Conservative Rhetoric

In a previous article, "Public Finance and Community Power Structure" at griffithlighton.blogspot.com, we discussed the function of bifurcating the power strucuture into spheres of public and private. Where the two spheres intersect is where the rhetoric resides to direct the winds of change.

We now here the conservative critique of the neo-classical, Keynesian means of facilitating the distribution phase of the business cycle (fiscal and monetary stimulus) as a futile attempt to "tax and spend our way to prosperity." This "liberal" means-to-ends, conservatives argue, is an empirically disconfirmed hypothesis.

The tax-and-spend hypothesis is empirically disconfirmed. The hypothesis is nulled by a significant history of Keynesian fiscal and monetary policy, only to lead to our current liquidity crisis of a monumental proportion.

The rhetoric ideologically plays on the bifurcation of the power structure and the bipolar ideological debate that boxes-in ideas and arguments that fuel the winds of change beyond the duopoly of false choices and a false pluralism.

A good example of properly utilizing the bifurcation of the power strucuture is the proposed cap-and-trade energy program of the Obama administration. Directing the tax revenue from this carbon tax into green energy technologies, instead of letting it all be untraceably sucked into the abyss of class-conscious rewards and inefficiencies, the "reinvestment" dimension will utilize the private sector element of the bifurcation to green the economy. Greening will be profitable with the reinvestment being directed from the public sector.

Conservatives, of course, object that the greening policy directed from the public sector disrupts the useful bifurcation of power because, instead of generating revenues to be consolidated and paid out to the upper echelons of power (operating to merely support the power and privilege of the private sector and the welfare of its power elite first), it will actually be greening (operating for the general welfare, including the power elite). Instead of a short-term capital gain for the immediate and wasteful gratification of a spoiled and greedy elite, the revenue will be reinvested for a benefit that cannot be defined as either public or private. The benefit is, rather, pragmatic change we ALL need beyond the artificial rhetorical constructs of power and politics for solutions that are purely economic with a clearly verifiable legitimacy of providing for the general welfare.

On the other hand, that the AMA will not see a reduction in their medicare payments indicates an unwillingness of the Obama administration to dispense with power politics for pragamtic solutions neither public or private.

While I understand that a more progressive tax code will be the vehicle for reinvesting in healthcare, and the doctors' income will be affected by the code (the more income, the more tax paid), the incentive will still directly exist to increase prices, and the taxes to finance it, well beyond the rate of inflation and the increased tax rate. The cost will runaway despite the progressive code to tax the higher income so that the market pressure will not be to control the costs, but to pay the doctors the highest price for the lowest quality.

While the administration is avoiding the incentive for doctors to greedily deny healthcare to medicare patients, holding healthcare hostage to their class consciousness, it needs to be clear that public health goes well beyond taxing tobacco, and who knows what else, to regressively finance their greed. Providing healthcare will be largely a function of controlling costs and assuring the highest quality through tried-and-true competitive market practices that do not solicit the greediest among us supported by regressive tax vehicles, but the most responsible to the wants a needs, the preferences, of The People in a free marketplace. It needs to be perfectly clear to the power elite, including the doctors, it is to be freedom before tyranny whether public or priavte!

What obtains outside the box of the liberal/conservative theories and practices is the real change we need. Ideas to fuel the winds of change can be found at griffithlighton.blogspot.com.