Finally, a Republican who’s willing to defend capitalism (but unwilling to run for president)
Those who have been waiting for one of the Republican presidential candidates to offer a full-throated defense of free-market capitalism — only to see Newt Gingrich sniping at Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital, and Romney returning fire about Gingrich being a “very wealthy man” given his line of credit at Tiffany and Co. — may have to settle for an excellent op-ed from a non-candidate: Jeb Bush. (Or is he?)
Writing in the Wall Street Journal today, Bush riffs on the phrase coined by another Republican who flirted with a run at the White House next year, Rep. Paul Ryan: “the right to rise.”
Bush writes:
We have to make it easier for people to do the things that allow them to rise. We have to let them compete. We need to let people fight for business. We need to let people take risks. We need to let people fail. We need to let people suffer the consequences of bad decisions. And we need to let people enjoy the fruits of good decisions, even good luck.
That is what economic freedom looks like. Freedom to succeed as well as to fail, freedom to do something or nothing. People understand this. Freedom of speech, for example, means that we put up with a lot of verbal and visual garbage in order to make sure that individuals have the right to say what needs to be said, even when it is inconvenient or unpopular. We forgive the sacrifices of free speech because we value its blessings.
But when it comes to economic freedom, we are less forgiving of the cycles of growth and loss, of trial and error, and of failure and success that are part of the realities of the marketplace and life itself.
This is the anti-bailout, anti-cronyism, anti-overregulation, anti-”do something” mantra we need to hear from the Republican alternative to Barack Obama next year. (To those who note the irony of Jeb Bush opposing the kinds of bailouts his brother implemented as president: I didn’t miss it; I’d only point out that, as many Republicans have noted ruefully over the years, Jeb is not George.)
Finally, Bush demonstrates exactly how someone in the GOP field needs to frame the debate:
In short, we must choose between the straight line promised by the statists and the jagged line of economic freedom. The straight line of gradual and controlled growth is what the statists promise but can never deliver. The jagged line offers no guarantees but has a powerful record of delivering the most prosperity and the most opportunity to the most people. We cannot possibly know in advance what freedom promises for 312 million individuals. But unless we are willing to explore the jagged line of freedom, we will be stuck with the straight line. And the straight line, it turns out, is a flat line.
ADDED: I meant, then forgot, to note that Ron Paul of course makes similar arguments. If nothing else, I wish his arguments would prod one of the candidates riding higher in the polls to follow suit.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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187 comments Add your comment
JDW
December 19th, 2011
2:34 pm
@Proud…”Why do you people entertain that idiot? He comes on all the blogs spouting his stupidity. Ignore him and maybe he’ll sliver away…….”
Right you are…I do try but sometimes I just can’t help myself….
UGA 1999
December 19th, 2011
2:35 pm
JDW…..”just can’t help myself”……Typical Democrat….lacking control!
BW
December 19th, 2011
2:35 pm
UGA 1999
What does being blacker mean exactly?
The Lack and Absence of Moral Principles by the Republicans
December 19th, 2011
2:36 pm
@td December 19th, 2011 11:56 am – Republicans voters are way smarter than Democratic voters and it is easily proved. You will find that the children of Republicans score way higher than the children of Democratic voters. So please stop talking about one parties voters smarter then the other because it just makes you look dumb.
*************************************************************
Iam a retired educator who taught at a 95% white school and your notion that Republican children are smarter is FALSE.
They had children at this school who were from upper middle class families THAT WERE DUMB AS ROCKS.
So your theory does not hold water! Try another one.
Proud UGA grad in spite of
December 19th, 2011
2:37 pm
A hit dog will holler! Notice no mention of said moniker directly, yet a response!
And it’s nice to be a GRAD over just a FAN any day of the week!!!
Repub
December 19th, 2011
2:38 pm
He sounds good don’t he. Who would profile the whole family? The smart and educated will be slow to judge.
UGA 1999
December 19th, 2011
2:38 pm
THE LACK…..”upper middle class families that were dumb as rocks”…….you should have done a better job as their teacher.
td
December 19th, 2011
2:38 pm
carlosgvv
December 19th, 2011
2:30 pm
Now you make no sense at all and know very little about the market place. Please tell me a business that is willing to throw there buyers “under the bus”? How do you make more money when you are alienating buyers?
Alienating consumers on a regular basis only happens in government because they are pure monopolies.
Repub
December 19th, 2011
2:40 pm
Lack,, let me guess. Teacher Union Dem?
Devil's Advocate
December 19th, 2011
2:41 pm
Oh, my bad. I thought I read this statement about what “capitalism” does:
UGA 1999
December 19th, 2011
1:26 pm
JF….Capitalism creates competition, which leads to lower prices and more options for the consumer.
Please tell us all how Capitalism leads to legalized gambling and prostitution?
