The CATO Institute defines the ownership society as follows:
An ownership society values responsibility, liberty and property. Individuals are empowered by freeing them from dependence on government handouts and making them owners instead, in control of their own lives and destinies. In the ownership society, patients control their own health care, parents control their own children’s education, and workers control their retirement savings.
From this definition and from the many Bush pronouncements I have heard on the subject, I believe the ownership society is based on 3 principles:
- Everything is judged by money
- Dog-eat-dog competition is good
- Owners have and deserve to have power
All of this can be summarized with one statement:
Ownership society means that you're on your own.
Take a look at how the idea of an ownership society colors the Republican view of Social Security. When Social Security was first proposed way back in FDR's time, Republicans were dead set against it. Since then they have been knocking it every chance they get. Why? Because Social Security is a collective affair. All sorts of people contribute into a fund so that those who survive the longest may live in dignity. There is an element of cooperation here. And Republicans are offended. They think each person should stand on his or her own 2 feet. They want private individual investment accounts. They insist:
You're on your own.
When President Bill Clinton proposed a healthcare system that would cover many who were not covered the Republicans revolted en masse. It called the system "socialism" and defeated it. Now they have their plan which stresses private health accounts. You do the investing yourself and you receive - own - the resultant healthcare. If you haven't got much to invest or if your investments don't pan out, too bad.
You're on your own.
Republicans do not like business regulation. Regulation keeps business honest and serves the needs of consumers. Republicans do not see it this way. They say it deprives business of "freedom." To give these owners their "freedom" to foul the air and harm their consumers, Republicans want deregulation. What about you, the consumer?
You're on your own.
A specific case that Bush has latched onto in this battle between business and consumers, is what he calls tort reform. He wants to rein in trial lawyers who help consumers sue businesses because they have been made sick or have been harmed in other ways. He calls these suits "frivolous" and wants Congress to reduce such suits. Here again, his philosophy comes through. He wants to help the owners, especially the big ones. After all, owners are blessed people - or they would not be such big owners. These trial lawyers are trying to help people who are non-owners. This can't go on. Each citizen needs to be told:
You're on your own.
Bush approach to taxes makes his philosophy even clearer. Almost every year since being in office, Bush has proposed a tax cut, most of which favor rich owners. Recently he formed a task force to see how to reform the tax system. He calls it "reform," but what he wants to do is get rid of taxes on investments - by owners, of course - and place the burden of taxation on workers. Many workers, after all, are not owners. And Bush wants to tell them loud and clear:
You're on your own.
Bush's approach to the environment follows the same pattern. He was against the Kyoto Protocol and did nothing in its stead. All his environmental rules favor business as opposed to a clean environment. He has proposed a "Blue Skies" initiative, which presents "blue skies" to owners of big businesses, but "grey skies" or even "black skies" to non-owners who live near poison-belching plants. You may think it's not fair to be stuck in health-destroying environments. Too bad.
You're on your own.
An ownership society is a society with miserable members. In fact, we should not call them members. Each is pursuing his own goals in complete disregard for everyone else. Each is unhappy with the number of things he owns and wants to "shop until he drops" so he could be a bigger owner. To do this he must be a ferocious dog in a dog-eat-dog world in order to make more money. Money is power.
A society where each person pursues his own selfish interests without regard to the common good, or where there is no such terms as the "common good," is not a society. A wholesome society needs people who work for the "common good," try to build communities and try to be helpful to each other.
An ownership society is not a decent society. In a decent society, you are part of a broader community.
You're NOT on your own.
