Conservatives vs. Capitalism

National Review ^ | 1/9/2012 | Jay Nordlinger

[MamaDearest]

I'm disgusted by the anti-capitalist, Marxist/socialist class warfare rhetoric being used. I won't support any candidate that engages in it. I don't care who it's aimed at or why. It's thoroughly un-Republican, and un-conservative.

Here's what we have now:

Ineptocracy (in-ept-o-cra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

[americanophile]

"To sum up, what is free trade, what is free trade under the present condition of society? It is freedom of capital. When you have overthrown the few national barriers which still restrict the progress of capital, you will merely have given it complete freedom of action. So long as you let the relation of wage labor to capital exist, it does not matter how favorable the conditions under which the exchange of commodities takes place, there will always be a class which will exploit and a class which will be exploited. It is really difficult to understand the claim of the free-traders who imagine that the more advantageous application of capital will abolish the antagonism between industrial capitalists and wage workers. On the contrary, the only result will be that the antagonism of these two classes will stand out still more clearly....In a word, the free trade system hastens the social revolution. It is in this revolutionary sense alone, gentlemen, that I vote in favor of free trade."

- Karl Marx
Democratic Association of Brussels
January 9, 1848.

[Lakeshark]

I don't think anyone is attacking the free market, instead they are attacking what Romney did with his freedom.

If Romney can defend himself successfully by being transparent, releasing his tax returns and other information on Bain, then he might survive the far worse onslaught he would get were he to get the GOP nomination.

Better now than later.

[americanophile]

Agreed.

[americanophile]

Me too, ABO.

[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

Just spent my FR reading tonight interrupted with an hour or so of agonizing over our next order. What we can afford balanced against what we have to buy, which orders we can fill and which we have to put off for the moment.

These are tough times for us. And I suspect tough times for many businesses larger and smaller than us.

Politics is all about perceptions.

If throwing a bunch of money around because you already have it is conservative....

If using your fame or name or influence to buy and sell and profit regardless of adding value is conservative...

Does that whole 1% thing deserve to be attached to the concept of conservatism? How do those business tactics square with a fair price for a fair value? What about those of us whose major concern is repeat customers. Are we the real fools? Is free enterprise dead and we're just the bitter clingers?

[impimp]

“Corporate raiders” - interesting language. Where have I heard it before? Oh yeah, I heard it coming from anti-capitalist Democrats.

[Revolting cat!]

Oh, yeah, everything I, the great I don’t like is “COMMUNISM”!

[DJ MacWoW]

And apparently you have no idea what it means. Do you understand “hostile takeover” and believe that is a conservative value? Funny. I thought honesty was conservative.

[greeneyes]

I understand. I know lots of people that lost everything they had worked for 20 or more years. My own company went through lots of mergers and aquisitions.

We lost a lot of benefits over the years, but still had a fairly decent package by the time I could retire. I missed the cutoff for being able to keep my health care by 2 years, but at least I still had a lump-sum pension.

[Utmost Certainty]

I imagine that most of what Bain Capital was doing was legitimate—some may not like it, but there is a need for firms who specialize in clearing out financial debris, reconsolidating failing businesses, etc. (vultures, as it were).

A more useful point of attack against Romney, would be to assault the narrative of him being a so-called entrepreneurial businessman with his finger on the pulse of the “real economy”—he isn’t that: he’s just been a successful finance guy who’s headed an investment firm. Which is a very different kind of acumen, and it’s questionable how appropriate that kind of acumen will be for creating jobs.

[onyx]

To a poster, every one was already against Newt Gingrich. Were it their guy, they’d be high fiving. Hypocrites, all.

[DJ MacWoW]

I figured that.

[impimp]

Hedge funds illegal? Am I really on a conservative website anymore? Eliminate hedge funds and then all investing will fall under strict government control. Your comments are repugnant and you are a statist.

I guess there are some little babies who need to make sure the governemnt protects them from making bad investment decisions. Hedge funds are for sophisticated investors - and you are NOT a sophisticated investor.

[onyx]

Reads like a road map...LOL.

[DJ MacWoW]

I bet it does.

I avoid candidate threads because of the stupidity. However anyone with common sense knows what Romney is.

[greeneyes]

Not me. I like Newt. Did you see my post? I also don't care much for the abuses of some of the corporate raiders. Big difference between them and regular free market capitalism.

I pointed out there is a difference. I don't know what Bain Capital did, but that record needs to be exposed warts and all. If Romney can't defend it, better to know now than later.

Besides live by the sword - die by the sword. Romney drew first blood. So I don't feel sorry for him.

[danielmryan]

It is really difficult to understand the claim of the free-traders who imagine that the more advantageous application of capital will abolish the antagonism between industrial capitalists and wage workers.

It certainly was difficult for me, Herr Marx, but I persevered and learned it. Then again, my life is less exciting than yours was.

[TitansAFC]

I see the National Review is already trying to figure out the best way to protect Romney from Bain.........

[americanophile]

Indeed.