George F. Will: The Case for Conservatism

[ProSense]

The Case for Conservatism

By George F. Will
Thursday, May 31, 2007; Page A19

Conservatism's recovery of its intellectual equilibrium requires a confident explanation of why America has two parties and why the conservative one is preferable. Today's political argument involves perennial themes that give it more seriousness than many participants understand. The argument, like Western political philosophy generally, is about the meaning of, and the proper adjustment of the tension between, two important political goals -- freedom and equality.

Today conservatives tend to favor freedom, and consequently are inclined to be somewhat sanguine about inequalities of outcomes. Liberals are more concerned with equality, understood, they insist, primarily as equality of opportunity, not of outcome.

Liberals tend, however, to infer unequal opportunities from the fact of unequal outcomes. Hence liberalism's goal of achieving greater equality of condition leads to a larger scope for interventionist government to circumscribe the market's role in allocating wealth and opportunity. Liberalism increasingly seeks to deliver equality in the form of equal dependence of more and more people for more and more things on government.

Hence liberals' hostility to school choice programs that challenge public education's semimonopoly. Hence hostility to private accounts funded by a portion of each individual's Social Security taxes. Hence their fear of health savings accounts (individuals who buy high-deductible health insurance become eligible for tax-preferred savings accounts from which they pay their routine medical expenses -- just as car owners do not buy insurance to cover oil changes). Hence liberals' advocacy of government responsibility for -- and, inevitably, rationing of -- health care, which is 16 percent of the economy and rising.

<...>

Conservatism embraces President Kennedy's exhortation to "Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country," and adds: You serve your country by embracing a spacious and expanding sphere of life for which your country is not responsible.

Here is the core of a conservative appeal, without dwelling on "social issues" that should be, as much as possible, left to "moral federalism" -- debates within the states. On foreign policy, conservatism begins, and very nearly ends, by eschewing abroad the fatal conceit that has been liberalism's undoing domestically -- hubris about controlling what cannot, and should not, be controlled.

Conservatism is realism, about human nature and government's competence. Is conservatism politically realistic, meaning persuasive? That is the kind of question presidential campaigns answer.

link

From Firedoglake, Shorter George Will: "Ask what you can do to help yourself, and screw everyone else. Do unto others and grab as much as you can along the way, before they get around to doing unto you, that's the conservative way."

More analysis of conservative arguments here: No, Sam Brownback Doesn't Believe in Evolution, and here.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Quoting President Kennedy - How nice

Strange though, I've been telling chickenhawks for four years now that they can help their country by joining the Army, but all those bush loving "conservatives" and their values have other priorities. "Ask what you can do for your country??" The conservatives I see living in America today are only concerned with THEIR constitutional liberties and they do absolutely nothing FOR their country. So george will can lick the sweat off my liberal veteran balls.

[Jed Dilligan]

25. The subtext is that

the best thing you can do for your country is get rich, preferably by robbing the government, because government is the worst thing for the country and must be reduced by any means necessary.

[Ganja Ninja]

2. We've seen conservatism in action for the last 6 years.

It doesn't bare even the slightest resemblance to what George Will is describing.

[underpants]

4. That is the problem

We haven't seen it in action really because they have no plans to ever actually do what they profess. As Ned Flanders once said of the Bible "even the parts that contradict the other parts" who have to look no further than the immigration debate to see that all their shouting and yelling doesn't cover for the fact that their mantra makes no sense.

[underpants]

3. Hey he has the same initial as Wm.F. Buckley!

and he seems to think that he can use a word of the day calender to make himself sound more intelligent.

This was right on time I needed some afternoon humor.

First of all Will's "Case for Conservatism" makes almost no case FOR anything it only yearns to tear down his idea of what liberalism is.

To do so he pulls out tired old conservative "arguments" about an opponent that not only no longer exists but never did. The "welfare state"? George there was no welfare state there always has been a corporate welfare state via taxes being paid by individuals and the massive "defense" industry (which failed utterly the two times is was needed to actually provide defense) as well as bankruptcy protection as a corporate model.

What he fails to understand that "liberalism" consists of using the supposedly free resource of government (interstate commerce clause) to PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL and provide a fair playing field for the INDIVIDUAL. The government is set up to provide protection against itself as well as no governmental entities mostly the corporations. "Liberlaism" also does mean that there is a staggered start for the people not born in the inside lane.

I could go but I won't.

