The modern Republican Party is an awkward contraption that harnesses a politics of white ethno-nationalism to a policy agenda dominated by the Ayn Rand–inflected anti-statism. Donald Trump has exploited the wedge between the party’s voters and the ideologists of its master class, placing the latter in an awkward spot. In the face of this threat, there are many possible responses for an advocate of traditional Goldwater-Reagan conservatism to make. The most bracingly honest may come from National Review’s Kevin Williamson, whose antipathy for Trump has expanded to include Trump’s white working-class supporters.
Williamson’s latest column, which his NR colleague David French enthusiastically endorses, has attracted some notoriety for its display of contempt (rendered in Williamson's florid, trademark-infringing imitation Buckley prose) for low-income white voters who make up a major share of Trump’s base. They are losers, druggies, layabouts, and so on. The solution Williamson offers them is to move out of their pathetic dying towns. (“The truth about these dysfunctional, downscale communities is that they deserve to die. Economically, they are negative assets.” Etc.)
What’s most interesting about this argument is not the specificity with which Williamson details his conclusion, but his willingness to follow his premises all the way. To the libertarian true believer, capitalism is a value system rather than merely a tool. Capitalism means economic freedom. People are entitled to their economic rights (meaning their market income) in exactly the same way as they are entitled to their political rights. “Freedom in economic arrangements is itself a component of freedom broadly understood, so economic freedom is an end in itself,” as Milton Friedman famously put it.
Republican doctrine reflects the conviction that the main evil of modern government is to excessively punish the rich and reward their inferiors. All of the Republican presidential candidates, Trump included, propose massive tax cuts that would confer about 40 percent of their benefit on the highest-earning one percent (who earn about a fifth of the income). Williamson briefly considers, and immediately dismisses, any reconsideration of a domestic agenda out of regressive tax cuts. “It is really quite difficult to design federal tax cuts that benefit people who do not pay much in the way of federal taxes,” he writes. Oh, the working class doesn’t benefit from an abolition of the estate and capital-gains tax? Well, then, we’re out of ideas.
This is absurd if you think of economic policy in pragmatic terms. But it is perfectly sensible if you think of economic policy as a moral framework built around the protection of natural economic rights. “They failed themselves,” Williamson sneers about poor whites. The marketplace hasn’t failed the white working class; the white working class has failed capitalism.
Measured in political terms, this is a suicidal mentality for the Republican Party. But who says ideas must be measured in political terms?
#1: calcon To: Willie Green (#0)
that's going to work out good for them.
calcon posted on 2016-03-15 13:57:27 Reply Private Reply
#2: Stoner To: calcon (#1)
LOL !!
Yeah, King Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette had the same attitude. It did not work out good for them! LOL !
Stoner posted on 2016-03-15 14:03:38 Reply Private Reply
#3: sneakypete To: calcon (#1)
Trump IS their candidate. You just can't see it because you don't want to see it because you will finally have to face up to the fact that our political system is thoroughly corrupt,and the only valid option left is revolution.
sneakypete posted on 2016-03-15 15:32:32 Reply Private Reply
#4: tomder55 To: Willie Green (#0)
Cruz' plan is a simple flat tax . No one is favored . Any other plan that is tiered or bestows favors to any "group" of people is inherently unfair ,socialist engineering .
"Donald Trump has exploited the wedge between the party’s voters and the ideologists of its master class, placing the latter in an awkward spot."
Yes he feeds them the line that the government is inept ,and corrupt . His solution ? He promises more government ....led by a 'strong' ,'winner' .
