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Men Not at Work
The Weekly Standard ^ | 05/11/2011 | Jim Prevor

Posted on 05/11/2011 11:58:27 PM PDT by JimPrevor

One big problem conservatives face in trying to develop and implement effective public policy is that conservative thinkers have gotten used to operating in an intellectual milieu that assumes activist government is the answer to every question.

In his recent New York Times column, The Missing Fifth,” David Brooks exemplifies the point.

(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: davidbrooks; thesocialanimal; unemployment; welfare
It is always the case that those who don’t want to work will point to the mismatch between the work available and their skills. Indeed, many of the proposals Brooks mentions, such as expanding community colleges or paying people unemployment while they start businesses, are just another way of helping people avoid the necessity of taking the jobs that might actually be available.
1 posted on 05/11/2011 11:58:31 PM PDT by JimPrevor
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To: JimPrevor

Prepare to get your butt slapped.


2 posted on 05/12/2011 12:03:01 AM PDT by Gene Eric (*** Jesus ***)
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To: JimPrevor

Since when do Conservatives want an activist government? Citing the Rino Brooks isn’t a good place to start, although I’m all for the discussion.


3 posted on 05/12/2011 12:08:04 AM PDT by Amberdawn
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To: JimPrevor
It will probably require a broad menu of policies attacking the problem all at once: expanding community colleges and online learning; changing the corporate tax code and labor market rules to stimulate investment; adopting German-style labor market practices like apprenticeship programs, wage subsidies and programs that extend benefits to the unemployed for six months as they start small businesses. Reinvigorating the missing fifth — bringing them back into the labor market and using their capabilities — will certainly require money.

And there are still people who refer to Brooks as a Conservative with a straight face?

4 posted on 05/12/2011 12:09:07 AM PDT by Lazlo in PA (Now living in a newly minted Red State.)
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To: Lazlo in PA
And there are still people who refer to Brooks as a Conservative with a straight face?

They all work at, or read, the Times.

5 posted on 05/12/2011 1:03:15 AM PDT by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: JimPrevor

Why would you use David Brooks as an example of a conservative thinker? Maureen Dowd not write any columns you could cite as of late?


6 posted on 05/12/2011 2:12:17 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel (In Memory of my Dear Friend Henry Lee II)
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To: JimPrevor

The fact that affirmative action doesn’t factor into the article is strange; it is practically illegal to hire a white man today, and you certainly can’t pay him as much as an affirmative action token female employee.

I remember the recent news stories about the alarm caused by the fact that college classes were approaching 60:40 female to male ratio; 59:41 was somehow acceptable, but 60:40 might draw more scutiny. White women should stop complaining about the lack of available men for marriage; they’ve been legally marginalized, and now resemble their urban counterparts. You reap what you sow...


7 posted on 05/12/2011 2:47:34 AM PDT by kearnyirish2
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To: okie01

One of the first times I listened to NPR (not all that long ago) I heard two leftists discussing the issues of the day. They pretty much agreed on everything and both seemed completely brain-dead. As the segment ended I learned the names of the two Leftwing idiots: EJ Dionne and David Brooks.


8 posted on 05/12/2011 3:20:03 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The USSR spent itself into bankruptcy and collapsed -- and aren't we on the same path now?)
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To: JimPrevor
One big problem conservatives face ... David Brooks"

There's your problem. David "Crease" Brooks is enamored of government because he is no conservative. The best that can be said is that he is somewhat less hostile to conservatism than your run of the mill media natterer.

9 posted on 05/12/2011 3:47:55 AM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: ClearCase_guy
As the segment ended I learned the names of the two Leftwing idiots: EJ Dionne and David Brooks.

Well, EJ Dionne is dumb as a post.

So, what does that make Brooks?

Separate subject: Do you recall what Brooks is almost famous for?

Remember Florida 2000?

Brooks was the Fox analyst that first called the state for Bush. His action left Bush in the position of being "the winner" and Algore in the position of suing to catch-up.

Of course, in that particular instance, Brooks was actually right.

10 posted on 05/12/2011 10:35:59 AM PDT by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance On Parade)
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