The Conservative Nanny State Pt. 1

This is Dean Baker discussing his book The Conservative Nanny State. This talk was given at Taylor Books in Charleston, West Virginia in August 2007. Part 1

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News & Politics

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• Conservative Nanny State
• Dean
• Baker
• progressive
• talk

[ord1711]

Dean Baker is terrific--check his blog at The American Prospect, called 'Beat the Press.'

[gealwhi]

Absolute statements, like carcabe has made here, are the ramblings of a fool. I know from experience, having been that fool in the past. So I have much in common with carcabe, and thankfully, much differs. This economy does not exist without a prosperous middle class. Indeed this country will not long exist if the rich are left to their own devices, unchecked. They must be governed into balance because, as they have shown us, their greed knows no bounds. Plus they can afford it.

[boing3887]

@metzger90

Political scientists, anthropologists, and sociologists often talk about the roles that "subjective meaning" and non-rational behavior and thinking play in the economy, but I doubt that what they have found will support your views. You need to take an economic history course to find how market capitalism actually developed in the past, and you also need to take a class in economic theory because your models of how the economy works seems a bit simplistic

[boing3887]

@metzger90

I don't know what you mean by capitalism being about "subjective value" - if you're saying that's what economics claims, then that's wrong. Capitalism according to economics is supposed to be about rational action of OBJECTIVE value - if you start bringing in subjective value then you start bringing in cultural norms, religious values, social moral codes, etc.

[boing3887]

@metzger90

"Governments cannot create markets." Wrong - the govt. WAS the market for computers and internet for those technologies' early few decades of existence. "capitalism is a natural system." there is no one capitalism - there are many capitalisms. Chinese capitalism is a type of capitalism, and guess what, it features lots of elements of public planning. Also, capitalist institutions are not "natural" but are constructed both through intentional and unintentional action.

[metzger90]

@boing3887 No just society. Governments can not create markets. Capitalism is a natural system. You give away something you value at 1 to someone else. That same person gives you something they value at 1. What you received you value at 2, and the same with them. That is the basis of capitalism, subjective value. All capitalist transactions are win-win because if they were not you wouldn't participate in them.

[metzger90]

@Freedomwarrior123 No, Fascism is not a right-wing political philosophy. The "right" wing stands for freedom and the separation between government and the individual. All fascism and Nazism are is socialism with private property. If you look deeply into those systems you find they are simply privately owned businesses producing only what they are told to produce and sell it for only what they are told to sell it for. Libertarianism is a right wing philosophy, vote for voluntaryism.

[metzger90]

@gealwhi So the greed of politicians (who force you to part with your money at the barrel of a gun) is preferable to the greed of businessmen (who can only convince you to give them your money? The government is the problem, not business.

[superwrench4]

Did this asshole GIVE the books away?

[metalreign81]

In the first place nobody is forced onto SSI

If he doesn't want it get off of it and get a fucking job------good luck

If he was making twice as much that working then that means he was making 1200$ a month---thats still well below the poverty line----was that his big "Career Move" a move to "McDonalds"

You can collect SSI and still work--many people work part time jobs that are on SSI

also he should look into low income housing---but oh wait the GOP destroyed that ----sorry Kyle

[Freedomwarrior123]

@mainestategop

if a liberal worship stalin THAT mean he is a STALINIST and no longer a Liberal.

[mainestategop]

@Freedomwarrior123 My Error? I know Im not perfect I just said so below.

And most liberals I know worship stalin.