What the Right gets right. NY Times

[groovedaddy]

With the competitors for the Republican presidential nomination engaged in an intriguing and unexpected debate over the dangers of capitalism’s “creative destruction,” this is the appropriate moment to explore the question: What does the right get right?

What insights, principles, and analyses does this movement have to offer that liberals and Democrats might want to take into account?

I recently posed a question to conservative think tanks: If given a free hand, how would conservatives deal with the unemployed, those dependent on government benefits (food stamps, Medicaid), and, more generally, those who are losers in the new economy — those hurt by corporate restructuring, globalization and declining manufacturing employment?
>
All the answers evaded the question posed and, in my view, amounted to ideological pap.

I decided it might be better to ask liberals what they liked about conservatism. I submitted a new question to a small group of academics and activists on the left: what does the right get right?

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/what-the-right-gets-right/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1

[barbtries]

1. looks like they don't want to come right out and say

the unemployed can eat shit and die, those dependent on government benefits can eat shit and die, and all the losers in the new economy can eat shit and die.

i'm at work and may read the article later. but off the top of my head i can't think of a thing that the right gets right. unless hate and greed are virtues.

[Celebration]

2. ah, very interesting and thoughtful piece

Thank you.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. Running campaigns and winning elections and wielding power

Post-Eisenhower/Nixon(?), they do not have any demonstrated ability to GOVERN this country/solve problems. Their main goal of holding electoral power seems to be basically implementing policies geared towards repaying their campaign contributors and, to some degree, the narrow parochial interests of their "base", as well as crushing the opposition and keep them under their boot heels.


From the article:

“They appreciate more instinctively the need for fiscal balance.”

“They understand people’s more innate belief in hard work and individual responsibility and see government as too often lacking that understanding.”

“They are more suspicious from a philosophical point of view of big government as an answer to many issues and are suspicious of Wall Street institutionally and not just their high salaries, and bad practices.”

“They respect the need for private sector economic growth (although their prescription is lacking).”

“They are more pro-small business.”

[izquierdista]

4. Um....no......

Let's take them one by one:

“They appreciate more instinctively the need for fiscal balance.”
Is that why they run up big budget deficits? They see a Clinton balanced budget and IMMEDIATELY work to torpedo it.

“They understand people’s more innate belief in hard work and individual responsibility and see government as too often lacking that understanding.”
They understand that hard work should be compensated at minimum wage, or less, while the inheritance of the irresponsible should be fawned over.

“They are more suspicious from a philosophical point of view of big government as an answer to many issues and are suspicious of Wall Street institutionally and not just their high salaries, and bad practices.”
So suspicious of Wall Street that they deregulated them. Thanks, Phil Gramm.

“They respect the need for private sector economic growth (although their prescription is lacking).”
As long as that "growth" accrues to the wealthy and not the average worker.

“They are more pro-small business.”
As long as "small" means Wal-Mart and not the downtown businesses that fail when Wal-Mart comes to town.

What an unmitigated crock of horseshit!

[broiles]

5. Right on. n/t

[groovedaddy]

6. What gets me is that the answers are from self-identified liberals, as the authors of this

couldn't get honest responses from the various convervative think tanks they contacted. I agree with your assessments.

[Prophet 451]

8. My read exactly n/t

[gulliver]

7. There is nothing they get right that we aren't better on.

Last edited Mon Jan 16, 2012, 03:30 PM - Edit history (2)

One should believe in, support, and be patriotic towards one's country. Democrats are better.

One should be spiritual, religious, or deeply thoughtful. Democrats are better at all three.

One should respect hard, honest work. Democrats.

One should care about family, children, and society. Democrats.

One should believe in self-reliance. Democrats.

One should believe in freedom. Democrats.

One should believe in Free Enterprise and the right to make fair profits from innovation. Democrats.

The Republicans have weaker positions than Democrats in all of the above and more. I'm not sure when their brains completely jumped the tracks. Sure, Republicans, the world is tough now. But that doesn't mean Americans should panic and start dressing in women's clothes to find space on the lifeboats. That is the core of the Republican message now, and it is a sad spectacle. Republicans need to recover their courage and turn their brains back on. They need a good slap in the face.