[Johonny]

5. conservatives tend to favor freedom

So they are pro-choice... oops. But they want an open border... oops. Well clearly they don't want open ended spying on Americans... oops. Well clearly they believe you are free to choose when you can die... oops. Well certainly he's for a free education for his free people... oops. Well certainly he's for free health care for his free people... oops. I'm starting to think George Will doesn't favor freedom that much. Conservatives think the public money should go to enrich themselves, everything else is just packaging.

[warpigs]

6. What is a semimonopoly?

"public education's semimonopoly."

For those of you who don't want to read the whole article I'll summarize it:

Conservatives: Good
Liberals: Bad

That is his case for conservatism.

[bryant69]

7. He's got a tough task in front of him - of rebranding

The Conservative movement has been branded, accurately, as being incompetent and corrupt, both at home and abroad. Poor George Will has his work cut out for him rebranding conservatism.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[TahitiNut]

8. Typical self-serving bias. He confuses equity with equality and ignores systemic JUSTICE.

Will makes the same epistemological error as many status quo apologists - he assumes that the outcome of a system is 'right' merely because it's an outcome. God forbid such an ass would ever design an airplane. After all, if the outcome was a crash then that has to be OK. Sane, analytical people examine outcomes to better comprehend the malfunctions of any man-made system ... and a system of governance (and the underlying economic system) is no different. That Will can even begin to believe that those most benefited by a system have some 'higher' right to manage and manipulate it to serve themselves even more so is appalling.

He should stick to baseball ... and his overtly reactionary attitudes regarding that game.


"Conservatism, though a necessary element in any stable society, is not a social program; in its paternalistic, nationalistic, and power-adoring tendencies it is often closer to socialism than true liberalism; and with its traditionalistic, anti-intellectual, and often mystical propensities it will never, except in short periods of disillusionment, appeal to the young and all those others who believe that some changes are desirable if this world is to become a better place. A conservative movement, by its very nature, is bound to be a defender of established privilege. The essence of the liberal position, however, is the denial of all privilege, if privilege is understood in its proper and original meaning of the state granting and protecting rights to some which are not available on equal terms to others."
—— F. A. Hayek, 1956 Preface to "The Road to Serfdom"

[StudentsMustUniteNow]

9. The difference between corporations and (popular) government

The corporations' interest: profit for the corporation. Vote allotted according to financial interests (more stock, more votes).

The American people's interest: national benefit. One man, one vote.

Corporations have no loyalty to America or to its citizens. Maybe 50 years ago, what was good for General Motors might have been good for America as well. Today, that's not the case.

He quotes Kennedy's famous adage, but when the international corporations control OUR government, then he is asking us to serve the corporations with the people getting little in return. That's not fair.

The government SHOULD be the engine of the people, of the public will. It is also a safeguard against those who may threaten our interests.

[chaska]

10. "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises...

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." John Kenneth Galbraith

[TahitiNut]

14. Amen. The privileged constantly claiming more entitlements. Appalling.

"You can measure social justice by the screams of anquish from the very rich." -- John K. Galbraith

"Conservatism, though a necessary element in any stable society, is not a social program; in its paternalistic, nationalistic, and power-adoring tendencies it is often closer to socialism than true liberalism; and with its traditionalistic, anti-intellectual, and often mystical propensities it will never, except in short periods of disillusionment, appeal to the young and all those others who believe that some changes are desirable if this world is to become a better place. A conservative movement, by its very nature, is bound to be a defender of established privilege. The essence of the liberal position, however, is the denial of all privilege, if privilege is understood in its proper and original meaning of the state granting and protecting rights to some which are not available on equal terms to others."
—— F. A. Hayek, 1956 Preface to "The Road to Serfdom"

[tabasco]

11. Oh, a column by that intellectual George Will.

:boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring: :boring:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

12. The Conservatism Will talks about no longer exists in America.

So sorry that the Republicans lost their way. Again.

[PA Democrat]

13. PSST! George! Health care IS already being rationed.

If our system is so great, why aren't all of the other industrialized nations rushing to emulate it?

[denverbill]

15. Freedom to starve to death isn't freedom George.

That's the difference between liberals and conservatives. Conservatives think there should be no minimum wage, and companies should be free to negotiate whatever wage they want to pay. So workers have a choice: accept whatever the company offers or starve to death. How different is that from slavery?

Besides, conservatives CLAIM to believe in freedom, but they have no problem with calling opposition to the war treason, or calling for socialists to be jailed. And they clearly have NO respect for democracy, as evidenced by the stolen elections of 2000 & 2004, and their support for coups against democratically elected governments in Venezuala and elsewhere.

Conservatives believe in laissez faire capitalism, and that's ALL they believe in. Any government which supports laissez faire capitalism will be supported by conservatives, and anyone who steps even slightly in a socialist direction will be targeted.

[hfojvt]

16. for George Will apparently it is freedumb

He does not understand that privatizing social security will not bring more freedom, just more deficits until the entire program needs to be ended in spite of all the money Generation-X has paid into it. There is no freedom for the masses who are required to sell their time to rich people in order to put food on their families. Tax breaks for the rich do not increase freedom, instead they confer benefits on people who really do not, or should not, need them. Conservatism is about class warfare on working people in order to benefit a ruling elite - essentially feudalism.

I, for one, could care less about equality, or equality of opportunity. I am in favor of compassion and cooperation and for an end to things like destitution, exploitation (see "payday loans" and "child labor"), war, and the fear thereof. Conservatism seems to me to favor all of them - destitution, exploitation and war, and offers no respite from fear.

[Bravo Zulu]

17. Liberals think the cup is half full.

Conservatives think the cup is theirs!

[Marr]

18. I can never decide whether Mr. Will is a fool or just a liar.

The pervading argument in Western political history is the same as that found in every other history; it's a struggle between people who think humanity is essentially evil, and people who think it's essentially good.

People who believe humanity is essentially evil always seek to suppress the population and concentrate power into the hands of a privileged few. That is Mr. Will's faction. The Bush Administration has just put that agenda out in the open without all the window dressing. Mr. Will should be honest for once in his life and simply acknowledge that fact.

Considering the tired old frauds he's selling here, like "school choice" (i.e. federal money for religious education and defunding the public school system) and "private Social Security accounts" (i.e. destroying Social Security), I'm inclined to think he's just another lying con man.

[TahitiNut]

19. I see him as an example of an intellect harnessed to the task of justifying the unjustifiable.

It's often observed that an intelligent person's worst enemy is his own intellect - if it's directed towards defending myopic perspectives and rationalizing perversions. We often employ our mental horsepower in collecting 'evidence' of our own rectitude rather than keeping our minds open and constantly testing alternatives and challenging our assumptions.

It is never true that "Might makes right" ... even in intellect.

[roamer65]

21. I'd say he's both a fool and a liar.

Most cons are both, IMO.

[jmowreader]

20. Car owners would buy insurance to cover oil changes...

if oil changes cost five hundred dollars and cars developed "quiet killer" problems that cost thousands of dollars to fix.

Healthcare is different. (Note: the following didn't actually happen to me, but it could.) I go to the doctor for a routine checkup. I feel great. The doctor draws a tube of blood...I get a phone call that evening telling me to be at the office the second it opens tomorrow morning. Next thing you know I've been told I have a cancer with a 65-percent mortality rate and need $50,000 worth of medical care, right now.

Yup, there's absolutely no difference between an oil change and a physical.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

24. Except you can do an oil change without

shoving your hand up the tailpipe.
:rofl:

It seems sometimes that the conservatives have vanished from the political scene. Liberals generally hang with the Democratic party, and the Republican party has long been hijacked by the religious right, corporate pirates, and bullies. And the Republican leaders seem to have even less regard for balance budgets or fiscal frugality than the so-called tax-and-spend liberal Democrats.

[gravity]

22. I actually respect some conservatives

but their party has been hijacked from the christian right and neocons.

[baldguy]

23. "Liberals tend ... to infer unequal opportunities from the fact of unequal outcomes."

So slaves had the same opportunities as the slaveholders?

Truth is conservatism really has a lot going for it - too bad Will & his ilk don't advocate that philosophy. What they represent & promote is an elitist social darwinism of the worst kind.

[Yavin4]

26. Conservatism is the Political Philosophy for Those Who Have Benefitted from History

It's the political philosophy that preaches that status quo and historical precedent are always correct, and change should be extremely minimal at best.

It has nothing to do with freedom and opportunity. Those are marketing buzzwords to get uninformed working class people to support conservatism.

The 20th century is a shining example of what liberalism can do. Liberalism gave women the right to vote. Expanded the middle class by giving unions power. Opened up America to advancement through Civil rights laws. Etc, etc.

Show me a nation without a strong Liberal tradition, and I will show you poor nation constantly at war with itself.

[mloutre]

27. What a moran.

That particular George Will column was just as incomprehensible when I read it in print as it is when I see it on the screen again now.

Talk about your coruscating cacophony. G. Will is so far in love with the sound of his own voice that he can't even remember to be coherent sometimes.