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Government The Bigger Threat

January 6, 2012 by  

Who frightens you? Are you more scared of big business or government? Although Hollywood loves to portray American businessmen as evil incarnate, and Barack Obama continues to rail against the “millionaires and billionaires” who don’t pay “their fair share” of taxes, a new Gallup poll says the public isn’t buying it. While 26 percent of the public agreed that “big business” was a threat to the country, more than twice that number — 64 percent — said government is the bigger threat.

Time’s “Person of the Year” wasn’t actually a person this time. Instead, the magazine decided that “the protester” deserved the accolade — and not just any protester, but all of them. The magazine included protesters from the Arab Spring to Athens and from OWS to Moscow. One thing the magazine didn’t point out is that in most countries, the protesters were demonstrating against government. In the United States, the OWS crowd is demanding more government.

Democrats complain about a cheery greeting. It comes as no surprise that Democratic legislators in South Carolina aren’t crazy about Nikki Haley, the Tea Party favorite who won the Governorship last year. But surely they have more important issues than arguing about how State agencies answer the phone. Last month, Haley decreed that callers be greeted with “It’s a great day in South Carolina! How may I help you?” Two Democrats introduced legislation to do away with the script — at least until unemployment is below 5 percent and all residents of the State have health insurance.

War games are hugely popular. When it comes to video games, it seems that the bloodier, the better. The latest hit, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” racked up more than $1 billion in sales in just 16 days after its Nov. 8 debut. That easily surpassed last year’s shoot-’em-up, “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” which took over a month to exceed the billion-dollar mark. Total video game sales in November came to $1.67 billion. Thanks to Christmas purchases, the number for December is expected to be even higher.

–Chip Wood     

 

Filed Under: Chip Shots, Conservative Politics
Chip Wood

is the geopolitical editor of PersonalLiberty.com. He is the founder of Soundview Publications, in Atlanta, where he was also the host of an award-winning radio talk show for many years. He was the publisher of several bestselling books, including Crisis Investing by Doug Casey, None Dare Call It Conspiracy by Gary Allen and Larry Abraham and The War on Gold by Anthony Sutton. Chip is well known on the investment conference circuit where he has served as Master of Ceremonies for FreedomFest, The New Orleans Investment Conference, Sovereign Society, and The Atlanta Investment Conference.

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  • http://BoblivingstonletterJusthead Gottaplenty

    Please take a second look at your surroundings and tell us of anything the govt has ever produced , manufactured, invented, or done that wasn’t accomplished by the private sector, Some govt idiot has a revelation or dream of a great war machine or the like but private minds accomplish the end product.Usually a rich SOB that owns a means of production.Yeh shure , he must have stolen it to have it, from some poor slob sleeping in a dumpster so its not fair is it eddie.

    • Joe H.

      Gottaplenty,
      I accept your challenge!!! The Government HAS produced something!!! It’s called Heartaches and Hangovers!!!!

  • http://personallibertydigest Gottaplenty

    This commie left that continues to continue that garbage about big buisness ,big everything, only seem to attract small minds.How many of this group on these website responses know what it takes to be (big)They endorse BIG govt. ,that makes them part of something. Havn’t you noticed the only thing govt. does is stop things.Stop industery, of all kinds in the name of looking out for you,No oil pipelines, no neuc powerplants, no coal production . Obstruct and stop till they get full control. They have never done anything yet to better our cause yet. The only thing that the govt can do is extract our money ,then use private ingenuety and competence to further their power over the people that are the backbone of the nation. As soon as they accomplish their goal the foundation deteriates. It caves in ,in otherwords pay attention and boot the Obummer…

  • beacon

    USA citizens have only one way out.

    RON PAUL 2012.

    • Joe H.

      beacon,
      you got THAT right!!!! RON PAUL/ANDREW NAPOLITANO 2012!!!! Make it happen!!!