—————————————————————–
I think you were talking about a free market system, not “capitalism”.
UGA 1999
December 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
Devils….nope.
BW
December 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
Kyle
In regards to the article…the editoral is not bad at all. Though he doesn’t explicitly say this, I’m going to assume that Jeb doesn’t believe in a progressive tax system (i.e. the more you make the more you pay). I would love to know what we he thinks our responsibilities to our fellow citizens is. I don’t think anyone disagrees with being allowed to rise…that opportunity is still available in the US…legal immigrants come over all the time and proof through entreprenuership or high level contributions to companies. The main argument among all ideological stripes is concerning the falling part. Should multiple companies be allowed to fail because one had shady business dealings? Should they be bailed out? Should individuals who break laws be sent to prison? There seem to be no “result-based outcomes” that are consistent when it comes to culpability. It is very clear that justice is often determined by how much of a retainer you can afford to pay your legal team. There is nothing wrong with capitalism as long as all play by the rules of the road and is always punished for not doing so.
td
December 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
The Lack and Absence of Moral Principles by the Republicans
December 19th, 2011
2:36 pm
Where is your statistical proof? You can go to the Georgia DOE website and look at particular schools in heavily voting Republican district and their children score 300 or higher points then in any school heavy democratic voting district. Where is your proof?
ab
December 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
Proud UGA grad
Agreed. I don’t understand why people respond to the other UGA.
UGA 1999
December 19th, 2011
2:44 pm
ab….because you never have any proof to refute what I say. Keep quiet….I win!
St Simons - we're on Island time
December 19th, 2011
2:46 pm
We love our fans, and our grads,
our students, and UGA dads.
A Bush wants the freedum to fail. I swear, the comedy writes itself.
td
December 19th, 2011
2:47 pm
BW
December 19th, 2011
2:43 pm
” I’m going to assume that Jeb doesn’t believe in a progressive tax system (i.e. the more you make the more you pay).”
Define “progressive tax system”? 25% of $1 million is a lot more being paid then 25% of $10,000.
UGA 1999
December 19th, 2011
2:47 pm
St Simons…..freedum???? HAHAHAHAH LMFAO!
JF McNamara
December 19th, 2011
2:51 pm
UGA 1999,
“JF….Capitalism creates competition, which leads to lower prices and more options for the consumer. Please tell us all how Capitalism leads to legalized gambling and prostitution?”
In its purest form, capitalism requires no regulations. Its close to anarchy. Supply and Demand are the only limitations. People can create economic value through both gambling and prostitution because people will pay for it. If you outlaw either, you no longer have pure capitalism because the government has intervened in the process. You have imposed regulations so it is no longer “free”. Only lack of demand can cause failure in pure capitalism.
Pure Capitalism leads to monopolies, because the strongest companies buy out the competition and companies are free to collude or price fix. Its really that simple. We in a state of controlled capitalism now, and the only reason we don’t have monopolies now is our antitrust department. Even with our antitrust department, we have companies with a large majority of the market share. Google search, Microsoft OS, Verizon & AT&T would all be monopolies if allowed. Prices would then rise.
UGA 1999
December 19th, 2011
2:57 pm
JF……The Microsoft OS was/is a great service that until lately the industry could not match. Apple has done a great job of improving their services and offerings to compete with Microsoft. Capitalism creates competition.
Verizon and AT&T became Monopolies BECAUSE of the regulations….Small companies were still able to resell their infrastructure and/or create their own. They were also territorial which created another mess of headaches when AT&T broke up into the “baby bells”.
BW
December 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
td
That’s not how a progressive tax system works….the example you are using is a flat tax. The progressive tax system I am referring to is one where the rates go up at different income thresholds.
The Lack and Absence of Moral Principles by the Republicans
December 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
Kyle in your article Bush writes: We have to make it easier for people to do the things that allow them to rise.
WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN JEB BUSH!
Would he CHEAT to make it easier for his brother to RISE?
For 36 hectic days after the 2000 election, most Americans were distracted by the circus in Florida. While wrangling reporters, politicians, lawyers, and judges argued about counting or not counting punch card ballots, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, George W. Bush’s brother, was orchestrating the last act of the radical Republican plan to send the eldest Bush boy to Washington.
The first act began after Jeb’s election in 1998. Jeb and his cohorts let special interests know that they expected political donations of $2 for every $1 donated to Democrats or defaulters would lose access to the governor and the legislative leadership, and their businesses would tank. As they say in lobbyist circles, “Pay to play.”
No sooner had he taken the oath of office than Jeb Bush began ferreting out and replacing Democrats throughout Florida state government, his first purge of Democratic voters.
“Top Republicans used the powers of their offices to inject partisanship and instill fear down through the ranks of the state bureaucracy.
ragnar danneskjold
December 19th, 2011
3:02 pm
Jeb would be ok. Paul Ryan would be my first choice among those not running. But practically anyone would be an upgrade over the community organizer.
