I begin with a disclosure.
The Wall Street Journal piece we will examine was penned by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)’s Iain Murray. CEI is a fine organization. And I consider a great many of their people to be friends – including Murray.
But Murray really misses the mark with Tuesday’s “Free-Marketeers Have Taken Social Conservatives for Granted.”
And let us please take a moment to note:
In this piece, the Venn diagram of Social Conservatives and Donald Trump supporters – is a nigh perfect overlay.
Murray fundamentally misunderstands Social Conservatives – in almost exactly the same way the Never Trump Right misunderstands Trump supporters.
It’s why the Never Trump Right (and many others) has spent the Era of Trump wondering how Social Conservatives can possibly support the serially-marrying-and-philandering Trump.
As you read on, when you read “Social Conservatives” – you can mentally add “and Trump supporters.”
Actually, Murray’s title is semi-accurate. The Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent has indeed taken Social Conservatives for granted.
But the title’s unspoken, incorrect assumption is Social Conservatives – aren’t also free-marketeers. Many if not most…are.
The subtitle really begins to reveal the inaccuracies:
“Capitalists need to make the case that prosperity is crucial for protecting tradition and security.”
Again, most social conservatives already understand and agree with this.
What Social Conservatives have witnessed for the last half century-plus – is the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent fail to protect the free market – AND tradition and security.
DC is a two-party collusive cabal. Democrats and Republicans put on Partisan Theater – squawking at each other on TV and in print. But it is all for show.
All the while, Ds and Rs have been working together to empower and enrich themselves and their cronies – at the expense of the nation.
DC gets bigger and bigger. And regulates more and more. And spends more and more. Because the bigger DC is – the more power and money the DC cabal has.
All the while, America has grown poorer and poorer.
The Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent – failed miserably in their many attempts to stop any of this.
Meanwhile, DC has left our nation’s borders wide open to a mass Third World invasion. Because Democrats want Third World votes – and Republicans want Third World cheap labor for their donors.
And the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent – has been the right-of-center head cheerleader for this insanity.
Stop right there.
Murray acknowledges social conservatives want to protect tradition and security. Mass Third World immigration – completely destroys both.
Social Conservatives do not oppose mass Third World immigration – because of anything having to do with race.
Social Conservatives oppose mass Third World immigration – because they have witnessed a half century-plus of it…and it has eviscerated our nation’s tradition and security.
We have idiotic sanctuary cities and states.
Which much more closely resemble the Third World they’ve imported than they do the US.
Which refuse to work with law enforcement – and release illegal alien gang member murderers and rapists back into our disintegrating society.
Mass importing Third World Worlders – has obscenely overcrowded the likes of our nation’s classrooms and emergency rooms.
Teachers spend most of their time working with students who do not speak English – at the expense of everyone else.
Americans wait endless hours to see health care providers – because there simply aren’t enough health care providers to handle the overload.
And the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent – has long championed open borders. Which would turn America – into a sanctuary nation. And this tradition-and-security insanity – would occur EVERYWHERE.
I can’t imagine why Social Conservatives have tuned out the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent.
Mass Third World immigration – is awful American economic policy too. Because America is a nation – with an economy. Not an economy – with a nation.
Americans elect American officials – to do what’s best for America and Americans. Crazy, I know.
Mass importing Third Worlders – takes jobs from and drives down wages for Americans.
Mass importing Third Worlders – drives up the likes of housing and health care costs for Americans.
Mass importing Third Worlders – costs us tens of billions of dollars per annum (and probably much more) in government money. In welfare, health care and education money spent on the invaders.
Americans are taxed more and more and more – to pay for all of this. They are taxed more and more and more – on fewer jobs and lower wages, and while paying higher housing and health care costs.
I can’t imagine why Social Conservatives have tuned out the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent.
Murray only mention’s Trump once:
“While President Trump’s antipathy to free trade was well-known, his and other conservatives’ sudden embrace of aggressive antitrust actions was more surprising. Now self-described ‘national conservative’ thinkers are pushing industrial policy—government planning that meddles with economic decision-making to promote favored industries or social outcomes.”
This is just…so much wrong. In the interest of verbiage conservation – we’ll only address the free trade wrongness.
Trump doesn’t have “antipathy to free trade.” He’s just about the only guy in DC actually trying to achieve it.
Trump has rightly highlighted the incredibly awful, one-sided, anti-US trade deals DC has spent decades cutting – and the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent has been applauding.
The US engages in free trade. The rest of the planet – absolutely does not.
Nigh every other nation tariffs the daylight out of our stuff. Nigh every nation severely limits the import of our stuff. Nigh every other nation subsidizes their stuff – thereby rendering it artificially cheaper on the global market.
This isn’t free trade. This is FAKE tree trade.
Social Conservatives work on farms. And on assembly lines. And in mines. And on oil rigs.
They’re the ones whose jobs are outsourced, whose wages are crushed, whose towns are hollowed out – by DCs fake free trade.
Because DCs fake free trade makes making anything in the US less attractive than…anywhere else on the planet.
And now the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent is defending this obscenely awful DC status quo – against Trump trying to even things out.
I can’t imagine why Social Conservatives have tuned out the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent.
One last thought….
We’ve noted the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent’s pronounced, prolonged inability to effect any positive change.
Trump has already delivered a ton.
The best US economy in decades. The lowest unemployment in decades – including the lowest Black and Hispanic unemployment ever. Great Wall Street growth.
And great consumer confidence and spending. In large part because for the first time in half a century-plus – wages are actually, substantially increasing.
How and why are wages finally increasing?
Because Trump is deporting competitors to Americans for jobs and wages.
And because Trump is – amongst other helpful things – imposing tariffs on trade cheats. Thereby making America exponentially more attractive to job creators – who are returning to our shores in growing numbers.
Two things to which the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent are vociferously opposed.
I can’t imagine why Social Conservatives have tuned out the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent.
Trump just this week achieved yet another Social Conservative win – by delivering yet another economic policy win.
Trump banned federally funded clinics from giving abortion referrals. Which caused the nation’s largest abortion mill – Planned Parenthood – to refuse the federal funding.
Boom. Something very simple the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent could have very easily delivered at any point for years and years – but never, ever did. (Where were you on this, George W. Bush Administration?)
Trump is time and again delivering on Social Conservative priorities – on economic, traditional and security grounds.
The Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent – never, ever has.
And is now actively working against – the policies that are benefiting Social Conservatives.
I can’t imagine why Social Conservatives have tuned out the Free-Market-Uber-Alles Contingent.
This first appeared in Red State.