Right-wing authoritarian Republican politicians, like Paul Ryan, believe that the individual is solely responsible for their success or failure. Their moral righteousness is based on one’s self-discipline and ability to plan for every contingency. That leaves the 99% to fend for themselves regardless of circumstances beyond individual control, like anyone who abuses their individually, self-regulated, power over others. This leads to a government that ignores all citizens except the financially successful.
They also believe that unfettered capitalism is the best tool for their “self-made man” to achieve success.
All this leads to the privatization of all government programs like free public education, non-profit public utilities, socially/citizen financed Social Security, and socially/citizen financed Medicare, all of which protect and empower the 99%. Privatization shifts government priorities to protecting and empowering the 1% and that’s morally wrong as are the greedy right-wing beliefs.
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To highlight the two different views on government, here are two definitions. There are two parts to each: Government Purpose and Citizen Participation. These definitions are independent of the economic system used, but address the control/freedom of that economic system.
Progressive government:
A Government of, by, and for the people requires:
– A government with the moral purpose to equally protect and empower all the people such that their individual freedoms are maximized and such that economic, social, racial, and environmental injustices are minimized, and
– The active participation of a majority of the people to maintain such a government.
Conservative government:
A Government of, by, and for the successful requires:
– A government with the purpose to protect and empower only the successful such that their individual freedom and wealth are maximized, and
– The active participation of only the successful to maintain such a government.
Andy Hailey