Tuesday 13 September 2011

Why the Unrich Can Be Anti-Government

Anti-government rhetoric has gained traction among ordinary working people especially in the United States. Why is this?

There has been little critical analysis of how regulatory systems impact on the lives of ordinary people. Who is most affected by them.  It is not the rich. It is not PhD's. It is not large corpoartions or institutions. It is blue collar folk. It is the people who run small businesses - drywallers, roofers, electricians, shopkeepers, coffee shop proprietors. These are the people who often lack the skills or time to deal with a regulatory system.

For many ordinary people life is reaching a regulatory overload. Increasingly they deal with the seemingly endless requirements of forms and fillings by just dropping out and operating outside of the system. Regulatory overload is not just a right-wing, libertarian issue. It is about how government treats ordinary, working people. It is about placing limitations on the micro-management of individuals. It is about the need for a kind of regulatory equity.

It is necessary to examine various aspects of regulatory systems with a critical, evidence based approach. When are they beneficial, when are they not? In particular when do they become counterproductive and diminish from the quality of life.

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