Critique of Individualism and Materialism in Policy

Key Insight

Washington, D.C.'s policy-making sphere, dominated by think tanks, often fosters an emotionally avoidant environment where credentials derive from analytic rigor, and pleasure is a low priority. Individuals, referred to as 'policy johnnies,' navigate status rivalries (e.g., law-school vs. B-school grads) while experiencing 'Sublimated Liquidity Rage'—anger from upper-middle-class Americans spending 60 percent of disposable income on private school tuition, leading to unacknowledged self-pity. This emotional detachment is exemplified by a senator whose career faltered due to 'rank-link imbalance,' having built only vertical relationships, neglecting peer bonds, which resulted in loneliness and scandalous behavior.

This policy world shares an individualistic worldview, perceiving society as a contract among autonomous individuals and favoring policies that expand individual choice. Conservatives champion market individualism, advocating for economic freedoms like lower taxes, privatized Social Security, and school vouchers. Liberals embrace moral individualism, prioritizing social freedoms such as choices regarding marriage, family structure, abortion, and euthanasia. Both approaches, having driven successful political movements in the 1960s and 1980s, consistently emphasize autonomy and personal freedom, neglecting social obligations and communal bonds.

Additionally, a shared materialistic mindset leads both liberals and conservatives to seek economic explanations and monetary solutions for social problems, overlooking character, culture, and morality. This approach fundamentally misinterprets Adam Smith, valuing 'The Wealth of Nations' (economic activity) while ignoring 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments' (sympathy and desire for esteem), which Smith considered foundational. Consequently, policy discussions prioritize quantifiable factors like 'guns and banks' issues, granting high status to topics of war and finance, while matters like family policy and community relationships are marginalized, demonstrating a mechanistic thinking that disregards crucial emotional and social dimensions.