Our Threatened Freedom

How Much are Federal Regulations Costing Us

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Political Studies

Lesson: 111-169

Genre: Conversation

Track: 111

Dictation Name: Vol. I - Part 07 - How Much are Federal Regulations Costing Us

Location/Venue: Unknown

Year: 1980’s – 1990’s

[Dr. Rushdoony] How much are federal regulations costing us? This is R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.

According to Murray Weidenbaum, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, the cost of federal regulations to US consumers in 1980 was one hundred and twenty-six billion dollars. Billion, that is, not million. In 1976, it was one hundred billion. Thus, in four years the cost of regulations went up over 25%. According to Weidenbaum, his figure of a hundred and twenty-six billion dollars is a conservative estimate.

These regulations do not come cheaply. They cost us, every man, woman and child, about 570 dollars a year, or, 22 to 23,000 dollars a year for a family of four. This is a very substantial tax on all of us.

Now let us grant that some regulations might be called necessary. However, given the prodigal and wasteful character of the federal government, we can safely assume that even the best of regulations are neither wisely nor economically administered. We can also be reasonably certain that we are often unwisely and ineptly over-regulated in many other areas, as well over-regulated where we need no regulations at all.

After all, this country began, grew, and became great and powerful on the premise that in virtually every area of life, the best regulatory power is freedom itself. The fact is freedom does regulate us all. It requires us to be responsible, aware of consequences, and ready to live with our decisions.

Some years ago, an immigrant woman from northern Europe told me of her experience on landing in the United States. She came from a very conservative and highly protective community, she had never made any decisions on her own, first her family and then her husband made them all for her. On her first full day in the United States, her husband went off to look for work, and she heard a knock on the door. It was a door to door salesman, selling sewing machines. She had never said no to a man before in her life, she had been protected at every turn and never made a decision. As a result, before she was fully aware of it, she had signed a contract to make weekly payments for some time to come. When her husband came home and heard her tearful story, he said well girl, this is America and a free country. You had better grow up fast. She laughed as she told me that, and she said she grew up overnight, learned how to be critical and how to say no. For years she occasionally patted the old sewing machine and called it her university education.

Within limits, freedom does educate, and regulations overprotect us. Old fashioned rugged individualism was at times very irresponsible, but new fashioned over regulation is no less reprehensible, and often much worse for the American character.

Our present state of over regulation is costing us too much money, but it is also exacting high price in character and in freedom.

Basic to the present philosophy of regulations is the belief that the people cannot be trusted with freedom, that freedom is dangerous and much too conducive to public and private immorality, and that freedom itself must be licensed, limited and rationed. As a result we are turning our backs on the very thing that has made the United States a great power, the love of freedom.

This has been R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.