BUSH MAY WEAKEN GOP; HIS `COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM' MERELY LIBERALISM IN DISGUISE.Byline: Andrew Bernstein
Andrew Bernstein (born 29 June 1949) is an Objectivist philosopher and professor of philosophy at Marist College. GEORGE W. Bush, who is ``exploring'' a bid for president in Iowa and New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). , is viewed widely by Republicans as the person who will save their party and lead it back to the White House. But will he? Or will Bush and his supporters actually undermine the future of the Republican Party - and of economic freedom? Bush advocates an ideology he calls compassionate conservatism  The of this article or section may be compromised by "weasel words".You can help Wikipedia by removing weasel words. . This appeasing term was coined by Bush as a feeble attempt to deflect criticism of the GOP for favoring less government. It is a reprise re·prise n. 1. Music a. A repetition of a phrase or verse. b. A return to an original theme. 2. A recurrence or resumption of an action. tr.v. of the theme of his father, whose notion of how to fight the liberalism of his Democratic opponent in 1988 was to declare that the Republicans' goal was not individualism and capitalism, but a ``kinder and gentler nation.'' Following in his father's timid footsteps, Bush seeks to avoid appearing overly wedded to capitalism by declaring himself a champion of compassion. His motive, as described by an Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. report, is ``to maintain core GOP values without turning away moderate Republican and Democratic voters.'' But what are those ``core values''? In 1994, the Republicans stood, at least nominally, for a free market. Their ``Contract with America'' was an attempt to reduce government's role in our lives. At that time, the GOP leadership spoke of privatizing Social Security, of making significant tax cuts and of initiating school voucher A school voucher, also called an education voucher, is a certificate by which parents are given the ability to pay for the education of their children at a school of their choice, rather than the public school (UK state school) to which they were assigned. programs. These examples are united by a principle: the right of an individual to spend his money as he sees fit. Because of their commitment to less government control and more freedom, the Republicans won major victories at the polls in 1994. But they soon abandoned this principle. When the Democrats launched a moral counterattack Attacking an attacker. Even though a criminal hacker or other agent is attempting to penetrate a security perimeter or damage systems, the counterattack must not violate applicable laws. , accusing their foes of ``mean-spiritedness'' and of victimizing the poor, the Republicans quickly retreated. Rather than upholding an individual's moral right to his own wealth - rather than arguing that someone's poverty does not justify sacrificing another's prosperity - the Republicans launched a hand-wringing capitulation CAPITULATION, war. The treaty which determines the conditions under which a fortified place is abandoned to the commanding officer of the army which besieges it. 2. to the proponents of the welfare state. ``We don't really want to cut social welfare programs,'' they stated contritely con·trite adj. 1. Feeling regret and sorrow for one's sins or offenses; penitent. 2. Arising from or expressing contrition: contrite words. . ``We merely wish to reduce fraud and waste.'' Bush and fellow Republicans have now accepted the moral premise of the Democrats: that you have an unchosen obligation to support anyone whose needs are greater than your own. The ``compassionate'' Republicans - there is now even something called Center for Effective Compassion - are scrambling to show how generous they can be in giving away the wealth that you have produced. The respective ``core values'' of the two parties are becoming indistinguishable. The Republicans may prefer that your money be spent on the state rather than the federal level. They may prefer redistributing your money to promote religious, rather than secular, schools; or to promote ``family values family values pl.n. The moral and social values traditionally maintained and affirmed within a family. ,'' rather than condom giveaways. But, at root, compassionate conservatism is simply liberalism with a different name. What has happened to an individual's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of his own happiness? Freedom requires the individual's sovereign right to pursue his own goals and to refuse to be a servant to the needs of society. But the Republicans are moving further and further from such ideals. They not only are refusing to oppose the Democrats' efforts to expand the role of government but are actively joining that campaign. Compassionate conservatism is, in essence, nothing more than the theory - and the practice - of the welfare state. If what the conservatives want to conserve is the capitalist system, how can redistribution programs be the means? Bush and the Republican exponents of this compassionate conservatism are frightened appeasers, scurrying scur·ry intr.v. scur·ried, scur·ry·ing, scur·ries 1. To go with light running steps; scamper. 2. To flurry or swirl about. n. pl. scur·ries 1. The act of scurrying. to avoid being labeled heartless for supporting capitalism and freedom. But where is the compassion for those who have to pay for all these handouts? Where is the concern for the productive individual whose taxes are financing the Republicans' compassion? Where is the concern for justice - for defending the rights of those who have earned the wealth, rather than subordinating them to the needs of those who haven't? What once distinguished Republicans was their commitment to limited government. The politics of ``compassion,'' however, is the politics of liberalism and statism stat·ism n. The practice or doctrine of giving a centralized government control over economic planning and policy. stat  ist adj. . If Republicans want to secure both
their future and the future of freedom in America, they must learn to
stop being afraid to take a firm stand for capitalism and individual
rights.
CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Texas Gov. George W. Bush talks about his parents during a luncheon Thursday. Associated Press |
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