Burkeans v Anti-Burkeans

Burkeans v Anti-Burkeans infographic.pdf

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What it means to be a Burkean

What does it mean to be a Burkean? It means to be based on the four Burkean Touchstones, politically and economically astute to the ways of the world. 

But what does it mean in practice? For starters, it means to recoil from today's pervasive anti-Burkean hubbub.  That’s for starters, where we find ourselves day in and day out.

Indeed, the 2020s have been a veritable Groundhog Day of anti-Burkean hubbub, such as from the anti-carbon crazies. Fortunately, it's a great time to be a Burkean, especially with the very Burkean Donald J. Trump due to become our next President.

Let’s now explore ten ways Burkeans differ from anti-Burkeans. 

10 Ways Burkeans differ from Anti-Burkeans

1. Private Property

Burkeans Value Private Property

Anti-Burkeans Devalue Private Property

See eCon 103 — Economic Systems on the Control Axis to visualize this.

2. Controlling Environment

Burkeans Favor Markets

Anti-Burkeans Favor Government

Neither is entirely wrong, though Burkeans are more right.

3. Economic Control

Burkeans Prefer the invisible hand

Anti-Burkeans Depend on visible control

Anti-Burkeans have a fear of flying. Burkeans don't fear the invisible.

4. Economic Worldview

Burkeans Desire opportunity, as unfettered as possible

Anti-Burkeans Look for economic evil, find it, get mad

Burkeans complain of being held back. Anti-Burkeans complain of being held down.

5. Humanity Worldview

Burkeans See individuals, inside societal structures.

Anti-Burkeans See classes, full of victims & oppressors.

Burkeans see people in whole. Anti-Burkeans see profiles and personas.

6. Pie Perception

Burkeans Growing Pie

Anti-Burkeans Fixed Pie

Anti-Burkeans think there’s a fixed amount of money in the world, locked up.

Burkeans know the pie has multiplied many times over, and will do so again.

7. Pie Fight

Burkeans Demand freedom to grow

Anti-Burkeans Fight over slice sizing

If the pie never grows, then the most important thing is to divvy it up & get yours.

A growing pie boosts the commonwealth & creates personal wealth opportunities.

8. Present Outlook

Burkeans Best time to be alive

Anti-Burkeans We’re doomed

Anti-Burkeans live under a cloud of doom, sick with worry about the climate, wealth gaps, GMOs, & certain wars, ad absurdum.

Burkeans recognize that America’s Burkean values led the world into a centuries-long growth of freedom and prosperity.

9. Control Preference

Burkeans Decentralized Control Moderate dCon is best. It yields #More4More. Burkeans rest power with individuals, consistent with the natural and God-given rights guaranteed to Americans in our founding documents.

Anti-Burkeans Centralized Control cCons mask their true nature behind the very successful Progressives brand, popularized by media stars everywhere. They favor Centralized Control, an organizing structure abhorred in virtually every progressive realm.

10. Peak Perspective

Burkeans Scarcity is price bound. Raise the price and ingenuity follows, after which breakthroughs make the impossible possible, and then affordable.

Anti-Burkeans We’ve peaked. Or, our natural resources have peaked.

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This post reprises and updates my 2014 post on this topic. The updates are minimal. The original held up well.