Hillary is right
posted by TheDon

The right is having a collective aneurysm over Hillary Clinton’s assertion that it’s time to replace an “on your own” society with one based on shared responsibility and prosperity.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined a broad economic vision Tuesday, saying it’s time to replace an “on your own” society with one based on shared responsibility and prosperity. The Democratic senator said what the Bush administration touts as an ownership society really is an “on your own” society that has widened the gap between rich and poor.

“I prefer a ‘we’re all in it together’ society,” she said. “I believe our government can once again work for all Americans. It can promote the great American tradition of opportunity for all and special privileges for none.” That means pairing growth with fairness, she said, to ensure that the middle-class succeeds in the global economy, not just corporate CEOs.

“There is no greater force for economic growth than free markets. But markets work best with rules that promote our values, protect our workers and give all people a chance to succeed,” she said. “Fairness doesn’t just happen. It requires the right government policies.”

This is being argued as a bad thing. She’s a (gasp!) SOCIALIST!!!

Apparently, if we just let the magical free market work and get the government out of the way, prosperity will cover the land, godly people will prosper and all will be well in the world. Last night I saw Pat Buchanan smirkingly ask, “What does she want to do? Regulate the markets?” Then he laughed his maniacal laugh.

Well, yeah.

People need rules, structures and penalties or BAD things happen. During the monolithic Republican control of the government there was no oversight. Some people in the Executive Branch took the opportunity to grab power and corrupt our government at a breathtaking rate. It didn’t help matters that the “news” outlets were uninterested in pursuing any real corruption or constitutional violations.

Wiretapping. Phony voter fraud prosecutions. Ignoring corruption by fellow Republicans when possible. Putting talentless political hacks in charge of everything. Editing scientific findings to comply with political agendas. No-bid contracts. No-result contracts. Lying to Congress when they even bothered to show up. Lack of oversight and amoral, power-hungry politicians and businessmen combined to create a perfect storm of corruption.

With rules, capitalism is a wonderful economic system which forces innovation, creates wealth and makes a nation strong. Without rules, capitalism is a system which will drive labor costs as low as possible (slaves are preferable), create monopolies, market unsafe products, create unsafe working conditions and create wealth only for the thinnest upper crust. For the Republicans out there, I will point out that these are all BAD things.

Without a sense of community, of shared responsibility, a ‘we’re all in it together’ society, if you will, we can’t create the structures which allow people to prosper. If people don’t think that their hard work will earn them the ability to live happily and retire comfortably, they won’t work. And why would they.

People need to know that their sacrifices will pay off for them and/or their children. They need to know that the whole society (as represented by their government) cares about the $4/gallon gas that is cutting into their budget. They will conserve and scrimp if they know everyone is pulling together to fix the problem. Instead they get cynical manipulation of markets, the highest profits in the history of the world, and $400 million retirement packages. And contempt. Lots of contempt.

It’s the kind of situation that causes people to show up at the polls with more than a little anger. And a sense of shared purpose and responsibilty.