[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 117 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5962-S5963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CULTURE DOES MATTER

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, Governor Romney suggested on a recent trip to 
Israel that the culture of a society plays a role in its prosperity. 
Some took offense to these remarks, and others disagreed with his 
premise. During the last few days, a debate has ensued about how 
culture promotes prosperity.
  I believe Governor Romney made an important point. In a National 
Review piece entitled, ``Culture Does Matter,'' he asks, ``What exactly 
accounts for prosperity if not culture?''
  After all, U.S. culture emphasizes freedom, equality, hard work, 
meritocratic excellence, upward mobility, the rule of law, and a 
devotion to family, education, and a purpose higher than oneself. These 
cultural values, and others, have made America the world's leading 
superpower--a beacon of prosperity, freedom, and strength. Millions of 
people have left their homes over the centuries to come to America and 
be part of our way of life.
  As Governor Romney writes, Israel is also a telling example of the 
role of culture and prosperity. Like the United States, Israel's 
culture is based on freedom and the rule of law. He writes that 
Israel's embrace of political and economic freedom:

     . . . has created conditions that have enabled innovators and 
     entrepreneurs to make the desert bloom. . . . In the face of 
     improbable odds, Israel today is a world leader in fields 
     ranging from medicine to information technology.

  Of course other factors, such as economic policies, contribute to a 
country's prosperity. But the evidence shows that the role of culture 
shouldn't be marginalized or dismissed.
  I ask unanimous consent that Governor Romney's entire article, 
``Culture Does Matter,'' be printed in the Record. I urge my colleagues 
to read it.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

            [From the National Review Online, July 31, 2012]

                          Culture Does Matter

                            (By Mitt Romney)

       During my recent trip to Israel, I had suggested that the 
     choices a society makes about its culture play a role in 
     creating prosperity, and that the significant disparity 
     between Israeli and Palestinian living standards was 
     powerfully influenced by it. In some quarters, that comment 
     became the subject of controversy.
       But what exactly accounts for prosperity if not culture? In 
     the case of the United States, it is a particular kind of 
     culture that has made us the greatest economic power in the 
     history of the earth. Many significant features come to mind: 
     our work ethic, our appreciation for education, our 
     willingness to take risks, our commitment to honor and oath, 
     our family orientation, our devotion to a purpose greater 
     than ourselves, our patriotism. But one feature of our 
     culture that propels the American economy stands out above 
     all others: freedom. The American economy is fueled by 
     freedom. Free people and their free enterprises are what 
     drive our economic vitality.
       The Founding Fathers wrote that we are endowed by our 
     Creator with the freedom to pursue happiness. In the America 
     they designed, we would have economic freedom, just as we 
     would have political and religious freedom. Here, we would 
     not be limited by the circumstance of birth nor directed by 
     the supposedly informed hand of government. We would be free 
     to pursue happiness as we wish. Economic freedom is the only 
     force that has consistently succeeded in lifting people out 
     of poverty. It is the only principle that has ever created 
     sustained prosperity. It is why our economy rose to rival 
     those of the world's leading powers--and has long since 
     surpassed them all.
       The linkage between freedom and economic development has a 
     universal applicability. One only has to look at the contrast 
     between East and West Germany, and between North and South 
     Korea for the starkest demonstrations of the meaning of 
     freedom and the absence of freedom.
       Israel is also a telling example. Like the United States, 
     the state of Israel has a culture that is based upon 
     individual freedom and the rule of law. It is a democracy 
     that has embraced liberty, both political and economic. This 
     embrace has created conditions that have enabled innovators 
     and entrepreneurs to make the desert bloom. In the face of 
     improbable odds, Israel today is a world leader in fields 
     ranging from medicine to information technology.
       As the case of Israel makes plain, building a free society 
     is not a simple task. Rather, it is struggle demanding 
     constant courage and sacrifice. Even here in the United 
     States, which from our inception as a nation has been blessed 
     with freedom, we faced monumental challenges in harmonizing 
     our ideals with our institutions. We fought a bloody civil 
     war against slavery and it took a nonviolent civil-rights 
     movement to bring political and social equality to all 
     Americans. In these epic struggles we changed our ``culture'' 
     and vastly improved it.
       I have just returned from a trip abroad. I visited three 
     lands--Israel, Poland, and Great Britain--which are defined 
     by their respective struggles for freedom. I met with some of 
     the greatest heroes of those struggles. I am always glad to 
     return to American soil. On this occasion, I am only 
     strengthened in my conviction that the pursuit of

[[Page S5963]]

     happiness is not an American right alone. Israelis, 
     Palestinians, Poles, Russians, Iranians, Americans, all human 
     beings deserve to enjoy the blessings of a culture of freedom 
     and opportunity.

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