The Moderate Republican: In Defense of Capitalism

What the Moderate Republican Stands For

Republicans came to power as the party of big ideas, and without returning to that model they could be looking at a long winter. Additionally, those big ideas need to focus on Middle America. Three issues that could work are conservation, reform and localism.

Conservation- a return to the Teddy Roosevelt model of conservation. One doesn’t necessarily have to buy into global warming to appreciate the need to protect the natural resources we have.

Reform- the federal government is bigger than ever, and won’t be getting any smaller over the next four years. Republicans need to fashion themselves as national reformers. Much of Middle America wants the government as safety net, but bloated bureaucracies breed corruption that needs to be dealt with.

Localism- this is the lynchpin that brings it all together. If we bought our food locally, shopped locally, governed locally, many of the issue we now have to deal with would go away, or at the least become manageable.

Below is a collection of writers who speak about the things that matter. Some are Right, some Left and some Center, but all intelligent and rational voices.

Tha nation's business community is getting more and more nervous about government intervention. From BusinessWeek:

The Administration's approach has real dangers. Attempting to reorganize and tinker with the culture of a giant corporation like GM is risky in the best of times. Taxpayers may find themselves hopelessly entangled in lost corporate causes, with billions of loans never returned. Companies that are shackled with pay restrictions may lose top talent to those that aren't. Countless historical examples show the potential for unintended consequences from well-intended policies. (Just one example: the costly distortions in employee titles and pursuit of tax loopholes that followed imposition of government wage and price controls.)

Now groups are beginning to mobilize in defense of capitalism and against the Obama administration's invasive policies.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today announced that it would develop a sweeping national advocacy campaign encompassing advertising, education, political activities, new media, and grassroots organizing to defend and advance America’s free enterprise values in the face of rapid government growth and attacks by anti-business activists.

“Supporters and critics alike agree that capitalism is at a crossroads,” said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. “It’s time to remind all Americans that it was a free enterprise system based on the values of individual initiative, hard work, risk, innovation, and profit that built our great country. We must take immediate action to reaffirm the spirit of enterprise in America.”

While on the one hand I applaud the belated outcry over government intervention, this recent development belies a deeper problem. Business in general, and the US Chamber in particular, was all too happy to accept government money a few months ago, yet now that there are some strings attached to these billions, they are up in arms. If we truly value a capitalist society, and I do, then we need to retain a certain loyalty to its principles. If that means certain businesses go under (read: GM) then so be it.

1 comments:

BB-Idaho said...: C of C should lobby harder. Their image is one of supporting sending jobs overseas and hiring illegal aliens. In my state they lobbied for a reduction in business property tax, successfully raising the homeowner property taxes. When they stop representing the ugly side of economics, the anti-consumer side, they may find more success for their views....; June 15, 2009 9:26 AM

The Moderate Republican

What the Moderate Republican Stands For

The American Conservative » Rod Dreher

Via Meadia

Front Porch Republic

David Brooks

The Soap Box

In Defense of Capitalism

1 comments: