Power to/for/by The People, indeed

As last week was a highlight reel full of flash vs. substance, this week gave us a couple clear illustrations of why some of us cling, still, to our political beliefs against a storm of evidence that it doesn't make an ant-hill's worth of difference.

To quickly re-cap, the Wall Street debacle as well as a couple books worth of research had had me not only second-guessing my Conservative/Libertarian stance; but they had all but converted me to a life of an agnostic monk. The theory went that America had given Laissez-Faire her best shot and L-F took it, ate it, and spit it right back at us. Men, untethered by regulation, will indeed over-reach, without regard for country, stability, morality, or even reputation. Government, then, intuitively, has to inject restraint.

Milton Friedman? Nice theories. But only theories.

W.F.Buckley, Jr. (who was conservative wayyy before conservative was cool, btw)? Dreamer. Too much time on his hands. False prophet.

Well.

To quote the crazed Coach Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend."

Witness the two events this week that in our view basically pitted Industry against Government, Toyota v. NHTSA, and Insurance, Inc. (disguised as the G.O.P.) v. F.D.R. (disguised as President Obama).

(Bear with me, good readers, this ends, well, well.)

My wife and her mother both drive a Toyota. So i didn't need another reason to watch Mr. Toyoda genuflect in front of congress. I needed a reason not to sell our car. I ended up getting a reason to believe again.

There Japan was, attempting to salvage her signature corporation from the salvage yard. Translator at hand. Right-hand man who spoke English at the left.

There America was, not quite sure which angle to play: Nationalism, Buy America First, or come to Toyota's rescue from an over-reaching mommy state.

And then......after the smoke had cleared and the networks had gone away came "the third panel".

The last witness on the third panel, at close to 6:00 EST, was an ex-administrator of NHTSA. Yawwwn, right? Ho-hum, huh?

(See Corso quote above.)

Joan Claybrook, head of NHTSA 30 years ago gave her various and sundry opinions of this and that and then, like a bolt of sunshine!, unleashed the following criticism (in her view) of the American 'system': "All these victims have at the end of the day is our criminal justice system."

Ahhhhhh. The warmth of truth as I bask in your washing.

Ms. Claybrook did as most liberal, wonk-y, bureaucrat-y stooges do, she stepped in to the truth while arguing against it.

You see, dear readers, our criminal justice system (shout out to the trial lawyers!) is, in fact, ALL these victims need. The implication being that no one in that hearing room--with all of their power--can do a thing to help the victims (although of course they CAN punish Toyota, and probably will do so).

So, as Messrs. Buckley and Friedman and, now, I suppose, yours truly, would ask, What good are these potted plants in Washington?

If and when enough Toyota (or Ford) drivers are injured through a defect in the design of the car/truck, and the en*sue*ing damages are paid as dictated by judges and juries, believe me, the heads of these companies would take notice. Government is useless here, and in tons of other places.

And we'll return to this issue vis-a-vis Health Insurance reform next time (i.e. as soon as Charlie Brown affirms my opinion!).

Brian K. Mitchell, an R.Ph.,

is the owner of Mitchell Pharmacy in Kennett.

He can be contacted via e-mail at bmitchellrph@gmail.com,

or log on to

www.mitchellpharmacy.com.