4 Responses to “Conservatives Against Capitalism?”

1. Blayne Clements Says:
   August 8th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

   Nice article Mark.

2. Faldo Says:
   August 9th, 2009 at 11:47 pm

   There are several things wrong with this opinion piece: 1) True capitalists are against “Cash for Clunkers” for good reason. Capitalism is about the market functioning properly and people paying for goods and services they value at an appropriate price. When the government writes $4,500 checks to people that creates what capitalists would call a “market imbalance”. Since it is borrowed money that that these checks come from this will have to be paid back by our children. 2) The House Healthcare bill is a huge lurch into socialized medicine with a “public plan” paid for by the government and higher taxes on folks making over $250,000 per year plus reguluations that force businesses to acquire insurance for their employees. This bill is diametrically opposed to capitalism and conservatism. 3) The Cap and Trade bill will be a tremendous new tax on energy with very little to show for it in terms of lower emissions. All of the critical companies got handed their “permits” for free (instead of being auctioned off) in order to buy enough votes to get the bill passed. Even the huge Obama backer Warren Buffett admits that this bill is huge new tax businesses that were not luckly enough to be included in the initial permit grab in Congress. All 3 of these bills are staunchly anti-capitalism. Please do some more research next time.

3. Mark Naccarato Says:
   August 11th, 2009 at 9:55 am

   Faldo, in response: 1) “Cash for Clunkers” was instituted to correct a market failure. And let’s remember that the market failure of the American auto industry was caused by Management’s poor decisions and the price of oil. Whether that means that they overbuilt on gas-guzzling cars that people didn’t want anymore or because they decided to overpromise to workers on pension benefits is irrelevant. The bottom line is that the auto industry – which provides hundreds of thousands of mostly good paying jobs across the country in the manufacturing, retail, and advertising industries – was at risk and the government acted as it should have. You are attempting to address a practical, real-world problem with serious national consequences with a vague ideological solution. This is a pattern of modern conservatives and its the main reason conservatives have weakened America militarily and economically. And its why they lost the last two elections. And no, the “borrowed money” doesn’t have to be paid back by our children because the stimulus created by the Cash for Clunkers program keeps people working and paying income taxes that could make the program pay for itself. And besides, you are talking about pennies here in the grand scheme of things. If you really are concerned about “the children”, then I’m sure you were against the War in Iraq, which has done more to bankrupt our children’s future (and our credibility around the world) than anything the Cash for Clunkers program has. 2) You can call the health insurance reform bill “socialized medicine” if you want. That’s your right to free speech. I call it “an end to price gouging”. We can talk over each other all day on this, but the difference is that I’m right and you’re not. And since conservatives are so worried about “socialized medicine”, why won’t any elected Republicans sponsor a bill that does away with the Veterans Administration? Or Medicare? Because BY YOUR DEFINITION, these are both forms of “socialized medicine”. Ideologically pure conservatives in office should call for the destruction of the V.A. and Medicare if they are so passionate about this issue. 3) I somewhat agree with you on this because the Cap and Trade bill is too weak. All you’ve done by bringing this up is prove that bipartisanship is often a waste of time. My personal feeling is that Obama and the Democrats should ram their agenda down the Republicans’ throats and let the chips fall where they may. Compromising on the issues when you’re right is a sign of weakness in my eyes and hopefully, the Dems will figure that out soon so they can actually clean up the mess conservatives like you have wrought on our country. In any case, I think it’s interesting that you ask me to “do some more research” and you provide no evidence in your comment that you’ve done the same. In fact, my positions here are thoroughly researched and backed by Nobel Prize winning economists – the same people that the President consults when it comes to matter of economics. Your position is backed up by who… a bunch of glorified disc jockeys and some CEO’s who have created these problems in the first place. I think I feel pretty good about where my information comes from and it’s pretty telling that you feel good about where yours does. Thanks for playing, Faldo.

4. Scott Beasley Says:
   September 7th, 2009 at 9:01 am

   Sorry Mark, this perceived “failure” of the auto industry is part of capitalism. Companies fail. It what makes us better. One could just as easily blame the high costs of union wages and government regulation on the downfall of the major automakers, but that’s only if you look at FACTS. The “cash for clunkers” is just another charrade scripted by the White House to impress “help” to the American people. They’re already talking about how to correct the decline in sales they will naturally see as the aftermath of creating this false demand. Guess what that means? Spending more money to impact a problem THEY created in the first place. I would say your assessment is very naive as to how capitalism really works. It appears you haven’t a clue. 2)So the health care industry is price gouging? That’s the equivalent of saying gravity causes planes to crash. Its competition that creates regulation, not a bureaucrat who believes you’re making too much money. Anytime you want to debate, I’m right here, so far all you have offered is propaganda and far left rhetoric.

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