Note to Obama: America can’t afford to double down on collectivism
I also think Obama misunderstands this moment. The Progressive Era, New Deal and Great Society laws were enacted when America was still a young and growing nation. They were enacted in a nation that was vibrant, raw, underinstitutionalized and needed taming.
We are no longer that nation. We are now a mature nation with an aging population. Far from being underinstitutionalized, we are bogged down with a bloated political system, a tangled tax code, a byzantine legal code and a crushing debt.
The task of reinvigorating a mature nation is fundamentally different than the task of civilizing a young and boisterous one. It does require some collective action: investing in human capital. But, in other areas, it also involves stripping away — streamlining the special interest sinecures that have built up over the years and liberating private daring.
Reinvigorating a mature nation means using government to give people the tools to compete, but then opening up a wide field so they do so raucously and creatively.
Blowback
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Note to Brooksie: it never could afford your boyfriend and he’s not going to stop in any case.
sharrukin on January 22, 2013 at 9:02 PM
He got your vote David so he thinks you can. The bill is due. Pay up!
Bmore on January 22, 2013 at 9:02 PM
Remember when it was the job of the parents to do that? Good times.
visions on January 22, 2013 at 9:03 PM
I’m surprised Brooksie has the energy to write after that Gergenesque orgasmic romp with Zero known as yesterday.
viking01 on January 22, 2013 at 9:07 PM
Note to Creases: shut your pie hole shitstick. No one pays attention to you even though some moron pays you to open your yap.
tommy-t on January 22, 2013 at 9:08 PM
We can if we ban high bullet magazines that go up, those things are responsible for our fiscal mess.
They also caused me to burn my toast this morning.
Bishop on January 22, 2013 at 9:08 PM
They’re Liberals, David. “Afford” has never factored into any equation with them -with the possible exception of military spending…..
djm1992 on January 22, 2013 at 9:08 PM
Obama misunderstands nothing. Mr. Brooks is too stupid or too embarrassed to admit he has been played.
Cindy Munford on January 22, 2013 at 9:10 PM
Is David Brooks a TrueCon?
Bmore on January 22, 2013 at 9:12 PM
But we will still be in debt up to our ears: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/22/boehner-announces-goal-of-balancing-budget-in-10-years/
davidk on January 22, 2013 at 9:16 PM
We don need no steenking budget, we got batteries to test:
davidk on January 22, 2013 at 9:18 PM
Progressivism is immoral. It is immoral to compel free citizens to participate in programs (Social Security, Medicare, Obamacare, et al) in which they do not freely choose to articulate.
Progressivism, socialism, liberalism is anti-freedom of choice. Except of course when it comes to abortion.
Charlemagne on January 22, 2013 at 9:25 PM
“Needed taming” ?
Boy if’n that isn’t how the Progs view industry, free thought, free exercise and free markets. They don’t want to “tame.” They want to RULE.
Jett Atwood on January 22, 2013 at 9:29 PM
Collectivism has never worked in any country – beyond the thieving of the original pot.
OldEnglish on January 22, 2013 at 9:31 PM
I think the word you’re looking for is ‘subjugate’…
affenhauer on January 22, 2013 at 9:39 PM
Obama and his “collectivism” can go to Hell.
Schadenfreude on January 22, 2013 at 9:47 PM
The country was declared in 1776. The New Society laws happened in the 1960s. Exactly how much older than that does Brooks think we are?
Kensington on January 22, 2013 at 10:03 PM
What part of Cloward and Piven strategy do they not get. If tripling down or quadruplicating down on
collectivismsocialism gets them faster to Communism all the better to them. Cost is not an option when the goal is a communist utopia.tjexcite on January 22, 2013 at 10:08 PM
If for some reason, you still needed a reason to finish that survivor shelter…
…then please read the comments section below Brooks article.
I have never, never, been more dismayed at the level of sheer outright lemming stupidity.
Screw the prog half of this country. They are as dumb as a dogs arse.
Let it burn.
budfox on January 22, 2013 at 10:22 PM
What the States really needs is for people to work off their debt to the state through forced labour in dry-cleaners.
andycanuck on January 22, 2013 at 10:23 PM