  • JimH

    We are warned by a certain political party to fight BIG oil, BIG pharmacutical, BIG insurance, all the evil BIGS. The only way to fight the evil BIGS, is with BIG government.
    If I don’t like what the BIGS are doing, I don’t buy their product. If I don’t like what BIG government is doing, tough luck.
    I prefer to deal with BIG business.
    These politicians talk about greed. These rich people just want to make money and not pay their “fair” share.
    These politicains believe they have a right to help themselves to the money these evil BIGS “earn.” If the government spends money irresponsably and recklessly they just believe the “rich” should just “give” them more. Who really are the greedy ones.
    The reason our country is so far in debt isn’t because we are under taxed.

  • Ronald Johnston

    Big business is a necessary evil in our country. Big government is not a necessity period. The law of supply and demand will decide which big businesses succeed or fail. The law of supply and demand will ultimately decide the fate of the evil big government!!!! Big business cannot supply all it needs and has to rely on small businesses to furnish it with 90% of what it needs to exist. This is the American Way!!!!! The sooner we get rid of big government, the sooner the American Way can get back to work!!!!

  • LatterDayEsther

    Big business does not frighten me. Consumers banding together could cause them to re-evaluate their ways in all but a few cases. This lawless government that has taken over the US, completely abolishing our founding document, the US Constitution, would scare me to death if I had not read the Bible, especially how it ends.

  • CJM

    Time is on its way out of the market and they are really desparate in trying to vamp their sales. The ows garbage may have added a month or two to their “longevity” but that ragmag will eventually fold. Big business can be controlled by the consuming public; without their monies, big business (including hollywood) cannot survive. Once the elected officials assume office, the public actually has little control over them–so it is government that is the worst of the two. One way to curtail the busines/political morass is to force those seeking elected positions to have a cap on the amount of money they can use for ANY election campaign. No contender for an elected position should be permitted to spend a penny beyond $500,000, period. If they can’t budget a successful campaign with that amount, they don’t need to be running for office. We can have some control over our elected officials by: (1) placing TERM LIMITS on them; and (2)prosecuting ANY elected official who processes a “law” that exempts them from existing laws (as in the pelosi scheme where congressional members are somehow ‘exempt’ from insider trading laws). And for those who would select such petty issues as a “cheery greeting,” we should publicly shame them—they are in their positions to work for the people, not themselves or to placate their petty, shallow minds. If they are so busy being petty, oust them immediately.

  • DavidL

    The wealthy are the most dangerous segment of any society.

    • s c

      Ooooooooooweeeeeeeeeeee! Comrade d, I want to THANK you for daring to ADMIT that one of your false-god icons, George Soros, is DANGEROUS. Can you name anyone in Washington who’s also a most-favored chum of his?
      Psssst! He’s the airhead in the White House. You sure can pick ‘em, comrade. It’s not very often we get to see a utopian give himself an atomic wedgie, but you did it to yourself in a most spectacular fashion.

      • cawmun cents

        We could call it the Worlder Wedgie,and give it away like an award to the most leftist liberals.
        -CC.

      • cawmun cents

        Of course there would have to be nominations on each post,according to the article.Then one of the liberals could win the “Worlder Wedgie”,on each different article.

        I nominate Eddie47d for the above comment to sc’s post.
        Any seconds?

      • Joe H.

        CC,
        I second it on ANY of eddies inane posts!!!

    • eddie47d

      Get off the comrade kool aid SC it’s changing your hair color! ….Red! Facts, you don’t need any stinking facts just bluster from your shotgun mouth!Sure people are disappointed in government yet the majority still want to keep most Departments no matter what gets said around here. The majority 64% do want the deficit cut,74% want spending cuts(but not for themselves) and 59% want lower taxes. No surprise there. According to American Crossroads:94% think irresponsible Corporate CEOs should be severely punished. 90% for financial fraud. 59% think Corporations are not honest or accurate in how they conduct business. A similar poll can be found on Sense on Cents.com. In another poll 48% wanted the death penalty for Corporate thieves. My My maybe there isn’t a whole lot of love for them either.

