Re: WSJ Nail it

Lubow wrote:
On May 3, 8:58 am, Mike in Texas <lyd...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
John Galt wrote:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124104689179070747.html
There is a major cultural schism developing in America. But it's not
over abortion, same-sex marriage or home schooling, as important as
these issues are. The new divide centers on free enterprise -- the
principle at the core of American culture.
Despite President Barack Obama's early personal popularity, we can see
the beginnings of this schism in the "tea parties" that have sprung up
around the country. In these grass-roots protests, hundreds of thousands
of ordinary Americans have joined together to make public their
opposition to government deficits, unaccountable bureaucratic power, and
a sense that the government is too willing to prop up those who engaged
in corporate malfeasance and mortgage fraud.
(...)
Still, the tea parties are not based on the cold wonkery of budget data.
They are based on an "ethical populism." The protesters are homeowners
who didn't walk away from their mortgages, small business owners who
don't want corporate welfare and bankers who kept their heads during the
frenzy and don't need bailouts. They were the people who were doing the
important things right -- and who are now watching elected politicians
reward those who did the important things wrong.
Voices in the media, academia, and the government will dismiss this
ethical populism as a fringe movement -- maybe even dangerous extremism.
In truth, free markets, limited government, and entrepreneurship are
still a majoritarian taste. In March 2009, the Pew Research Center asked
people if we are better off "in a free market economy even though there
may be severe ups and downs from time to time." Fully 70% agreed, versus
20% who disagreed.
Free enterprise is culturally mainstream, for the moment. Asked in a
Rasmussen poll conducted this month to choose the better system between
capitalism and socialism, 13% of respondents over 40 chose socialism.
For those under 30, this percentage rose to 33%. (Republicans were 11
times more likely to prefer capitalism than socialism; Democrats were
almost evenly split between the two systems.)
[JG - A little scary, to think that 50% of the people who self-identify
as Democrats have so little understanding or respect for the history of
this nation, or the history of socialism worldwide, so as to take that
position]
The government has been abetting this trend for years by exempting an
increasing number of Americans from federal taxation. My colleague Adam
Lerrick showed in these pages last year that the percentage of American
adults who have no federal income-tax liability will rise to 49% from
40% under Mr. Obama's tax plan. Another 11% will pay less than 5% of
their income in federal income taxes and less than $1,000 in total.
(...)
Advocates of free enterprise must learn from the growing grass-roots
protests, and make the moral case for freedom and entrepreneurship. They
have to declare that it is a moral issue to confiscate more income from
the minority simply because the government can. It's also a moral issue
to lower the rewards for entrepreneurial success, and to spend what we
don't have without regard for our children's future.
[JG - Key issue here. If you believe in free markets, can you articulate
the inverse relationship between personal freedom and taxation? If not,
back to
http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Freedom-Phoenix-Milton-Friedman/dp/0...
for a refresher.]
Enterprise defenders also have to define "fairness" as protecting merit
and freedom. This is more intuitively appealing to Americans than
anything involving forced redistribution. Take public attitudes toward
the estate tax, which only a few (who leave estates in the millions of
dollars) will ever pay, but which two-thirds of Americans believe is
"not fair at all," according to a 2009 Harris poll. Millions of ordinary
citizens believe it is unfair for the government to be predatory -- even
if the prey are wealthy.
[JG - Well said. It doesn't matter how rich you are, if you earned it
leagally, it's YOURS. Period.]
(...)
This is an exhilarating time for proponents of freedom and individual
opportunity. The last several years have brought malaise, in which the
"conservative" politicians in power paid little more than lip service to
free enterprise. Today, as in the late 1970s, we have an administration,
Congress and media-academic complex openly working to change American
culture in ways that most mainstream Americans will not like. Like the
Carter era, this adversity offers the first opportunity in years for
true cultural renewal.
[JG - Applause.]
JG
As you thrash about trying to find any means of increasing the value of
the Tea Party movement, I would stay away from the "we are so right" and
"ethical" rhetoric (excuse the irony).

Where were these wonderful people during spending for the Iraq invasion?
No moral voices to be heard? Not so many voices heard. No challenge
of the government on ethical - or even moral - grounds?


During the invasion itself, or later on? During the invasion itself, most from both parties suppported it. Later on, they were all over the political spectrum, I suppose. The war was supported by neocons based on principle, supported by GOP conservatives out of loyalty, opposed by issue conservatives from the get-go. I would suspect that most of these folks are not of the neocon persuasion, since neocons have no problem with massive deficit spending.


Yes, tea party bandwagoners are most eloquent in their actions.

But I digress.

I would stick to the "less government, more capitalism" card to validate
the existence of this movement.

Yep.

JG


The absence of this mass of voices during the Bush administration's
barrage in Iraq, coupled with the overwhelming compulsion to protect
one's money, clearly explains to me why religion, and specifically
Christianity, is devolving in this country.

In Gold you trust.

Are you sure you're from Texas?
.

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