NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.smh.com.au/pdf/ruddbrutopia.pdf
For anyone who doesn't know, Kevin Rudd is the Leader of the Opposition Labor Party in Australia, who is tipped by many to be PM later this year.
Anyways, considering this essay, do you think Rudd is correct, does unrestrained free-market liberalism destroy all notions of community in the blind race to profit?
Also another point I would like to ask is this, I have heard the argument which is hinted here that the only difference between the 'old' communitarian conservatives and the 'new' socialists is that conservatives are somewhat more nostalgic about the old social institutions (family, community and religion) while socialists seek to make new social institutions for organization (unions, eco-self-reliant communes etc), and for this reason they both come into conflict. But is the common enemy of both communitarians of both the left and right the unrestrained marketplace?

Anyways, considering this essay, do you think Rudd is correct, does unrestrained free-market liberalism destroy all notions of community in the blind race to profit?
Not necessarily. It rather depends on how individual people react to it. I'm a classic liberal and occasionally quite objectivist in my personal life, but I have no desire to stop caring about my family. My "community" on the other hand I couldn't give a toss about, but that's reciprocal. I just hate suburbia.

If you care about what does and doesn't destroy communities, I refer you to "Bowling Alone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Alone)" and other research by Putnam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Putnam). He's been trying to figure it out as well.