New York Times columnist David Brooks, in his column "GOP lacks the vision to inspire," Sept. 4, sagely observes the parade of speakers at the Republican National Convention offered "almost no talk of community and compassionate conservatism."
I agree with Mr. Brooks (a rarity) that the "rampant hyperindividualism" of the modern Republican Party is a major weakness that keeps the GOP from being "a worthy governing party."
It's too bad that Mr. Brooks did not follow up the observation with some analysis of why the GOP is obsessed with hyperindividualism. It's too bad that he did not at least mention: the degree to which the modern GOP is funded by super-rich folks like the Koch brothers; the degree to which public information and debate have suffered at the hands of the blatant hyperindividualism message from Rupert Murdoch's Fox News and associated outlets; the increasing influence of the obviously pro-business national Chamber of Commerce, which now gets massive funding from the biggest corporations and uses it to push the interests of those corporations; the fact that so many of the "studies" cited in the media when they discuss economic and social issues have been funded and produced by "think tanks" that exist precisely to produce studies supporting a hyperindividualistic point of view; and the fact that our current Supreme Court is chock-full of believers in this hyperindividualism.
If Mr. Brooks is truly concerned about the GOP's overly narrow "commercial soul," those of us who share his concern would appreciate a little help in exposing and explaining it for what it is.
LEE RUSS
Bennington, Vt.
