Economic Conservatism--Can Someone Explain...

[tekisui]

How is it that Economic Conservatism even argued as a viable model?

When has wildly free markets and deregulation ever worked?

Have well regulated markets ever needed such drastic and emergency measures to survive?

Would someone smarter than myself please explain how it is even taken seriously anymore?

[whistle]

1. They work the same way as casino gambling, very poorly!

[Duer 157099]

2. Ponzi scheme - same logic, same appeal, same people buy into it n/t

[Old and In the Way]

3. "Have well regulated markets ever needed such drastic and emergency measures to survive?"

That's the problem, they haven't been well regulated. In spite of Republican rhetoric to the contrary, government should play a role in regulating the private sector. Keeping the game honest and penalizing the cheaters. This problem has been building since the days of Reagan, it's just accelerated since Bushco got selected and took over the government. They've gorged themselves on their own profits to the point total destruction and the golden goose is pretty well cooked..

[rufus dog]

4. From my point of view you have the wrong definition

For the most part I agree with Fiscal Conservatism. When you cut costs you look at the biggest spenders if you are truly trying to make an impact. So for example, cutting the military budget wisely would be very beneficial in my opinion.

You may be referring to trickle down economics and blind deregulation the cornerstone of Reaganomics, these ideas are complete fucking bullshit

From Wikipedia:

Fiscal conservatism (also known as economic conservatism) is a political phrase term used in North America to describe advocacy of lower governmental spending practices and a lower federal debt; It is used to define someone who advocates smaller government, less federal spending, fewer earmarks and entitlement programs, and lower taxes.

[Speck Tater]

5. If you want to play football, you have to have rules to play by.

If you want to play baseball, you need rules to play by.
Same for soccer, basketball, and even gambling games like poker and roulette.

BUT if you want to play a gambling game with the entire U.S. economy, where you get bankrolled by the pensions and retirement funds of ordinary workers, HEY you don't need any rules. Just do whatever the hell you want, and we'll give you millions and millions in salaries and stock options whether you lose all our money or not.

[mrcheerful]

6. It works because it plays on 2 human faults

greed and the belief that they too are equal of obtaining wealth at anothers expense. These same people believe in trickle down economics, the rich got rich through their hard work ( though when asked they never seem to be able to tell you who got rich from hard work ) and that someday they will be one of the rich. It plays well with the religious out there because all it amounts to is blind faith that everything will be fine.

They also believe you can trust corporate america can regulate themselves and corporate america will do the right thing when it comes to protecting eviroment and peoples lives and health. Why because someone told them that.

[Odin2005]

7. Their religious faith in thier economic "theories" trumps reality.

The "their" I'm referring to is the Monetarists (Milton Friedman & Co.) on one hand and the Austrian School Libertarian wackos on the other. Their conception of "capitalism" is an idealized mathematical model that is anchored by generalizations and unfounded assumptions about human nature, they are blind to the actual nature of what Capitalism in the real world actually is. They are like Voltaire's Professor Pangloss, wishing away the bad aspects of our socioeconomic reality by refusing to see them or by rationalizing away the evils as part of the greater good as predicted by their BS mathematical models.