ALEC’s Doublethink Attack On America’s Free Markets

Doublethink means the facility of holding two contradictory beliefs in a single’s thoughts concurrently, and accepting each of them. The Celebration mental is aware of during which route his recollections should be altered; he due to this fact is aware of that he’s enjoying tips with actuality; however by the train of doublethink he additionally satisfies himself that actuality isn’t violated. The method must be acutely aware, or it might not be carried out with adequate precision, however it additionally must be unconscious, or it might deliver with it a sense of falsity and therefore of guilt.

From 1984 by George Orwell

On the subject of doublethink, Massive Brother ain’t acquired nothin’ in comparison with the American Legislative Change Council (ALEC). For these of you woke people (little question the overwhelming majority of the individuals who learn my column) who’ve by no means heard of ALEC, let me assist indoctrinate you into their Orwellian World. Let’s begin with the homepage of their web site which proudly declares that:

“The American Legislative Change Council is America’s largest nonpartisan [emphasis mine] voluntary membership group of state legislators devoted to the rules of restricted authorities, free markets [emphasis mine] and federalism. Comprised of practically one-quarter of the nation’s state legislators and stakeholders from throughout the coverage spectrum, ALEC members characterize greater than 60 million People and supply jobs to greater than 30 million individuals in america.”

As Orwell makes clear, doublethink is a sophisticated idea to know and one thing tough to do effectively. So earlier than addressing ALEC’s subtle software of “doublethink” to the concept of “free markets,” let’s ease our approach into this by first addressing its declare to be nonpartisan, outlined by Oxford Languages as: “not biased or partisan, particularly towards any specific political group.” Strap on. You’re gonna love this!

Their 100% Republican however 50/50 gender cut up eight-member management group is led by CEO Lisa B. Nelson. Good to see ALEC appreciates a minimum of the gender type of range regardless that DE&I, together with local weather change, are set off phrases for the anti-Woke/ESG cabal I’ve been writing about. And can proceed to take action.

Ms. Nelson has a really spectacular resume. She managed to shake off the shackles of her political science and worldwide relations diploma from the Woke College of California at Berkeley to function the Public Affairs Liaison for the U.S. Speaker of the Home Newt Gingrich from 1995 to 1998. She labored for the conservative Nationwide Assessment journal based in 1955 by conservative icon William F. Buckley, Jr. Ms. Nelson additionally helped him discovered the Nationwide Assessment Institute in 1991 whose “mission is to protect and promote Buckley’s legacy and advance the rules of a free society via academic and outreach packages.” I yearn for the times of considerate and principled conservatism within the GOP’s Pre-Trump Cult period (dare I take hope from the midterm elections?) when bipartisanship was attainable. Keep tuned for extra on this.

Ms. Nelson additionally proudly serves as a board member of the State Monetary Officers Basis (SFOF). SFOF bemoans that “Politics in federal and state authorities is more and more polarized.” It then helpfully explains that the reason for that is that “Elected officers in any respect ranges are beneath growing strain to undertake progressive insurance policies that undermine financial freedom and damage financial development.” Hmmm. Foolish me thought that polarization required two poles. SFOF may very well be breaking some new floor right here in theoretical physics with its idea of “Unipolar Polarization.” It may be attainable to combine this with doublethink. I’ve two levels from MIT however neither one is in theoretical physics so please give me a while to work on this.

ALEC has a big 23 member board of administrators. Of their sometimes homey little bios (e.g., partner, youngsters, grandchildren, hobbies, and church affiliation) solely three clearly determine as Republican: Consultant Seth Grove of the Pennsylvania Home of Representatives, Speaker Philip Gunn of the Mississippi Home of Representatives, and Consultant Dan Laursen of the Wyoming Home of Representatives. I suppose why state the apparent until there are private causes to alleviate any doubt about one’s true crimson colour, proper?

ALEC’s alumni contains six Governors, 13 Senators, and 65 Representatives for a complete of 84 politicians. All the Governors are Republican, the one Democratic Senator is Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and the one two Democratic Home alumni are Tom O’ Halloran of Arizona and Ed Perlmutter of Colorado.

Lastly, ALEC has 95 State Chairs. This was too many for me to verify the political affiliation of each one. Practically all of them are from Crimson States with a couple of Purple ones thrown in. So I did the non-random however scientifically astute strategy of analyzing the members from a handful of True Blue States: Delaware, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Every has state has one member, in comparison with two and even three within the crimson and purple states. And, yup, the ALEC member from every of these states is a Republican. Together with Consultant Nicholas Boldyga of my dwelling state of Massachusetts. I’m so proud!

Many might wrestle with the adjective of “nonpartisan” in what’s just about a 100% GOP group. However this isn’t true doublethink. It’s merely clever, if deceitful and deceptive, labeling. The form of factor individuals fear about with ESG.

