Will corporations or people come first?

It is disturbing to read Steve Van Andel's July 14 column, “More independence will push economy harder,” claiming deregulation creates more free enterprise.

It is deregulation that has created our monopoly economy. Two foreign beer corporations control 90 percent of beer purchases. One foreign corporation controls almost all our eyewear. In any section of our economy, there are only two or three corporations controlling the market.

The 2008 recession was caused by an unregulated financial section of Wall Street. All this thanks to deregulation and control of the economy by the Chamber of Commerce propaganda.

The idea that government doesn't create opportunity and success is ridiculous. From 1942-80 were the golden years of America. The government controlled the whole economy during World War II and made many innovations from insecticide to four-engine airplanes. After the war, we got interstate highways, control of polio, missiles, computers and man on the moon and Internet - all funded and managed by government.

All the inventions created by the man who developed the computer mouse were funded by the military and were used to create Apple. The government funds basic research at universities. Think of all the spinoff from these government activities. For more details, read “The Entrepreneurial State” by Mariana Mazzucato.

All this brainwashing by the Chamber of Commerce is about power. Will the government operate the country for the benefit of all the people or will the corporations rule for their benefit?

Dean E. Owens

Palo