Journalist David Brooks About Face

New York Times conservative writer David Brooks is the latest to see the light why the republican party in general and conservatives in particular are out of favor with the American people and also out of touch.  He recently wrote a column titled, "Order vs. Freedom" to explain how and where the republican party lost its way.  Keep in mind this is the same David Brooks who has supported the conservative republican agenda in the past and backed George Bush's policies all the way for the last 8 years.

 

Brooks speaks about Obama running up the debt and intervenes rashly in sector after sector.  Yet he fails to mention the record debt run up by George Bush, his father and Ronald Reagan and was silent the years they did so.  Their record debt is one of the major causes of what the country and its people are dealing with today.

 

In his article, Brooks uses John Wayne and director John Ford in his fairytale.  He speaks about two theories of civic order and that shows he is out of touch with reality by explaining a "liberal theory" vs. a "conservative theory."  Brooks is still caught up in brand names and can not bring himself to the conclusion that what is needed and what was provided the American people in November was a choice for an American solution and theory.

 

The democratic party can rightly be called the American party because it represents American ideals while the republican party represents the elite.  The democratic party has its own built in checks and balances because they don't unite behind a single leader and rubber stamp their own party's proposals.  You don't see the party issuing talking points and then repeat them over and over again.  Mr. Brooks and the conservatives now find themselves in a flip-flop mode.

 

America needs a good two party system and maybe a good independent system.  The best thing the republican party can do is drop the word conservatism from its vocabulary.  Their leaders don't even understand what the word conservatism means.  The liberal label conservatives like to pin on democrats don't stick because the people can see the democratic party does not govern by ideology.  There are those that will never get it, David Brooks for one. 

United States Antitrust Policies

The Obama administration announced on May 11 that the U.S. Government is tightening its policies and will move against big firms that hurt smaller firms and competitors.  A lax of enforcement by the Bush administration was cited as a contributor to the current economic troubles.

 

Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said the Justice Department is abandoning legal guidelines established by the Bush administration that made it difficult to pursue antitrust cases against big firms.  Varney said there was a high cost to standing aside and the government has to change course with a new tack.  The new rules will return to the antitrust policies of the Clinton administration.

 

The lack of antitrust enforcement has once again proved that corporate America can not be trusted to do the right thing on their own.  That has been talked about in politidose for a long time,  Giant firms buying up their competitors have never resulted in lower prices or better products for the consumers.  In fact just the opposite takes place.

 

A fair enforcement of the antitrust laws and using that avenue to protect the consumer and smaller businesses is long overdue.  We know because of the present economic meltdown what big business power can do when in the hands of the most wealthy.  They have a free hand to do as they wish with out checks and balances.

 

This antitrust decision is good news for the consumer.  Now the government has to follow through on its promise.