The Heart for Media and Democracy has written about ALEC and presents a unique view. It states that “ALEC isn’t a foyer; it isn’t a entrance group. It’s rather more {powerful} than that.” [emphasis in original“ “Secretive meetings” of “corporate lobbyists and state legislators” work to craft “’model bills’ to change our rights that often benefit the corporations’ bottom line at public expense.” These model bills are core to the theory of change of ALEC. “Participating legislators, overwhelmingly conservative Republicans, then bring those proposals home and introduce them in statehouses across the land as their own brilliant ideas and important public policy innovations—without disclosing that corporations crafted and voted on the bills.” So far over 1,000 of these bills have been crafted and with an impressive track record of a 20 percent success rate. ALEC knows its stuff and must feel irreplaceable in its important mission.

Okay, I’ll man up (which is more than I can say for ALEC and SFOF) and admit that this is a partisan view from the left and I lean more left than right. So let’s take the most recent example of an ALEC initiative that was just brought to my attention yesterday by a lawyer friend of mine. He sent me this article: “Lawmakers Asked To Curtail Free Speech Until Investors Stop Seeing Gun Manufacturers As A Bad Investment.” Here we see doublethink being enacted in exemplary fashion. LME. It’s kinda complicated so please read carefully. The reader can then draw his or her own conclusion about ALEC.

The article inspired me to do a bit of research and I found ALEC’s “Eliminate Political Boycotts Act.” Somewhat curiously—or perhaps simply through overly excited anticipation—it cites December 1, 2022, as the “Date Introduced.” Whatever the date, it is “AN ACT relating to state contracts with certain companies that engage in economic boycotts based on environmental, social, or governance criteria.” That dreaded ESG again 😱! ALEC has artfully prepared the legal language for this act to be easily introduced into any state legislature that is enamored of it.

The guts of the Act is that “a governmental entity may not enter into a contract with a company for goods or services unless the contract contains a written verification from the company that it:

i. does not engage in economic boycotts; and

ii. will not engage in economic boycotts during the term of the contract.”

The elements of this act are eerily similar to the Texas Section 809 Boycott Provision which I have already shown to be based on a logic of quicksand. This Act has pretty much the same problems and others. In particular, the Act gives the Attorney General broad enforcement powers such as requiring a purported boycotter to being examined under oath; examining any record, book, document, account or paper deemed necessary; and impounding the same “until the completion of all proceedings undertaken under this article or in the courts.”

As with Texas Section 809 it all rests on the meaning of the word “boycott.” Here the Act provides this helpful definition: “’Economic boycott’ means, without an ordinary business purpose, refusing to deal with, terminating business activities with, or otherwise taking any action that is intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, limit commercial relations with, or change or limit the activities of a company.”

Which begs the question of “ordinary business purpose.” The Act states that ordinary business “does not include any purpose to further social, political, or ideological interests.” And how is this determined? It includes, but is “not limited to (i) branding, advertising, statements, explanations, reports, letters to clients, communications with portfolio companies, statements of principles, or commitments, or (ii) participation in, affiliation with, or status as a signatory to, any coalition, initiative, joint statement of principles, or agreement.” Sounds to me that pretty much anything under the sun can be seen as evidence of boycotting.

And now, drum roll please, the doublethink! For most individuals “free markets” means individuals being free to make shopping for and promoting choices based mostly on the data they deem related to their financial pursuits. I’m positive ALEC has this identical definition. But as a way to implement its Act, the Legal professional Common can, at his or her whimsy, resolve that the choice to, for instance, underweight or divest the inventory of, say, an oil and fuel firm, is an ideological act. What if it’s simply not that good of a inventory. Or its time to promote on the peak to purchase on the trough of one other firm? Or for sector rotation?

ALEC’s doublethink maintains that at no cost markets to stay free it’s essential to limit the liberty of those that would possibly make choices based mostly on standards that an Legal professional Common can whimsically outline as “ideological.” Even when they’re based mostly on a sound financial rationale. The AG because the all-knowing Massive Brother.

As Orwell explains, ““On the apex of the pyramid [of Oceanic society] comes Massive Brother. Massive Brother is infallible and omnipotent. Each success, each achievement, each victory, each scientific discovery, all data, all knowledge, all happiness, all advantage, are held to situation from his management and inspiration.”

Bear in mind this about doublethink. “The method must be acutely aware, or it might not be carried out with adequate precision, however it additionally must be unconscious, or it might deliver with it a sense of falsity and therefore of guilt.”

The Act is a acutely aware course of. However its software might be unconscious. Right here the sheer genius of the Act is revealed in Part 2 because the authorities entity can take a move on exercising its Massive Brother Boycott powers based mostly on things like “constitutional or statutory duties” concerning financing, “acquiring the provides or companies to be offered in an economically practicable method,” or some unspecified variety of different causes.

Consciously move the Act to threaten the monetary group. Unconsciously don’t implement it ought to it show to be inconvenient. However everybody will consciously know that Massive Brother can at all times intervene to make sure free markets. By taking away the liberty of others.

Hat’s off and respect to ALEC for essentially the most very good software of doublethink I’ve ever seen.