BTW, I started this, because I saw a quote in passing that seemed to be disparaging towards the New Deal (and silverweb has been kind enough to help me try and track it down). First issue is was it a real quote, then was it out of context, then maybe issues of nuance.
the government's vital role in regulating the marketplace became fully apparent
That one does
not sound like that wacky Hayek/Friedman stuff, which is a very good thing!
But in taking this approach, Republicans are fighting the last war, the war they waged and won in the eighties, while Democrats are forced to fight a rearguard action, defending the New Deal programs of the thirties.
Maybe what I saw was that quote. Without the preceding sentence it could be misconstrued (pro 'war' vs 'the thirties'). Was the theme of that section that the Hayek/Friedman school are fools?
The Certainly on page 177, is that a midstream nod while saying something fatherly yet nasty before or afterwards? Like a 'well intentioned, but this is how things really work' pitch, if you know what I mean. I assume not, just being thorough.
That's the basic idea behind the Ownership Society: If we free employers of any obligations to their workers and dismantle what's left of the New Deal, government-run social insurance programs, then the magic of the marketplace will take care of the rest. If the guiding philosophy behind the traditional system of social insurance could be described as "We're all in it together," the philosophy behind the Ownership Society seems to be "You're on your own."
That sounds great, even heading in the general direction of Klein's Shock Doctrine revelations. I assume Obama is on the "we are all in this together" side. Is that correct?
While I wait I'll go try and help clean up some of the friction from the Reagan fallout. BTW, while I think Reagan was horrible, I can understand the abstract comparison Obama used (and the possible attempt at reaching out to those foolish Reagan Democrats).