the philosophy of the modern conservative

[kodi]

"Government doesn't create wealth," Mr. Bush said. "The role of government is to create the kind of conditions where risk-takers and entrepreneurs can invest and grow and hire new workers."

“WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 — Visiting the only Northeastern state he carried in 2000, President Bush campaigned today in New Hampshire, calling for lower federal taxes and continued vigilance against terrorism.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/09/politics/campaigns/09CND-BUSH.html?hp


That statement by Bush is in a nutshell the philosophy of the modern conservative. It is devoid of any sense of morality and ethics, and is also a philosophy on the use of government that is fundamentally superficial and inefficient in a high tech society. Its time has passed, if such a time doubtfully ever did exist.

Yet, it is enlightening towards understanding them and combating their philosophy and rhetoric.........

"The normal and proper aim of the corporate community is to make money for its managers and for the owners of business all the better if its members also contribute to the general prosperity. However, business acts on the prevailing business philosophy, which claims that corporate self-interest eventually produces the general interest. This comfortable belief rests on misinterpretation of the theory of market rationality proposed by Adam Smith.

"He would have found the market primitivism of the current day unrecognizable. He saw the necessity for public intervention to create or sustain the public interest, and took for granted the existence of a government responsible to the community as a whole, providing the structure within which the economy functions.

"Classical political thought says that the purpose of government is to do justice for its citizens. Part of this obligation is to foster conditions in which wealth is produced. The obligation is not met by substituting the wealth-producer for the government.

"Business looks after the interests of businessmen and corporation stockholders. Stark and selfish self-interest obviously is not what motivates most American businessmen and -women, but it is the doctrine of the contemporary corporation and of the modern American business school."

"It does not automatically serve the general interest, as any 18th century rationalist would acknowledge - or any 21st century realist."

William Pfaff

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0126-01.htm

pass it on.