UGA 1999
December 19th, 2011
3:02 pm
THE LACK……great wasnt it?
The Lack and Absence of Moral Principles by the Republicans
December 19th, 2011
3:05 pm
@Repub December 19th, 2011 2:40 pm – Lack,, let me guess. Teacher Union Dem?
*********************************
NO, teacher union Repub!
BW
December 19th, 2011
3:05 pm
Ragnar
The voters will decide that on the first Tuesday in November as they always do.
Lack
Please stop bringing up the 2000 election. It doesn’t do anything to address the 2012 election.
The Lack and Absence of Moral Principles by the Republicans
December 19th, 2011
3:06 pm
@ragnar danneskjold December 19th, 2011 3:02 pm – Jeb would be ok. Paul Ryan would be my first choice among those not running. But practically anyone would be an upgrade over the community organizer.
________________________________
Be careful what you wish for!
Stevie Ray
December 19th, 2011
3:07 pm
LACKANDABSENCE,
I’m not sure if your are seriously suggesting that cronyism and corruption are the exclusive territory of either party. There exists no shortage of evidence that our current administration is more corrupt than even Bush’s…For example, what happened to BO”s “sunshine before signing” promise or suggestion that “the days are over for lobbyists who dictate Washington agenda:? What about the cronies of BO who got 80% of GREEN funding per Stimulus?
redneckbluedog
December 19th, 2011
3:07 pm
SPEAKER PELOSI would like to thank all of the Georgia Tea Party representatives in the US House for allowing her to regain HUGE majorities in 2012….
MarkV
December 19th, 2011
3:12 pm
When someone calls other people by name, but calls the President “community organizer,” the lack of intelligence is obvious. Would he call one of the shining lights of the Republicans “the actor?”
td
December 19th, 2011
3:13 pm
BW
December 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
td
That’s not how a progressive tax system works….the example you are using is a flat tax. The progressive tax system I am referring to is one where the rates go up at different income thresholds.
I used my example to show that it is a “progressive tax system” because the more money you make then the more money you pay. The system we are currently using is not progressive but instead a redistributive system that punishes achievement, hard work and risk taking and is not a “fair” system to tax.
Stevie Ray
December 19th, 2011
3:15 pm
KYLE,
Seems to me that our entire culture is one suggesting that all of us, more obviously the permanent political class, make a living not accepting blame and utilize vast amounts of energy and cash to point out contradictions in others…
Think about JEB BUSH’s comments about letting people fail…which by the way it the best means of success…our “poor” folks live better than any “poor” folks on earth. Most having a car, cable, microwaves and housing. In many instances, our welfare system has certainly provided dis-incentive to work, maintain two parent households (or engaged separately), have more kids than one can manage etcetera…
Capitalism works just fine until too much government intervention skews the profit and loss equation which is the ultimate validation of success or failure..
myother
December 19th, 2011
3:15 pm
The fix is and was a return to the Glass Steagall act. The bailout did nothing for nobody and was only our milquetoast politicians (Reps and Dems) maintaining the status quo and retaining power. Fucntionally the Reps and Dems are only one party with only one desire and that is to maintain their power. Who cares if every election they play good cop/bad cop as long as the threat of a third party is minimized. The politicians pander, we relect them, the game continues, but there is no real change. Until a third party has enough support from the people to compete with the Reps and Dems the game will continue.
Stevie Ray
December 19th, 2011
3:16 pm
REDNECKBLUEDOG,
Do you support Pelosi and her body of work?
Shine
December 19th, 2011
3:17 pm
Jeb Bush…..another Kook. Deregulating anything is the last thing we need if the last decade has taught anything to those who are awake. And if some Kook like Romney or whoever has about 20 different corporations and ones goes belly up then the right to sue the other corps for losses needs to be addressed. And lastly being Kooks think corporations have attained personhood, one needs to be charged with murder if one kills off a poor ole corporation.
The Lack and Absence of Moral Principles by the Republicans
December 19th, 2011
3:18 pm
@BW December 19th, 2011 3:05 pm Lack – Please stop bringing up the 2000 election. It doesn’t do anything to address the 2012 election.
************************
The truth hurts does it not?
Why should we listen to a man who lacks moral and ethical principles and who would try to influence an election by any means necessary?
Stevie Ray
December 19th, 2011
3:19 pm
MYOTHER,
Wow, someone who has a clue that congress and executive branch are for many reasons the heart of the mortgage/economy disaster we are currently enduring. Until we get government reform in terms of cronyism, insider trading and landgrabs etcetera, any discussions about the economy, healthcare, environmental issues and the like are a waste of time…
td
December 19th, 2011
3:20 pm
redneckbluedog
December 19th, 2011
3:07 pm
SPEAKER PELOSI would like to thank all of the Georgia Tea Party representatives in the US House for allowing her to regain HUGE majorities in 2012….
