Why are there large number of Americans who believe we should not have regulations?

[Dustlawyer]

I was just reading about the Portland, Maine columnist who was killed when the loaded gun he handed a 16 year old kid at his house accidentally discharged, killing him. He had written numerous articles opposing even mandatory gun safety training. Had that been required he may still be alive today.

This is one example of the benefits of regulations. I live close to numerous refineries and chemical plants on the Gulf coast. One of the items on the Republican agenda is to get rid of the EPA. Can you imagine how bad things will be here if this happens? They want us to live in smog and chemicals like China currently has.

We have regulations to protect our air, water and land so we do not live in a toxic soup. Corporations and industry want bigger and bigger profits and do not care what happens to our environment.

So why do many Americans agree we need to get rid of these regulations and the agencies that enforce them? It goes back to our media who had their own regulations loosened to the point that they can legally lie to us because they no longer have "news" departments, they are "entertainment." That is at least the decision of a court of appeals in Florida in overturning a judgment against Fox News. These corporations through the media have convinced a large segment of our population that regulations are unnecessary and just cost money.

In my day (old fart speech) the networks kept the business side (advertising) completely separate from the news side. You did not have major advertisers dictating to the network whether to run a story or not. Now the opposite is true, the networks, cable news, news papers, and magazines will not run a story if one of their big advertisers objects.

BP for example, was able to kill any stories about what was happening to the victims of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. They ran commercials day and night on every channel and every medium, but made it clear that the ad dollars would stop for any outlet that wrote about what was really going on. They had them writing and doing stories about claim fraud and "greedy" plaintiff attorneys way out of proportion to any of these problems. The real problems were that BP violated 100's of regulations to cause the spill, regulations that would have kept those 11 men from dying and turning our Gulf of Mexico in to a toxic deep fryer.

Trump and the Republicans are about to eliminate the protections we Americans have enjoyed, from environmental to financial. When the crap hits the fan we need to be there to remind other Americans that those evil regulations would have prevented the harm to come!!!

[Ilsa]

1. Kids die from lack of regs.

Asthma rates go up, among others, like cancer.

They don't care because they think they can avoid the dirty air, polluted water, etc. Not for long, and not for much longer.

[cbreezen]

2. Geographical correction only

The columnist in question was from Portland, Maine.

[Dustlawyer]

4. Thanks, I corrected it.

[Vinca]

3. Not that it really matters, but it was the Portland, Maine Press Herald.

All I can figure is that there are more younger people than us older people and they weren't around when the Cuyahoga River caught fire (one example). They won't appreciate the need for regulation until it's too late.

[Locrian]

5. because there is no USA

because there is no USA that exists as a place for the "citizens". It only exists as a state for corporations and the rich.

We can spend trillions on weapons, military, etc because powers in charge get rich - but when it comes to providing safe WATER (no lead, etc) suddenly we cannot provide for the citizens.

There is noting left of a common ground between the rich and poor. The government exists only to do the bidding of finance, corporate, etc.



And sadly, the propaganda msm has convinced the general population to side with power vs their own interests.

[panader0]

6. Many corporations simply pay the fines incurred by their violations.

I remember when acid rain was in the news. Instead of bringing the
emissions into compliance, they just paid the daily fine as it was cheaper
to do so than update their factories. Anyway, many of those factories are in
China now, where pollution is so bad that there will be serious repercussions.

[Dustlawyer]

12. Speaking of fines, they are able to plead a $10,000 OSHA fine down to $250.

Our media do not report this, but that is the norm.

Our regulatory agencies do not have the staff or budget to do their job. Even if they did they are headed up by corporate toadies who will not let them! Our refineries and chemical plants are currently on "Self Reporting" of their own violations since the agencies cannot inspect them!

[HoneyBadger]

7. Adults like to regulate themselves as individuals

They cannot regulate corporations without government assistance.

And of course we all like to regulate children.

[Phoenix61]

8. They aren't old enough to remember why we need the regulations

They have never heard of Love Canal. They don't remember the ravages of DDT on the environment. They don't remember the Ford Pinto. They don't know there was a time when you couldn't get a copy of your credit report just by asking for one. Just to name a few things. They have grown up with the advantages that have come with the regulations.

[mathematic]

9. Because they think regulations are written by & for special interests

Just look at how often people on the left throw shade at our mostly effective government because some regulation or another isn't "perfect" and is a result of complex compromise.

Most people that aren't ideologically committed hear the criticism of regulations and regulators coming from both the left and the right and then come to their own simple conclusion (which happens to be in agreement with right wing ideology) that we should just not bother with any regulation if they're so damn broken anyway.

[moondust]

10. Rooted in the business mindset.

Regulations create more overhead for business which cuts into their profit margins. That means getting richer slower rather than faster.

Then more generally, gubmint (that makes regulations) baaad! Handouts to moochers baaaad! Welfare queens in Cadillacs baaaad!

Dumb.

[elleng]

11. MANY have not idea what 'regulation' means,

which regulations they may be affected by in their lives. IGNORANCE is a huge part of today's problems.

[Turbineguy]

13. Because

"Too much regulation" fits on a bumpersticker.

They haven't got a clue of what would happen. They don't even know why we have regulations.

[nini]

14. Because they don't know life without them so they don't see the big deal

Tough lessons are to be learned soon.

[loyalsister]

15. self centered rugged individualism

The corporations are the ones who benefit most from an anti-regulation government, they market it to people who think the world would be a better place if they ddidn't have to wear seatbelts, or motorcycle helmets, or register their cars, have standards on how much they can pay employees, who they can hire, whether or not they send their kids to school..... These are the ones I have heard about from family members, one who apparently wishes child laborlaws would be repealed.

[Calculating]

16. Because some regulations actually are stupid

Such as the near-universally loathed new EPA gas cans, and the draconian diesel emission regulations which have effectively crippled the market for diesel passenger cars in America. Our diesel regs are even stricter than those in many European countries, and they ruin the fuel economy and power produced by diesel cars. They make the exhaust slightly cleaner at the expense of a >10% drop in fuel economy. (which leads to a net increase in carbon dioxide output).

There's a reason why we don't have those nice 50+ mpg diesel passenger vehicles like they have in Europe.

[wishstar]

17. They think deregulation will make everything cheaper (and easier)

Just around town, I have heard Repubs talk about how we need less regulations and lower taxes as if that will miraculously reduce costs for everything and be the answer to everyone's financial struggles- that is their mantra and panacea

[kacekwl]

18. Because they have been told to.

By every right wing nutcase who has a camera or microphone in front of them.

[Crunchy Frog]

19. Ironic since the EPA was created by Richard Nixon.

[Initech]

20. Because the media has been hijacked by thugs with a dangerous agenda.

And those thugs have tricked the voting populace into voting against their best interests. And the interests of the uber wealthy and the rest of us don't match.

[Equinox Moon]

21. I don't think "many" American's believe regulations are bad.

It is propaganda spread by capitalism.

[TlalocW]

22. Along with the reasons here, don't forget the relgiously insane's reasons

They think that God has given them dominion over the Earth, believe that humans can't truly harm one of God's creations, and we're in the last days anyway so who cares?

Jim Inhofe for example.

TlalocW

[DonnaRx7]

23. Well, there are too many rules

I mean way way way too many rules, especially at the Federal level.

No need for it.