The Level Playing Field
Yeah, this is about the latest pet peeve in the political scam arena. The idea that there is a "playing field" in the first place fails, unless you are talking about sports. But politics and business are not sports. So, comparing them to sports is inherently a failure. But the "level" part annoys me even more.

In a truly equal and level system everyone plays by the same rules. Rules are laws, regulations, etc. and to be truly equal, or "level", they must all apply to everyone exactly the same regardless of ... well ... anything. Gay, straight, black, green, purple, butt for head ... the laws (or rules) should be exactly the same, and that would be equality. But let's look at specifically the economic portion of this, business. Too many people think that businesses are what determine the rules, they do not. We do, though less directly because we have to push the government to enact the rules and enforce them.

But this is not what people are claiming, at least many many people. They are claiming business makes the rules, because "they have more money". Well, who is "they" ... singular, because for some reason these same people think that "they" is one huge entity that somehow lives on it's own. Here's a wake up though, businesses are "they" plural, as in you, me, and ... everyone who buys or deals with them. The truly ignorant part of this whole "level playing field" idea is the concept that we cannot control businesses.

Actually, we can make businesses do what we want far easier than we can make the government. The government can enact laws and such to silence us, businesses do not have that power. Businesses can suggest such actions to the government, but ultimately it is the government making them into laws. But how do we control businesses? By choosing where to buy products from. It's that easy. Well, it's that easy as long as the government doesn't enact laws preventing us from making a choice. 

Yep, outlawing certain products, "encouraging" others with subsidies, all of that is taking away our ability to choose and control businesses. But will people crying about a "level playing field" ever see that? Not likely. Instead of choosing to let companies they don't like fall (bankruptcy and such) they instead want to give subsidies to others. Remember corn? Yeah, now they want the products made from the corn, that they pushed to be given a "helping hand", banned for reasons that it's unhealthy for us. 

Come to think of it, the corn fiasco is the perfect example of how these "level playing field" cries are so bad for our world. Back in the past corn farms were exactly even with everything else. It was great, there was a variety of products people could choose from. But then people stopped buying so much corn. Why? The consumers didn't want it as much. So many of the farms were failing. Suddenly the outcry from people gave strength to lobbyists to run to the government and cry "help the corn farms!"

They did, they gave a bunch of money to corn farmers and incentives to new corn farmers. So the corn industry exploded, but no one was buying more corn yet. So, what to do with all that corn? Candy, soda pop, all the tasty treats you can imagine became so cheap and easy to produce. Well, the corn farmers weren't worried about losing money, so they kept making corn and the government kept giving the more money, and the people just bought junk food.

Then, someone says "we might be able to use this excess corn for fuel!" ... and instead of leaving the system alone, which was already broken, they added more subsidies and more money to the corn farmers. Increasing corn products even more. But, turns out that it was not as useful for fuel, so the corn was still being used for junk foods, since that was the only thing they had to do with all this corn. 

Ahh, the system was broken so badly now, but .... it gets worse. Recently a group of doctors decided to rally against jun foods, "it's so bad for us we need to ban it!" But, no, we can't ban it for two reasons, the biggest reason being: The government's idiotic spending on corn farms would be found out.

So, instead let's tax it. The government hoping to get some of that money back. However they only succeeded in breaking the system, and making it far less equal and far less "level". Corn farmers make a fortune, all other farms have to struggle, so those other farms are moving to Mexico, does that really sound level?

I may continue this more, because this topic is pissing me off. But here's the thing, we all have the same opportunities until the government steps in and changes that. If you can't make a product anyone else wants, that's your lack of ability, not an unfair system, but if someone comes in and hands you money anyway, then you still lack skill and ability but have an advantage.