And how do you think this is going to happen? Please show us where there will be that much turnover? Let us take Georgia for example: Georgia currently has 4 safe Democratic districts that there will not be any turnover. Georgia has 7 safe current Republican districts. There is one district (currently held by a Democrat) that there is about a 60% chance that will turn over to Republicans and then the new district we have that is a 90% chance will be filled by a Republican. This means Georgia will have a plus 1 and probably plus 2 additional Republicans sent to Congress next year.
Stevie Ray
December 19th, 2011
3:22 pm
LACK OF ABSENCE AND MORAL PRINCIPALS,
Who in the history of our electorate wouldn’t do or say anything to get elected? Can you think of any examples relative to BO? Did he say or promise anything that he hasn’t delivered simply to get a demographic of voters? Are you capable of balanced evaluation or do you suggest that one party is more corrupt that the other?
td
December 19th, 2011
3:25 pm
Shine
December 19th, 2011
3:17 pm
“And lastly being Kooks think corporations have attained personhood”
How is a union, community organization (NAACP, NRA…) any different then a corporation? Why should they be treated differently? That was the law prior to the SC decision.
The Lack and Absence of Moral Principles by the Republicans
December 19th, 2011
3:25 pm
This is the anti-bailout, anti-cronyism, anti-overregulation, anti-”do something” mantra we need to hear from the Republican alternative to Barack Obama next year.
****************************************************
WHAT this is – is BS! Coming from a man who cheated in 2000 to get his brother elected president.
WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN! AND NEVER WILL.
redneckbluedog
December 19th, 2011
3:31 pm
td
December 19th, 2011
3:20 pm
——————————
Not a fan of the former speaker, per se…..But even more against extremism at the expense of the American people…..You do know that the United States IS bigger than Georgia….You know that even the Confederacy had like 7 or 8 other states..!?!?
Phil Gingrey says that the standoff against 80% of his Republican Senate colleagues is his “Braveheart Moment”……In the words of Beavis and Butthead….Uuuuhhhh……Not exactly the same thing, maybe..!?!?
td
December 19th, 2011
3:35 pm
The Lack and Absence of Moral Principles by the Republicans
December 19th, 2011
3:25 pm
“WHAT this is – is BS! Coming from a man who cheated in 2000 to get his brother elected president.
WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN! AND NEVER WILL”
This is totally one big fat BS myth and anyone that looks at the evidence knows it.
1: Gore and the Dems cherry picked the most heavily Dem districts to recount.
2: The NY times, Washington post and Miami Herold went and spent considerable money and time to try to prove the SC placed Bush into office. The end result was that they said (these are not conservative papers) even if the vote would have continued, with the most liberal interpretation of what constitutes a vote, Bush would have still won.
You really need to quit spreading these false accusations around and face the facts that Gore lost and Bush was a legitimate President.
JKL2
December 19th, 2011
3:36 pm
the snark- “Free money for our contributors and cronies!”
No can do. obama will sue you for copyright infringement. (see “stimulus package” for details)
redneckbluedog
December 19th, 2011
3:39 pm
Most importantly, I AM 100% AGAINST BAD POLITICS…this standoff doesn’t benefit anybody…Gross…No pipeline, no tax cut….If Gingrey is sooo interested in a year extension..why is he obstructing the compromise..~?~?~
td
December 19th, 2011
3:43 pm
redneckbluedog
December 19th, 2011
3:31 pm
I just took Georgia as one example of where the Dems will not receive any gains in the house next year and will more than likely have decreases (because the new Republican seat came from a currently held Democrat in a blue state). I was asking where you are getting your data from? Even MSNBC is not showing the Dems coming close to retaking the house next year and they are showing the Republicans taking back the Senate.
Thulsa Doom
December 19th, 2011
3:44 pm
Oh boy. Kyle done did it today. He went and got the liberals all riled up by mentioning that capitalism has lifted more boats out of poverty than any other economic system. And to add insult to injury Kyle did it on a day when one of their statist heroes Kim Il Sung died.
Stevie Ray
December 19th, 2011
3:47 pm
REDNECKDOG,
You had me scared there re Pelosi for a moment.
Extreme, polarized views are a reflection of the sheepish nature of all who subscribe 100% to either party’s dogma…Do you suppose it’s to impress company one keeps or simply do to information based bias, or possibly too lazy to develop individual opinions on each issue separately???
Stevie Ray
December 19th, 2011
3:48 pm
LACKANDABSENCE,
You appear to be LACKINGFORMEANINGFULDEBATERESPONSE….
SBinF
December 19th, 2011
3:55 pm
I think I’ve had my fill of Bush administrations. Why not let someone else run for president??