Robert Jensen addresses a point that cannot be made enough, namely, the myth of the free market. State involvement is profound and has been since the United States became an industrial power. The private/corporate sector depends on this relationship, not only for general support and protection, but for creation of the very products it markets.
The corporate sector only prefers "minimal government" (part of the Republican mantra) when profits are good. When the chips are down, welfare is sought and expected (see yesterday's blog entry). The other side of the "minimal government" argument, as Jensen correctly points out, is to offer the population less in the way of refuge and redress:
"The larger context for this assertion of market fundamentalism is the ongoing political project to de-legitimize any collective action by ordinary people through government."
Americans are encouraged to forget that the government in fact belongs to them, and is there to provide services and protection. What Americans are instead encouraged to believe is that the free market has their best interests at heart, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/23-7
