Well or the like. There seems to be the guide-line. I know better what is good for you. How does it come? If someone talks to me, I state my opinion clearly. he/she can agree with it or not. That's fine for me.
But the current state of affair is. I live my life and even if my decions turned out to be right, the politicians come along and turn that into pieces. It was not me who piled debt after debt upon me. In fact I'm without any debt. Now what happens my Bundeskanzlerin, gets along and forces me to throw out my tax money. And what's there unbearable excuse? "We have no choice". If someone does not have a choice it's me or everyone who does not want to sink further money.
But who's the wretch?
Why don't liberalism gets an edge over anything else in the developed countries for at least the last 40 years. Or is there any country with high liberal standards?
Despite all the doings from right and left, the liberals keep the whole stuff running. Tell me how strong are liberals to bear such masses of free-riders?
You must be a fellow European (German? Austrian?). In the US and Canada the term liberal refers to what is in effect a social democrat. Even in Europe the word is becoming blurrier.
Freedom of markets is positively correlated with the degree of evolution in any society...
liberalism has the motivation of a high standard of living. this is uncompetitive with social movements that focus on aggressive expansion.
P.S. it's quite sad that classical liberalism has had its own name stolen from it and used to justify policies that are the opposite of liberal. but doublespeak is a necessity of socialism.
There are a lot of reasons for this:
The public is fed misinformation from the beginning, like history class where we are told that the Great Depression was the fault of excessive speculation and people like FDR saved America or like in Germany, were we are told that because Chancellor Brüning cut spending and only embarked on a limited public works program (instead of going on a spending spree) he facilitated the rise of the Nazis.
This doesn't end there however. Then you have got a class of professional intellectuals who shape public opinion (or at least try it) by conducting studies and then recommending where the grip of the state should be tightend. Of course that implies giving themselves some nice jobs and power.
Then you've go a whole chorus of people who would lose their special privilegies depend upon the state, from the chambers of commerce (you are a freelancer so you should know the guys from the IHK) to apothecaries.And don't forget those directly employed by the state etc pp
All these people would have something to lose if classical liberalism would have a comeback.
May be but liberalism means. "Let people do it the way their way and do not "pretend" you know better for anyone else" At least this is liberalism as I understand it.
But because of this is think I can understand the Krugman book "thoughs of a liberal or so" in which I could not see any liberalism at all.
Regards
Friedrich
This is wha annoys me the most. In Germany neoliberalism is meant mostly negative. So anything it positive in which a "strong" governement guids and decides. It sucks so badly.....
Of course you won't find any liberalism in Krugman's book because as Jon Irenicus pointed out "liberal" means something very diffent for Americans where it is nearly equivalent to social democracy.
Also real neoliberalism won't get much love here either but for very diffferent reasons than the anti-capitalist BS most people spew when they talk about "neoliberalism". Of course nowadays even suggesting that something would work without massive goverment intervention/ oversight is "market fundamentalism" or "neoliberalism".
But I agree that it sucks to be a classical liberal/libertarian living in Germany at the moment.
Neoliberalism is, in fact, social democracy. Albeit a kind of corporate welfare social democracy.
Friedrich Dominicus:Why don't liberalism gets an edge over anything else in the developed countries for at least the last 40 years.
Sphairon: Neoliberalism is, in fact, social democracy. Albeit a kind of corporate welfare social democracy.
In short, plutocracy?
Powdered Toast Man: But I agree that it sucks to be a classical liberal/libertarian living in Germany at the moment.
Marko: What about FDP, how Liberal are they?
What about FDP, how Liberal are they?
They are in fact the most liberal party here. But they still advocate governement interventions for free markets. They were also part of the "rulers" a few years or so ago, but they have always been the minority. So it's difficult to tell how liberal they are but I would think without them we would have been a lot worse. However they got only around 5-10 % of the votes. I hope it'll be better next year.
I hope I could give you a small impression about that party.