      • Joe H.

        eddie,
        Let’s talk of unemployment rates. now Abummers crowd says the rate dropped by .5% last month. Well when you figure the number of unemployed and take .5% of them, you get a hell of a lot MORE jobs than 200,000, which is what Abummer says was created. Well where are the other jobs? Or DID the rate actually fall??? Besides eddie, just how many of those that went to work were holiday season workers?? Wanna bet the rate will drop again THIS month??? ALL SMOKE AND MIRRORS!!!

      • eddie47d

        Jobs were up 200,000 as of today and good paying jobs. I know Joe you like to be negative 24/7 and can’t see beyond your own nose!

      • Joe H.

        eddie,
        I saw the report on three different stations and not one said anything about how much these “Jobs” paid!! you wanna put up a site or shut up???

      • Joe H.

        What, eddie, no smart azzed remark NOW???

  • Deerinwater

    I see it as more of a “What came first, the chicken or the egg” quandary. The right / left , more/less, good/ bad ~ is the game, politics is the “name”

    IF~ You work hard and do well at ANYTHING! It does not take long for “others” to see your success. At that point one of two things will happen, they will look for the secret of your success and try to copy it or attempt to tap into yours.

    IF you can’t lock in a market or protect your self with laws such as copywrights or Trademarks. Your system will be copied and you will then have a competitor.

    When government sees you generating wealth, they will expect you to share it, right or left makes little difference. If you want the laws that “protect” your business, you need government. If you want the government cooperation and support and to be sympathetic to your “difficulties” you are left to support elected officials that are willing to show you sympathy.

    If you don’t make this investment, they will find reasons that prevent you from conducting business. You could be exposed to liabilities, you have not considered. You could be creating “victims” with your day to day operations. Perhaps you could be found pissing up stream and tainting everyone’s water down river.

    Now , you can fall for this Right/Left story if you wish. You can find examples and stories to justify and validate the RIGHT/LEFT political game. But you really need to understand it’s just a game. A game of the shrewdest, as they tell you to go to hell and you leave looking forward to the trip.

    There is no end to stupid, we depend on it, we make a living on what other people don’t know or won’t do. Learn to embrace “stupid” as we all exploit it on some level.

    Your ego drives this desire to appear “bright” and this too is a form of stupid and blinds us. For the Emperor truly wears no cloths.

  • Pres

    “former walmart person” is right on!
    Big government is not the problem…. it’s who is really running it
    that makes it so bad.
    Government is simply a manifestation of the people controlling it.
    (and it sure as heck is not the voters)

    • Incredulous1

      Pres, you and “former walmart” overlook one overwhelming distinction between “big-bad-business” and Fedzilla – the government is authorized to use FORCE against individuals. Business is still bound by the Rule of Law. Your contention that business somehow pulls the leash on Fedzilla is plausible and probably correct, however, those puppet strings have yet to be made visible – very little if any evidence of corporate influence over lawmakers other than campaign contributions and resultant votes in Congress. You don’t like YOUR congress-critter being owned by Max Factor, VOTE HIM OUT!

      • Vicki

        Business can not affect government without the consent of government.
        Government CAN affect business even without the consent of business because government has GUNS.

    • s c

      P, you don’t do much research, do you? You and ‘former’ would do well to do some serious thinking AFTER you’ve done some serious research. The Fed is controlled by people who are a part of the ‘Big Picture’ crowd that keeps America in perpetual wars and an unending wealth redistribution trap.
      Don’t think of the Fed as Big Business on steroids. That’s like OWSers calling Wall Street ‘the establishment.’ In fact, your position is much like the simplistic ‘answers’ that OWSers rely on when they go looking for media whores to praise their behavior.
      I’ve been re-educating myself since the mid-’70s and one of my first conclusions was the idea that we see what we’re SUPPOSED to see. To see what you NEED to see you have to DIG for it, as the kontrollers do their best to hide from daylight. If I can assume that you’ll change your ways and do some research, you’re going to be amazed and sickened by the deep and wide ‘religious’ ties that run through everything (no, I’m not talking about ‘right-wing yahoos’).
      Read, dig deep and forget most of what you want to take for granted.

