The Unherd reprinted an article by J.D. Vance yesterday that was originally published there in 2019. The basic message is that conservatives should break with free-market liberals. Of course, the state shouldn’t interfere in people’s lives when it doesn’t have to. Of course it’s good to respect market rules. But if the market determines that neuroscientists make more money working for social networking sites than curing diseases, that is unacceptable and the state must step in. It is nonsensical to tell parents that their children should not spend time on their mobile phones while tolerating someone selling things made to create addiction.
We have forgotten that once upon a time, conservatives and market liberals stood politically opposed to each other. It was not until the 1970s that an alliance was forged between them, of which Ronald Reagan became the most visible representative. But that is over. There will certainly continue to be currents that link conservative values with free market ideals, but they will play a marginal role in the political debate. They may be able to criticize the current form of government in a strong and articulate way, but they will not be able to contribute to the search for solutions.
Indeed, Vance himself makes this quite clear in the article mentioned above. “Conservatives face the question of what to prefer. The public good or commerce.” With the implication that the public good must be given priority and that the state is there to ensure it.
Try to imagine someone in 1995 demanding that the state protect the public good against the market. Unthinkable. But that time is over. That the market wants something is no longer an argument.