What We Ought to be Debating

This cartoon, published at The National Review On-line, represents the crux of our political dispute over the economy.

In the view of conservatives, including (maybe) Mitt Romney, the federal government slows economic growth by restricting the liberty of individuals to adapt and innovate. It also creates dis-incentives for profit, because the government taxes people when they acquire more wealth.

In the Democratic Party view, articulated by President Obama's "you didn't build that" line, government facilitates growth rather than inhibiting it. Building infrastructure, refereeing financial markets and priming the pump all must be done at the federal level, they say, because no other institution has the resources for such big jobs.

The problem is that we are not engaging in debate. Because Romney will provide us with no specific idea of how much government he would tolerate or even endorse, we can't test his assertion that Obama has strangled us.

One reason the Tea Party protester is confused about the government's "hands on Medicare" is because she has not heard any serious exchanges about what that phrase might possible mean. A "debate" in which one side refuses to engage is like the sound of one hand clapping.