Modern politics is impossible to understand unless one understands the so-called pollution paradox – the greater the risk to public health and wellbeing a company is the more it has to spend on politics, to ensure it isn’t regulated out of existence. 

The result is that politics is dominated by the most anti-social companies and what could be called their sociopathic CEOs and the not-for-profit “think tanks” they fund.  For these people government is the perceived enemy. They are set on scrapping agencies that cost tax money and who might threaten them, and reducing the tax of  the “top people”, regardless of wisdom and equity. 

Abolishing departments such as the organisation established to plan the response to a pandemic, and lobbying for massive tax cuts is typical of the behind-the-scenes activities of the anti-social sector of the economy and electorate, preventing tax increases, indeed government, for the general benefit. Next one to be privatized – the U.S Post office? Probably.  After that Social Security…..you think I’m joking?

We end up with governments with ingrained disregard for public safety and an automatic resort to denial.  They are so used to negative thinking and hatred of any form of government intervention that when a genuine national crisis occurs the government is paralyzed and unable to move quickly or plan for the benefit of all.  The idea of benefitting the general population, especially black and latino citizens, is not in the DNA. 

Epicurus disliked party politics and those involved in them.  Perhaps his view was too sweeping, but he had a good point.  It’s hard to ignore all this and concentrate on peace of mind.