The People's Power
Essay by Justin D. Lowry
Power to the people is something we hear exclaimed by both radicals and patriots alike. But what is true power the people should have? Is it forcing the government to take care of them? Is it having the power to dictate the government and the economy?
True power comes from self-responsibility. Take responsibility for not only your actions, but your situation also. When you realize you want a better life and take action to do so, you are not only being responsible, but also independent. The independence you have obtained takes your burden off the government. Thus, you can have a smaller, more efficient government. This is a government that gives you not only power over yourself, but over it as well. You determine who is elected and the policies they set in place. They know that as long as you are not dependent upon them that you are in control.
The corruption of true power leads to false power. False power begins when the government starts to take are of you. You believe you are in control because you are being taken care of, but in fact, the government has the power because you are dependent upon them. This dependence means that the government can do as it pleases and you cannot object. Imagine that the government is giving you money. They want to pass a piece of legislation that you disagree with, but because of this dependence, you cannot object for fear of having that money taken away. This type of dependence also leads to a large government with a bureau for each group of people. Efficiency is lost through this bureaucracy. This slope starts because you do not take responsibility for your situation. You want a better life; you demand the government give it to you.
True power also gives you economic power. As consumer, you dictate production. The more you buy, the more they produce, the less you buy, the less they produce. This type of power also means that consumers dictate innovation. Inventors will make better ways and products because they know you will use it. They will better products you already use to make them more efficient for you. True economic power also allows you to set prices on products by supply and demand. The more the product is bought, the higher the price is set because of production cost. However, in this system, another company can start producing this product, thus driving prices down. You also have boycotting to protect yourself from greed and corruption.
Therefore, true power comes from being self-reliant, responsible, and independent. False power comes from the corruption of true power and dependence on the government. Economic power is where the people have total control of the economy and industry. Remember, “A government big enough to give you what you want is big enough to take from you everything you have.” – Gerald Ford.