  • cawmun cents

    Is it just me,or does Hollywood seem to be the biggest money making industry in the world?They come out with animated productions called “Hoodwinked”,and action films called,”Ghost Protocol”,and you cant see that they are all connected?
    In Jesus’day the actors were known as Hypocrites.They like journalists,lawyers,politicians,accountants,bankers,tax collectors, and academics,were from a caste known as the Scribes.
    They are all in cahoots.
    Anyone who fails to notice that particular chunk of historical note,is doomed to being hoodwinked by the ghost protocol.
    -CC.

    • CJM

      The consumers can, and should, control what hollywood puts on the market. We do this when we decide to buy, or not buy, their finished product. If the sales records show an increase in decent films and gaming cd’s while the others show a record slump in sales, then hollywood gets the picture loud and clear. Why would anyone, except an atheist or a muslim, want to buy a film that depicts Christ in a negative way? Isn’t that something no christian would want to do–promote a hate-filled christian film? What it finally boils down to is $$$$—which we all know those in positions of power are all to fond of.

      • Kate8

        Hollywood has been the primary tool for the social engineering that has been perpetrated on our society. Little by little we’ve been desensitized to things that would have sent shockwaves just 50 years ago…and they call this eroding of our values “progress”. Every season the bar gets dropped a little lower, with increasing decadence and immorality on display continually in every home, for every child to see, absorb, and accept as normal.

        Now that we’ve become officially an “anything goes” society, we’ve become sufficiently “open minded” to accept anything our masters want us to accept. Next on the agenda is the mainstreaming of pedophelia (called “intergenerational sex”) and beastiality (favorite passtimes of the ruling elite), so they can pick from more “willing” participants…or, at least, parents and guardians who view such things with an open, liberal mind. Since the value of children has already been diminished by parents sacrificing their unborn offspring on the altar of self-indulgence, “intergenerational sex” is not such a big deal now, is it?

        After all, in ancient societies (and even current ones, say, in Asia…and the middle east) this has always been common practice. It has only been the influence of those darned Christians who’ve held up progress for so long. But that’s undergoing change, as well…

      • cawmun cents

        So you arent going to accept the worlders way of doing things Kate8?
        Dont worry,I’ll be there side by each with ya,every step of the way.
        We can sing the old patriotic songs of our youth while we sling lead at the worlders.Or if they capture us we can sing those same songs on the way to the firing squad.Either way we’ll be happier than those who were left behind to live in the One World Gubment.
        Alive,but not living.Cant even imagine how much that’d suck.
        Ask a North Korean,you might get a straight answer,but I doubt it.
        -CC.

    • Joe H.

      Cawmun,
      They don’t make a cent off of me, personally. I go to the public library to “borrow” movies I want to see. If they don’t get it in, then tough for me, no biggie!!

  • former walmart person

    Big Business effectively tells our government what to do. The Federal Reserve (a private entity), tells our government what to do. So government is just slave to super big business. To get elected in this country, you have to do a dog and pony show and suck up to big business to get their money into your campaign. big business than expects you to pass oppressive laws on the populice, i.e., us commonors. If you don’t they ensure you are eventually removed from power as a government representative, or at least heavily marginalized, ignored, and attacked as Ron Paul is.

    Now, its a good academic question as to who I should fear most. Should I fear the “Adolf Hitlers” of the elite who issue the orders in between S-cargo, and their fine, expensive wine while at an elitist cocktail party? Or should I really fear the boot private stormtrooper who will do anything with his M-16 because its the only way he can provide for his family? Who should I really fear? Big business, who is calling the shots or the police man and military without who, tyranny isn’t possible? (I don’t think Hitler ever personally pulled a gas chamber lever in his life).

    • CJM

      walmart person: It doesn’t seem to me that you actually answered the question, but you do pose some great questions. Personally, the government should be feared the most; big business can, and has been, controlled by the public–without the public’s money, big business dwindles and becomes extinct. The storm trooper gets his ‘authority’ from the government, not big business. Law enforcement gets its ‘authority’ from government, not big business. Once a BAD government gets into office, as we are now witnessing, it is difficult to remove that filth and bilge–and big business is kowtowing to the government, not the other way around.