"To the libertarian true believer, capitalism is a value system rather than merely a tool. Capitalism means economic freedom. People are entitled to their economic rights (meaning their market income) in exactly the same way as they are entitled to their political rights. “Freedom in economic arrangements is itself a component of freedom broadly understood, so economic freedom is an end in itself,” as Milton Friedman famously put it. "
When was the last time you ever heard Trump say anything about individual rights ? He doesn't believe in them at all . He's all about making the state "great "again (and other phony platitudes ).
tomder55 posted on 2016-03-15 16:26:45 Reply Private Reply
#5: BorisY To: Willie Green (#0)
green
the
assexuals
will
take
over
the
earth
love
boris
ps
like
an
overflowing
sewer
cess pool
BorisY posted on 2016-03-15 16:42:30 Reply Private Reply
#6: goldilucky To: Willie Green (#0)
Whenever I read of such tirades of this depicting Reagan as a "Conservative" Republican I have to point out to these people that it was during the Reagan-Bush era that NAFTA/GATT (now today referred to as tpp.gov) was born. A true Conservative would have abolished this open-borders policy a long time ago.
goldilucky posted on 2016-03-15 17:39:15 Reply Private Reply
#7: calcon To: sneakypete, hono68, Keep the two party system in place. (#3)
The establishment is finally running the risk of having the peons rebel against them at last but you and hondo keep posting your anti-trump nonsense.
Both you guys are just tools of the status quo, and you're scared sh*tless that trump and his supporters might defeat them.
calcon posted on 2016-03-15 17:40:02 Reply Private Reply
#8: Stoner To: sneakypete (#3)
Well, in the first place, they are not Conservatives. They are a bunch of asshole wanna be Tyrants trying to impersonate Conservatives.
Also Pete, your statement, " the only valid option left is revolution ", sadly I have to agree.
Let me know when you organize a combat team to go to DC and start mass hangings.
Physically I may not be what I was when I was in my 20's & 30's, but my marksmanship has not deteriorated.
Stoner posted on 2016-03-15 17:40:35 Reply Private Reply
#9: sneakypete To: calcon (#7)
Blah,blah,blah,says a Party Troll.
sneakypete posted on 2016-03-15 17:48:51 Reply Private Reply
#10: Stoner To: goldilucky (#6)
To be more accurate, poppy Bush made all arrangements for NAFTA, then turned it over to Bubba, who strong armed it through.
Stoner posted on 2016-03-15 17:50:32 Reply Private Reply
#11: goldilucky To: Stoner (#10)
goldilucky posted on 2016-03-15 17:51:48 Reply Private Reply
#12: sneakypete To: Stoner (#8)
That will be on the 12th of Never. It just isn't in my nature to start anything.
Once the riots start and the government starts whipping the police state into action,well.....,that's another matter. When they declare Martial Law and suspend the Bill of Rights,it's Game ON!
After all,I swore a oath to protect and defend the US Constitution. I meant it then,and I mean it now. No One has ever released me from that oath.
sneakypete posted on 2016-03-15 17:51:52 Reply Private Reply
#13: sneakypete To: goldilucky (#11)
HorseHillary.
sneakypete posted on 2016-03-15 17:55:00 Reply Private Reply
#14: goldilucky To: sneakypete (#13)
goldilucky posted on 2016-03-15 17:57:27 Reply Private Reply
#15: Stoner To: sneakypete (#12)
Many of us did. And you are right, there was no expiration date.
I do not know about you, but when I swore the oath, there was also another oath, " So help me God !" That is one oath I will never, ever violate.
Come Judgement Day, I may answer for some things, but I will never have to answer for violating an oath to God!
Stoner posted on 2016-03-15 22:51:39 Reply Private Reply
#16: rlk To: Stoner (#8)
They are not even good impersonators. Conservativism incorporates a dedication to maturity and moral integrity that is nonexistent in these people. All they do is wave the term around a little for effect knowing that question of their shallowness is no longer existent in our educational system or media.
rlk posted on 2016-03-15 23:13:07 Reply Private Reply
#17: VxH To: tomder55 (#4)
BINGO!
VxH posted on 2016-03-16 11:24:58 Reply Private Reply
#18: VxH To: rlk (#16)
"let's wrap up this folks!".
Interesting how the definition of "conservatism" seems to blow whatever direction the fleeceathon indicate$.
VxH posted on 2016-03-16 11:48:32 Reply Private Reply