The Soviet Union had an ideology that the nations leaders atleast supported symbolically. The problem with that kind of ideology was that it was an utter and evidendical failure in the end. Colonialism was an Ideology with an aim that on the paper looked good. To civilize nations and expand the rule of law, that view somewhat imploded with time. The republicans have an Ideology mostly based on a writer who wrote quite good fiction but never to my knowledge read economics. Ayn Rand gave a fictional world much in the same way as Tolkien. That does not mean a political party should raise fictional writing to the level of Ideological thinking. We have much to many philosophers that actually wrote about reality that can be elevated to ideological icons. Adam Smith for one, he is widely known for beeing the inventor of capitalism. He also wrote another less well known book on the morals of capitalism, which basically states that capitalism let fully loose will erode the morality of the free market and in the end destroy itself. So the first proponent of capitalism was also the first proponent of controlling the same. For its own survivial.
After that there is Jeffersson, Washington and Hamilton who all saw the prosperity free markets can give but at the same time saw the dangers that they pose. Hamilton beeing the first to take a serious practical step in this direction denying any state to become part of the United States without accepting to take on all responsibilities that followed, no exceptions, no barter and no room for negotily ating. Join and accept the rules or dont join. A reason why Texas stayed out for so long but under attack from superior Mexican forces decided that joining would be a good idea. From there some defunct economic theories erupted, Malthaus beeing prominent there. An idea of functional Ideologies was created. Socialism do work, contries who took that path are still among the richest nations in the world with low unemployment and a high degree of state intervention. Free market focus also works where a limited goverment provides basic needs which is prooven in the United States.
Two Ideologies that has prooven themself not working is full state controll and full market controll. It dosnt matter how many time a person reads Atlas Shrugged or Das Kapital. None of them will ever work. They are fairy tales as much as Tolkiens books.
Goverment will in the modern economy always have a role, it can be less or it can be more. As President Reagan discovered shorty after stating "goverment is not the solution to our problems, goverment is our problem" and then expanding goverment more than any president since FDR during WWII, Practical and Ideal Ideology is separate. If goverment had shut down in 2008 refusing to aid banks 10 % inflation would have been a dream level. In the great depression a goverment shutdown is what was seen and unemployment peaked at 30 %.
Ideology is a luxury few can afford. If the republicans stick to there ill thaught out Ideology and starve the beast, who will in the next recession stimulate the economy? who wil save the financial system? who will look out for the nation? President Obama is far from beeing socialist. If he wants to see how socialist countries work the Nordic countries are good examples, 45 - 50 % taxation of GDP. Still we got Norway as the richest country in the world, Sweden producing multinationals as Ericsson, ABB, SCA, Boliden, Volvo and others, Finland with the dented flagship Nokia and Denmark with the highest unemployment Insurance level in the world with the lowest unemployment in the EU.
The United States set its course and it has been a great succes. Microsoft, Apple, Intel and others. And it should stay its course. But even as american greatness is buildt on ability to succed it is also buildt on ability to help. America holds the flag in best higher education in the world in all areas today. But if you look at the age of thoose most prominent as in reciving the Nobel Prize thoose outside the United States have gone from a median age of 57 in 1980 to 51 in 2008. While prizetakers from america has gone from 50 in 1980 to 71 in 2008. If that is an indication there are hardships ahed. I belive in americas greatness, but I have lost belief in its will to maintain it. The GOP is chasing something never attainable. A taxless country where the best and brightest by some magical means still succed. It has never happened in history, it is not happening in present time and likely it will never happen in the future. GOP winning will short term benefit some but long term hit all. Money is not what it used to be, brains is what matters so even a dollar billionaire could have problems getting a Visa. To go a long time back in time, after the french revolution alot of very affluent aristocrats where sent back to France because they possesed no usefull skills for countries they fled to.
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