[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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