t’s survival of the fittest. Every man is responsible for himself. This, of course, contradicts the liberal side, which looked to distribute wealth. Republicans believe that order is a necessity for freedom to be obtained. Lassez Faire Capitalism is yet another strong outlook of the Conservatives. This concept revolves around a “hands off” society that would develop through strength and competition. Such a competitive and individualistic lifestyle is ideal to Republicans. It allows them to generate as much wealth as possible, and sets up a free market for them to thrive on. Political Theorist Alan Brinkley gives a detailed account of the importance of both liberty and community. Liberty is crucial for obvious reasons of course. Mainly to provide America with rights that are needed in order to achieve true freedom. Yet Brinkley points out that freedom can not be accomplished without first obtaining a community. He states that “Liberty has no meaning except in a social context; rights cannot be sustained unless there is civic life healthy enough to create a shared commitment to them (p.93)”. This basically tells us that Brinkley sides with the liberal point of view in that community is needed in order for liberty to come into effect. Brinkley also proceeds to point out that community is needed beyond the local level. National Community is the “basis of our most powerful political traditions (p.95)”. It is the foundation that was used to conceive a form of government that would assure the rights of the individual. Such community secured liberty and created a genuine nation. When putting all of these ideas into spectrum, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are disadvantages to each side. Individualism can be objectionable. It tends to create selfish and shallow people because of the importance that generated wealth holds for them. Communitarians, on the other hand, have their negative effec...
