Power draws power. Crony Capitalism is detrimental to our society but seems to be able to appeal to a significant portion of our populace even though only in disguise. I certainly agree with your analysis but am really dismayed by our possible actions to remedy the situation. When power is in the hands of people the people will use it to their own advantage. And that is no matter who those people are. The best we can hope for is effective separation of powers and leadership invested enough in that idea to actually stick to it. Eternal vigilance please.
@Martin. Thanks for the thoughtful response. You're right that power draws power, and that's part of what makes separation of powers necessary. What I'd add is that the German example shows constraints can still bend the outcome even given that human tendency. The Basic Law has separation of powers like ours, but it also has Drittwirkung, sectoral bargaining, and the Sozialstaatsprinzip. Same human nature, different outcome, because the constraints differ. And vigilance, taken seriously, has to mean actively building constraints. The postwar American settlement was built that way.
Power draws power. Crony Capitalism is detrimental to our society but seems to be able to appeal to a significant portion of our populace even though only in disguise. I certainly agree with your analysis but am really dismayed by our possible actions to remedy the situation. When power is in the hands of people the people will use it to their own advantage. And that is no matter who those people are. The best we can hope for is effective separation of powers and leadership invested enough in that idea to actually stick to it. Eternal vigilance please.
@Martin. Thanks for the thoughtful response. You're right that power draws power, and that's part of what makes separation of powers necessary. What I'd add is that the German example shows constraints can still bend the outcome even given that human tendency. The Basic Law has separation of powers like ours, but it also has Drittwirkung, sectoral bargaining, and the Sozialstaatsprinzip. Same human nature, different outcome, because the constraints differ. And vigilance, taken seriously, has to mean actively building constraints. The postwar American settlement was built that way.