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”