Mark Small

After all, if the last corporation standing controls the entire market, there is no one to challenge that last competitor’s prices. And it is silly to think that anyone can just start up a new corporation to compete against such a monolith. 13/36

To compete requires capital - money - and, even with money, competition is not always possible. Rockefeller bought up all the oil fields - as well as the drilling rigs, barrels for shipping oil and wagons to transport the oil to the refineries that he also owned. 14/36

A GOP President, Theodore Roosevelt, saw the danger such monopolies posed to this country. TR broke up “trusts,” as the large corporations were called. He also sought to rein in large inherited wealth through inheritance taxes. 15/36

TR saw, after 3 or 4 generations heirs of such wealth often feel no need to compete. Their $$$ begets favorable treatment by government. There are exceptions, but for every JFK there are half-a-dozen rich whiny kids who duck combat via a doctor’s excuse. 16/36

To be sure: I did not serve in the military, but neither do I advocate sending U.S. military personnel into harm’s way “to protect our national interests” or “to support American interests abroad” catch phrases in Rev Beckwith’s promises. 17/36

I shall address in a separate blog, more fully and soon, the positions on military advanced by Rev Beckwith and other GOP candidates in the May 5 primary. For now I want to address economic aspects of Rev Beckwith’s positions on the military. 18/36

His catch phrases have been used to rationalize expenditure of American lives to guard profit margins of U.S. corporations, but: 1) Framers had dim view of corporations (see Boston Tea Party) 2) A lot of corporate stock now is owned by non-U.S. people and entities. 19/36

+ Jan 11 comment by current occupant of Oval Office - our troops are used as mercenaries. He said of Saudi: you’re a very rich country. You want more troops? I’m going to send them to you, but you’ve got to pay us.... they already deposited $1B in the bank. 20/36

I previously wrote we R hated - very much - by people from other counties because WE KILL A LOT OF PEOPLE for reasons that have nothing to do with freedom & democracy. In Vietnam we propped up a dictatorship as corporations raked in cash. 21/36

Some areas of Vietnam were off limits to U.S. military, e.g., our people could not enter the forests of rubber trees owned by Michelin, the French tire manufacturer. Viet Cong and NVA forces - of course - then hid in those forests. 22/36

Our support to Saudi Arabia, a dictatorship, was partly the reason the 9/11 terrorists - all but two of whom were Saudi nationals - attacked us. In Saudi, a protestor may be beheaded. The royal family cannot be voted out of office. 23/36

When ppl R ruled by dictator & can’t protest/vote, they’ll use politics by other means, except their rulers have all the weapons, gratis us. If they sought solace in their religion, in Gulf War I, at their rulers’ invitation, our military set foot on their holy land. 24/36

9/11 was awful. Terrorism never is justified, but despotism tends to create terrorists. We need to cut our military budget by half. That will make us more secure. 25/36

Military as a wing of, & gov’t subsidies to, businesses - what Rev Beckwith advocates - do not = free market economy. Neither R such policies traditionally GOP. Sen Taft advocated isolationism & Pres Eisenhower warned us about the military-industrial complex. 26/36

Rev Beckwith does not really believe in a “free market.” He favors “tax breaks and funding” in regard to agriculture. This statement is consistent with his overall view for “a framework that empowers family farms and small businesses to succeed.” 27/36

His premises about agriculture R defective: 1) the Indiana economy does not, as he says, depend “on our farmers and the agriculture industry.” According to Indiana Dept of Agriculture only 5% Indiana’s GDP is derived from agriculture. 28/36

2) small farmers are fewer in number each day as agribusinesses eat up everything in sight. The “tax breaks and funding” will go to large corporate entities - as have funds for relief from our disastrous tariffs war with China. 29/36

Finally, free market system has been good to a degree. It is not, as Rev Beckwith says, best way to create jobs & generate wealth for all.” We had a true “free market” system over a hundred years ago. Without regulations it polluted and killed people. 30/36

A GOP President - TR - tried to rein in those aspects of our system. Unfortunately, ppl like Rev Beckwith would return us to those times. Maybe he wants eight-year-olds working 60-hour shifts in factories like back there in those not-s-good-old days. 31/36

Feb 1 Rev Beckwith tagged me on Twitter: “The Democrats called. They want their taking (sic) points back. You’re in the wrong primary! But I’m glad you decided to fake it in the GOP primary. ... 32/36

I’m gonna have a lot fun dismantling the stupidity of your progressive ideology. Can’t wait to see you on the campaign trail!” 33/36

I replied: “Those aren't my talking points, but I look forward to the campaign, too. I'd rather a person like you, who obviously hates so many (e.g. LGBTQ folks) views me as stupid. That's a compliment to me!” 34/36

Rev Beckwith says he is really great at debate. He probably got a lot of experience in college debate at Huntington University. I welcome the opportunity to debate Rev Beckwith, although I might have to read up on how to debate. 35/36