Is Politics About The Money?
Is John Hancock's financing the Minutemen to avoid British taxes
different than conservative support of the Tea Party?

In The Colonies 
It Was About the Money.

From the earliest days this country has been about money. Jamestown was founded by moneyed interest and Plymouth had financial backers who expected a return on their investment. The world of Plymouth was just settling down when English religious tolerance increased, immigration stopped and some inhabitants returned to England. The population declined, asset  values plunged and Plymouth had one-hundred years of economic stagnation.

The talented moved north to Boston. It was a brain/talent drain. Gresham's Law that bad paper money chases good gold coins also applies to people.  A bad economy chased the most talented people toward Boston's economic opportunity.  
See  All  Immigrates Welcomed By 1654 New Amsterdam and THREE Roots of Revolution

By the middle of the 18^th century colonial trade with other nations was flourishing and very wealthy smugglers like John Hancock did not want to pay taxes for British military protection.  He and others financed the Minutemen and eventually the colonies won their independence. The Revolution was  about the money. See Instigators Finely Hit a Nerve With The 1773 Boston Tea Party

Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton embodied Jefferson deepest republican fear that some would  sacrifice liberty for the expedience of absolute authority. Alexander plans for a national financial system which would assume all national and state debt caused much turmoil. Many southern states had paid their debt and many of the national and state bonds had been sold at a discount by veterans to wealthy easterners who would earn a substantial profit. Hamilton, who wanted to put the federal government at the center of nation's financial system and further secure the federal establishment standing, got Madison to end his disapproval of Hamilton's debt plan by agreeing with  Madison's desire to move the nation's capital to a site along the Potomac River. The debt assumption caused some in Virginia to charge Congress with an unconstitutional act.   Source THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE 1789-1792

Before leaving office Washington had to put down a rural revolt of whiskey producers who didn’t want to pay taxes. In addition there were threats of impeachment because many felt Washington had broken the constitution when he signed  the Jay Treaty. Southerners disliked England whose goods thy felt were too expensive and supported France. The Northeast wanted England's industrial good and to expand manufacturing.

President Washington served well as President and feared a political party
system would not only develop, it would
be dangerous. But two parties were inevitable. Federalist like Adams and Hamilton wanted tariffs to protect their business interest. Moneyed wealthy business owner oligarchs were friendly to England wanted a strong central government. Jefferson, Madison and other wealthy southern Oligarchs who wanted low tariffs so they could buy cheap European merchandise. This required low tariffs and a Republic run by the people and not a country tied to Northern manufacturing. It was about the money. 

See Part VII Leader of the Opposition from Meacham's Thomas Jefferson

In the Middle
It Was About the Money.

President John Quincy Adams easily lost his 1828 reelection bid to Andrew Jackson who was dead set against extending  the  Second Bank of the United States charter.  He disliked condescending bank and felt the bank had  excessive power over farmers, mechanics, and others unconnected to the eastern ' " moneyed aristocracy." '  Land speculation losses in Tennessee made Jackson feel that "debt, bankers, and paper money --' "ragg money" '-- were all the devil's work." He felt the bank had used its ' "golden favors " ' to help Adams be elected.  Largely owned by foreigners autocracy, he felt the bank was corrupt. See Presidential Courage Andrew Jackson

"... in the fall of 1902, he Teddy Roosevelt tried to stop a coal strike  that threatened, more than any event since the Civil War, to divide the country." For months, over 100,000 Pennsylvanian miners had been striking. There was sabotage, riots and murder. The leader of the United Mines Workers suggested a Presidential commission but railroad man George Bear refused to bargain with ' " instigators of violence and crime." ' 

The Tennessee Valley Authority did a lot of good but the area is still poor because many talented people left for economic opportunity. Areas losing talented people need specially designed programs.  One size does not fit all. See Educating the Class of 2030

Author's Comments 
in red.

Recently It's Been 
About the Money.

A typical example of money and politics concerns the 1966 opening of California's  energy market. Twenty-four states followed.

By 2000 California faced serious blackouts as prices spiked to 50 times normal. See California electricity crisis How could this happen? A look at the politics will help. Someone made money.

Texas gubernatorial candidate Bush 2 asked Enron executive Kenneth Lay to run his city of Huston campaign but turned down, Bush named Enron's President and CEO Richard Kinder to the position.

"Enron was Mr. Bush's biggest political patron as he headed into the 2000 presidential election. In all Enron has made $623,000 in contributions to ..." the Bush 2 campaigns beginning with his first 1993 Texas gubernatorial campaign, "... according to the Center for Public Integrity, another watchdog group."  Source

Enron had sales of 6.1 billion in 1992, $31 billion in 1998 and 139 billion in 2001. 

As Bush's 2's presidency approached Enron stock hit a high of 80. Enron executive began quietly unloading. By October the stock had fallen to 20. Why? Ask his son.  Administration efforts to cap energy prices in California and putting  pressure on India to pay money owed to Enron failed.  Enron declared bankruptcy in late 2001.

In 2001 VP Chaney's energy task force predicted a 12% decline in U.S. oil production by 2020 compelling the U.S. to import two-thirds of its needs.  Politics is also about fear.

Today the Four G's
Want the Status Quo

Today the four G’s of Guns, God, Greed and Greenspan's free market philosophy all want little change. Wealth has been produced in substantial amounts and many are happy with the distribution. The Guns and God group want limited government which allows their simplistic lifestyle so hey vote Republican ignoring that much of their well-being comes from government.
The Greed and Greenspan group wants no change in their share of the pie which is based on massive government spending . Keep military, education and elderly spending high with no increases for anyone else. It's about the money.

"One of the melancholy facts of political life is that your convictions tend to align with your paycheck." Barton Swami 7/24/15 The Week

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