ext_48561 ([identity profile] bord-du-rasoir.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] talkpolitics2010-04-20 05:34 am

Conservatism or Corporatism?

What accounts for the spikes in these graphs? Conservative (free market) policy or corporatist (government intervention) policy?









Why'd average Wall St. bonus pay recently quadruple average annual salaries? Why'd the financial sector recently triple the nonfinancial sector? Why'd the highest incomes recently increase 36 times faster than median family income?

Provide concrete explanations as to how X (policy) caused Y (economic indicator). Point to specific legislation or executive orders.

The liberal position is predictable: The unprecedented extreme growth in the financial sector and increased inequality is bad. Free market policy (deregulation of banks --> derivatives market expansion --> collapse) is to blame.

I'm more interested in the conservative position: How do you explain the unprecedented growth in the financial sector and the increased income inequality? What're the causes? Is corporatism (government interventionism) responsible? If so, how? Do you draw a connection between the above figures and the financial collapse?

I honestly don't understand the conservative position.

[identity profile] the-rukh.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah the poor didn't have to wear that short skirt out at night, how could the rich help but fleece them? We definitely should not be enabling short skirts.

[identity profile] korean-guy-01.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I wasn't talking about Obama's stimulus package, which your analogy is better suited for.

[identity profile] the-rukh.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 05:25 pm (UTC)(link)
No it's not.

[identity profile] mikeyxw.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
So people don't consent to going into debt?

[identity profile] the-rukh.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Certain people consistently put the blame on the victims.
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] the-rukh.livejournal.com 2010-04-21 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
Hey I just recognize when you set up a system where the cost of living is constantly going up, while income is not, fight tooth and nail to prevent people from having a means to afford healthcare in the most expensive healthcare system in the world, and on top of that spend billions a year telling people their shitty lives will be great if they just take out an easy loan, that everyone is doing it and it's irresponsible and short-sighted not to,

and then blame it all on them. Its a douche thing to do.
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] the-rukh.livejournal.com 2010-04-21 05:13 am (UTC)(link)
Nope, I could have actually added a lot more that really happens. Consumer society, entitlement to have work=profit, linking wealth with worth, etc.