Saturday, May 1, 2010
My Declaration in the Wall Street Journal Today
I submit that we need our philosophers more than ever in these times of uncertainty. Individuals require beacons of conviction that will put their actions into a moral context. The realm of principle is the greatest advantage that libertarians have over the emotional and pragmatic left. Acting in a practical manner is the default position for people that wish to survive and prosper in a free society, but by its nature it can lead to ambiguity and experimentation – in short pragmatism. We require principles that can be defended by the Western concept of reason in order to know why we must fight those who would impose the concept of the “common good” upon us. Read more.
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Well said. Sadly, many conservatives are all too happy to impose their vision of the "common good" upon the rest of us. Libertarianism offers a principled defense of liberty that unfailingly adheres to the "true north" of having government defend our natural rights and nation, nothing more and nothing less. These principles stem from reason, not religion or personal preference and are a common ground upon which Americans of many different walks of life can agree. Unfortunately, most conservatives aren't content with the implications of this type of principled approach to governing.
ReplyDeleteLibertarianism has nothing in common with conservatism, btw. Libertarianism, as defined by classical liberalism, is a radical idea that flies in the face of both conservative and progressive totalitarianism. As a libertarian, I don't consider myself on "the right" or part of some conservative movement. The only thing I want to conserve is limited government and individual sovereignty - something that conservatives have proven that they have little interest in delivering.