Re: Eliminating competition: The Zeitgeist of the late 90's

[Doug Masson <dmasson@iquest.net>]

<snip>
> These moves will come reluctantly at first, especially because of the Baby
> Boom generation's justifiable distrust of government and its desire to see
> its retirement investments multiply. In many cases, efforts to preserve
> open, competitive markets will be too late to prevent the destruction of
> worthy entrepreneurs and innovators. However, they will ultimately be seen
> by the overwhelming majority of citizens as necessary to forestall the
> dawning of a second "Gilded Age." 
<snip>
> 
> Copyright (c) Brett Glass 1998
> These remarks may be republished with proper attribution only.
> 
> 

A very thoughtful piece and one which I look forward to mulling over.
However, I have one immediate problem with the above paragraph. The baby
boom generation IS government. And it is their bankrupt philosophies which
have magnified the problems created in large part by their parents. Now it
is up to us whippersnappers to try to iron out the messes being left to us
(financial, environmental, educational, and otherwise) so that we can
leave a fresh batch of messiness for our children. Furthermore, I believe
that the second Gilded Age has already dawned and is now somewhere near
high noon. Hopefully youngsters such as myself can shut her down and
create something that will not be labeled as "The Second" anything (while
still being, of course, just as wide open to the criticism of our
successors). Far from being distrustful of government, as far as I can
see, the boomer president Bill Clinton and the rest of the boomers he
brought into office with him have been the least helpful to civil
liberties and individual rights in recent memory. (Think CALEA, CDA, WIPO,
smart cards, and Clipper). So becareful about characterizing boomers as
distrustful of government; from this nonboomer's perspective the
generation before me has embraced government wholeheartedly all in the
name of short term profits and "security". And, for the record, it always
amazes me how willing individuals of any generation have been to leap into
a cage in the name of "being safe". I suppose I've ranted enough.

Take care,
Doug