[WS:] But laissez faire is a conscious policy choice, one of many possible - not some pre-established systemic harmony that philosophers like to talk about. The fact that the USG chose this policy over others means nothing more that it simply responded to the alignment of political forces. Was it FDR who said you convinced me about your policy, now make me do it?
Or to paraphrase one Margaret Thatcher - there is no such thing as capitalism, only the money grubbers and their politicians.
Wojtek
On Wed, Jun 15, 2011 at 12:33 PM, c b <cb31450 at gmail.com> wrote:
> CB: The "It's the economy" proposition implies that the American
> voters hold the President responsible for pretty much the "whole"
> economy, not just the economic conditions of a lot of people.
>
> [WS:] There is something in between the above and no control whatsoever, no?
>
> The captains of industry can pull the string the way they do only
> because the US government let's them. But it can curb that string
> pulling, if to so chooses.
>
> Wojtek
>
> ^^^^
> CB; Yes, there is something between the above and no control
> whatsoever. That inbetween is what I am proposing. Yet, that
> inbetween is not kind of half way between the above and nothing. It is
> much closer to no control at all than to total control. This is
> especially true when we speak of the President and not Congress.
> Without Congress, the President's influence is something closer to
> spitting in the wind.
>
> And yes, the US government control is like pushing on a string, or by
> its forbearance and omission, as much as by its affirmative acts. The
> government's role is to "let them alone" - laissez faire, the
> classical liberal slogan.
>
> Or it's by give the capitalists money, as to the
> military-industrial-complex or in the Wallstreet bailout or tax breaks
> for GE. The affirmative acts of the President and Congress, Governors
> and Mayors are mainly government welfare to the private sector ,
> private sector "Keynesianism".
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