      • Kate8

        It would seem that government has become nothing more than the enforcement arm of international corporate entities. Governments, including America’s, have sold out to them, giving up every shred of sovereignty. The government IS the corporation, so how is there any difference?

        The “big business” Obama decries only refers to those who have built themselves up to earnings of over $250,000. The REALLY big global corporations, including the various subsidiaries they own by any-other-name, do not pay taxes, nor does O want them too. They are his bosses. Once they are able to absorb or destroy these smaller “big businesses”, built by hard-working taxpayers, there will be nothing left of the people. We are finished, and there will be no further need for any pretense of distinction between corporate elitists and governance.

      • DanB

        Is this the chicken and the egg sort of argument?

        Would the corporate elitists use pressure on a government if the government was small and held little sway over its people? Think hard, because I already have an answer.

        There will be many who will continue to argue that big business is the greater threat because big business controls governments. And there will be people who say that big government is the greater threat. I agree with the latter in both cases. It doesn’t matter if big business is controlling government or government controlling big business. It doesn’t matter which is at the head of the beast, because if you shrink government to a minimum, then both big business and big government loses power over the people. Big business only has power over the people using government regulations and laws ONLY IF the government is big and has power over the people. Big government only has power over big business through law and regulation if the government is big… both problems have one solution. Shrink government.

      • Kate8

        DanB – When BigBusiness is in contol of government, and everyone working in government is an employee of said business, where do you make the distinction?

        If you were to assign greater power to government, even though it is nothing more than a subsidiary of large conglomerate, then that makes no sense.

        Until we find a way to wrest control away from the ruling corporate interests who have their stake and their operatives at every level of governance, we are at the losing end. The system has been set up to be rigged in their favor, no matter what “choices” we make.

        Again, where is the distinction between BigBus and govt, except in the eyes of those too blind to see.

      • Vicki

        Since government uses guns to force people to do what it says it is clear that government is the problem and not business. Business big and small is just trying to survive in an ugly pool if conflicting government regulations backed by the threat of force.

      • Joe H.

        CJM,
        To further prove what you say about big business, all one has to do is look back a few years to the sugar “war”. The price of sugar went up to rediculous highs and the consumer, incensed with the rise, Boycotted it. The price of sugar fell by almost half in about two months!

    • wandamurline

      As our forefathers forsaw, I do not fear either. We The People are the real authority in America and it is our duty as explained by our forefathers to remove a tyranical government. We hopefully can do it by the ballot box, but if not, then there may be another need to find an alternative way. When we “fear” government there is tyranny, when government “fears” us, there is liberty. Vote in 2012 like your very life depends on it, because it literally does.

      • joe1cr

        RIGHT ON !!
        We need to elect people that are everyday Americans ,who live under the laws of the land and can read the constitution without the legal professions double speak.
        Not the rich,lawyers,bankers,doctors,teachers, actors and communist that are there for the money.
        Those that have no ethics should be tried, convicted,imprisoned and their ill gotten wealth should be returned to the treasury of the United States.
        If the Justice Dept. and the courts will not do their jobs, maybe our new class of congressmen would have the #alls to charge, impeach and convict them for treason.
        Nov 2012 would be a good time to start draining the swamp, cut down the forest around it and expose what remains of the corruption to the full sunlight of the rule of law.

      • Joe H.

        Actually, wandamurline, you have named the biggest fear I have. The people, the uninformed voter and the prog voter. THESE are the biggest threat to our freedoms there is! To those of you that want to keep your right to own and carry, here is the ratings they gave the candidates on second ammendment rights.
        Ron Paul A+
        Rick Perry A
        Michelle Bachmann A
        Rick Santorum B-
        Newt Gingrich C
        Mitt Romney D-
        Herman Cain NR
        The NR for cain meant he didn’t return his questionaire and there was no other history to go on. For more information on the second ammendment-related records of the republican contenders mentioned go to: http://gunowners.org/2012presidential.htm

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