October 19, 2006


IMPEACH BUSH




IMPEACH CHENEY


RESULTS OF COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM

I have this quaint notion that my life is just as important as the life of someone with a big bank account. As President Kennedy once said in a different context, we're all mortal. We all breathe the same air. Having more money doesn't make a person better or superior to other human beings. But right-wingers feel differently. They feel we should genuflect religiously in front of anyone with the big bucks. Not only that, we should burden the rest of society so the very rich can accrue even more wealth. In this article John Podesta talks about the realities of "compassionate conservatism." The article is at think progress.org:

Today, the Center for American Progress is hosting a conference called “Securing the Common Good.” Featuring President Bill Clinton as the keynote speaker, the conference is an effort to forcefully articulate an alternative to “compassionate conservatism,” a progressive philosophy of governing. (Read more about the conference in this AP article.)

John Podesta, CAP’s president, delivered the opening remarks. First, he outlined the failures of the right’s governing philosophy:

They have put forward a philosophy, focused on individualism, in which people theoretically have more choices and assume more risk in nearly every part of their lives. In theory, the result of this approach is that people will save more, own more, rely less on the government and become greater stakeholders in the future of our country…

This is the theory.

But let’s look at the results:

– Over 46 million of our fellow citizens do not have health insurance;

– Poverty rates are climbing and personal savings rates are plummeting;

– The richest 1 percent of households already owns more wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined;

– Oil companies are taking in record profits while global warming advances at a record pace; and

– College tuition rates continue to skyrocket while wages stagnate.

Cutting through the rhetoric, the facts show that in this “ownership society,” most Americans have been left to fend for themselves: they are owners of more burdens and fewer opportunities.