A Leading Conservative Stumps for the Common Good!

Last updated on: January 10, 2012 at 2:23 pm by Tim Suttle

A Leading Conservative Stumps for the Common Good! 2012-01-10T14:23:00-07:00 Tim Suttle

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It’s an election year so nonsense is afoot no matter where you turn. But I just read a very common sense argument for the common good. And it was not at Sojourners or a lefty news outfit. It was from Fox’s Bill Kristol.

In my most recent article at the Huffington Post, I had some harsh things to say about Fox News & the right wing radio crowd. I honestly think Fox has grown to fully resemble the caricature of themselves we used to see on SNL. It used to be a joke. Now it’s all too real. When your viewers are consistently less informed than people who get all of their news from satirical news shows like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report, it’s probably time to stop calling yourself fair and balanced… I’m just saying. Why not just get a new tagline like, “News That’s Right,” or “The Conservative Perspective,” and be proud of it?

Nevertheless, I’ve always kind of like Kristol. He doesn’t froth at the mouth and although I agree with very little of his politics, he’s always seemed like a reasonable guy. Kristol had an extremely piece in The Weekly Standard. Remember Kristol is a Fox contributor and conservative/neo-con leader. He’s writing in The Weekly Standard, which is an extremely conservative publication.

In the article Kristol writes:

“Post 2008, capitalism needs its strong defenders—but its defenders need also to be its constructive critics. The Tea Party was right. What’s needed is a critique of Big Government above all, but also of Big Business and Big Finance and Big Labor (and Big Education and Big Media and all the rest)—and especially a critique of all those occasions when one or more of these institutions conspire against the common good. What’s needed is a willingness to put Main Street (at least slightly) ahead of Wall Street, and a reform agenda for capitalism that strengthens it, alongside an even more dramatic reform agenda for government that limits it.”

I seriously almost fell out of my chair. For one thing, it’s nearly word for word what I wrote in my critique of the Tea Party in the Huffington Post. The common good is under siege. For another thing, a leading conservative just made a cogent argument for the reform of capitalism and the common good… what the what?

He recommends “a reform agenda for capitalism,” and says that the critique of big government must also extend to “Big Business and Big Finance, and Big Labor… especially when one or more of these institutions conspire against the common good.” I think Kristol will have some serious trouble on his right flank (I didn’t know he had one!) – but I say, go for it William! You are making some sense.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

January 9, 2012

Monday Morning Confessional

Next Post

January 12, 2012 John Lennon, Cee Lo Green, Peter Rollins, and the End of Religion

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion corruption Donald Trump elections Empire Entertainment Ezra Klein ideology Justice Lacan politics race Sports Ta-Nehisi Coates Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 March 2026 September 2025 March 2025 June 2024 January 2024 December 2023 May 2023 February 2023 October 2022 April 2022 March 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 September 2020 July 2020 June 2020 March 2020 September 2019 July 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 August 2010 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which letter is addressed "to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jude Galatians James 2 John