Homer Alaska - Opinion

It has become popular to condemn two of America's most enduring institutions: partisan politics and corporations. Most of us have experienced the displeasure of unpleasant political debate or dealing with a faceless big business.

But we often forget these same institutions function as cornerstones of social harmony and financial stability.

On the surface this might sound crazy, but consider what the great thinkers of the 1700s were facing in early America. Our initial experiments in democracy were terrifying. People who stood shoulder to shoulder killing the British found themselves ready to kill each other over the design of government and laws of commerce. Instead of simply being frustrated by the conflict between individual freedom and group security, the founders recognized a connection between distance and good government.

The further away people are from the center of decision making, the harder it is to find common ground. And the greater the heat of debate, the more danger in making rules.

Popular distaste for partisan politics is founded on some cosmic notion of the peaceful brotherhood of man. When the Kenai Cardinals come here to play football against the Homer High Mariners, I don't root for Kenai. And the health and happiness of high school kids in Homer is vastly more important to me then who gets jobs and healthcare in Charleston. S. C.

Partisan politics is exactly what I want out of Alaska's two U.S. senators.

The fact that Begich and Murkowski adopt opposing stands on legislation is exactly the kind of evidence we need to show that people are divided, and that what they are doing is potentially dangerous to the peace and harmony of the country. We elect these people to be warriors. Why should we be surprised when they are fighting?

The people I know who hate partisan politics usually point the finger at one political party or the other as the culprit. But for some reason they don't seem to mind when people band together for a common cause.

If you want to see partisan politics disappear in government, then you need to remove the threat of making law by a simple 51 percent majority vote. Make it take 75 percent — then people will work together— if it's important enough.

Commerce is easily as brutal and murderous as politics. Some people seem to think it drives politics, and it's mainly corporations. So?

Corporations evolved as humans wanted to be shielded from the more savage results of naked capitalism and unpredictable misfortune. It's why we don't have debtors' prisons. It's why we treat business bankruptcy different than personal bankruptcy.

Who are these evil corporations?

Alaska Permanent Fund, Public Broadcasting, AARP, Public Employee Unions, and almost all pension/retirement funds. It's not just Exxon and Enron. They all benefit or suffer as a result of changes in law. Should they not lobby simply because they have banded together as corporations?

At the very least, corporations have provided this country, and the rest of the civilized world, with a phenomenal degree of financial continuity and predictability. We incorrectly take for granted that the normal condition of the world is "business as usual." We assume goods and services will always flow and any hiccup is seen as a sign of greed and instability.

If you think corporations have too much power you are saying that people banded together have too much power. But, thinking that rich folks are the real beneficiaries is more about jealousy then rational thought.

Economic wealth is a matter of money. Personal wealth is a matter of spirit. We have partisan politics because both are worth fighting over.

If presidents and politicians want to put partisan politics aside and do something for the American people, maybe they should quit playing with ideas that tear the American people apart. I don't live in Delaware and I don't care what they do there. Give the power back to the states.

Mike Heimbuch is a longtime Homer resident and former member of the Homer City Council.