Economic Conservatism and the American Dream

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:44 PM EST

Article Source: L'Hote

politics, economics, conservatives, liberals, conservatism

Many times I hear people argue that the working class or poor should just stop expecting so much and be smarter with their money. You can't just orphan that thought out there! Such a venture, if it's undertaken with respect and integrity, has to mean real changes to our culture. We live in a culture that doesn't just value material wealth or affluence, but revels in excess, brags about largess and profligacy, makes a virtue of ostentation and a fetish of the most obscene and useless expense. That has to change, if we're going to accept the idea that we should all be happy with less.

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6.1

{"commentId":4125217,"authorDomain":"neoconstant"}

E.D.Kain

See Rod Dreher's comments on this article.

{"commentId":4125217,"threadId":"423315","contentId":"2128536","authorDomain":"neoconstant"}

3 votes

#1 - Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:48 PM EST

{"commentId":4125234,"authorDomain":"neoconstant"}

E.D.Kain

Sometimes you just need to look past the ideology and get to the humanity of things. And then, turn around and look the ideas square in the face...

{"commentId":4125234,"threadId":"423315","contentId":"2128536","authorDomain":"neoconstant"}

3 votes

#1.1 - Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:49 PM EST

{"commentId":4125697,"authorDomain":"worldknightboy"}

worldknightboy

My gut instinct, and it's nothing more than that, is that one day the capitalists will see the advantages of occasional governmental intervention, and rather than imagining these forays by government as inherently destabilizing or detrimental to proft, they will instead be seen as key tools to be used sparingly but unapologetically, when the need arises. This is the idle notion that has been kicking around in my head for ages, that the profit motives (and thus the most enthusiastic capitalists) will move us towards socialism.

In light of the recent market problems, and fed intervention and bailout, no doubt what emerges will be closer to what he describes here. Capitalists will have no choice, if they want to take fed help, and continue to do business here in the US.

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3 votes

#2 - Wed Nov 19, 2008 1:15 PM EST

{"commentId":4135366,"authorDomain":"swornfuk"}

swornfuk

Tightening our belts as a country will happen whether we like it or not. Fortunately for those of us that did practice financial restraint through the last 5 or so years, the tightening will not be as painful. Found a good article about the dangers of consumerism on Shawnee Bledsoe's column a few months ago, but the link goes to something else now I dug it up for y'all

{"commentId":4135366,"threadId":"423315","contentId":"2128536","authorDomain":"swornfuk"}

2 votes

#3 - Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:12 AM EST

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E.D.KAIN

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Economic Conservatism and the American Dream

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