Liberty

Favorite Founders

In a series of blog posts, Heritage asks "conservative and libertarian leaders on American Independence and the Founding...What Founder is either your favorite or one who you think deserves more credit for his or her contributions to America?" Read thoughts about John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, George Washington, Sam Adams

Liberty and Its Antithesis

"...If socialism and communism should succeed in these [Western] countries, it will be the socialism of the planning scheme and not the socialism of the nationalization scheme...In the libertarian system every individual is a moral person, that is, he is free to choose and to act and is responsible for his conduct. In the authoritarian system the supreme chief alone is a free agent while all the others are bondsmen subject to his discretion...Only in such a free society has the individual the power to choose between morally commendable and morally reprehensible conduct...[Whereas in an authoritarian] society...all of the people should be prevented from planning their own conduct and from arranging their lives according to their own moral convictions...the great majority of those supporting socialist policies vaguely assumed that the restriction of individual freedom by a socialist regime will apply "only" to economic affairs...As the socialist state has sole control of the means, it has the power to determine which ends are to be served and which ends men are to strive for. It is not an accident that Marxian socialism in Russia and nationalist socialism in Germany resulted in the complete abolition of all civil liberties and the establishment of the most rigid despotism...the Welfare State is merely a method for transforming the market economy step by step into socialism...Every citizen, whatever his nominal position in the economic system may be, is bound to toil in strict compliance with the orders of the planning board, and his income, the amount he is permitted to spend for his consumption, is exclusively determined by these orders...the "planning scheme" is just as destructive of freedom as the "nationalization scheme" and both lead on to the authoritarian state."

Walter E. Williams | Conflict or Cooperation

The metaphor master is at it again with another way of looking at government control [= less liberty and happiness]. Williams asks us to notice how there are people who love wearing jeans and those who love wearing suits. Nonetheless, they get along and don't hate each other, because they can each do what they want. Government officials, however, can quickly and easily make jean lovers hate suit lovers and vice versa by imposing any number of executive and/or legislative mandates, taxes, tax subsidies, regulations, etc. In fact, they promote hate and division all the time...Read on!

The Wilding of Sarah Palin (Believe me; this is about liberty.)

Robin of Berkeley writes a powerful piece about why she became a liberal, and then why she broke with them. Here is just a taste of what you will read, "...I finally beheld what my eyes had refused to see: that leftists are Mr. and Ms. Misogyny. Neither the males nor the females care a whit about women...Women are continually sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. If under radical Islam women are enshrouded and stoned and beheaded, so be it...My other epiphanies: those ponytailed guys were marching for abortion rights not because they cherished women's reproductive freedom, but to keep women available for free and easy sex..." HT WebWit and Vicki McKenna

Walter E. Williams | Why a Bill of Rights?

"...the Ninth Amendment...reads: 'The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others [ohter rights that is] retained by the people.' In essence, the Ninth Amendment says it's impossible to list all of our God-given or natural rights. Just because a right is not listed doesn't mean it can be infringed upon or disparaged by the U.S. Congress. The Tenth Amendment is a reinforcement of the Ninth saying, 'The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.' That means if a power is not delegated to Congress, it belongs to the states [or] the people..." If you don't trust government in the oppositions' hands, what makes it right in yours? K.I.S.S. The FFs got it.

Quotes

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the gov. to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the gov." --Patrick Henry

"The foundation on which all [constitutions] are built is the natural equality of man, the denial of every preeminence but that annexed to legal office, and particularly the denial of a preeminence by birth." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to George Washington, 1784

"The dons, the bashaws, the grandees, the patricians, the sachems, the nabobs, [the elitists] call them by what names you please, sigh and groan and fret, and sometimes stamp and foam and curse, but all in vain. The decree is gone forth, and it cannot be recalled, that a more equal liberty than has prevailed in other parts of the earth must be established in America." --John Adams, letter to Patrick Henry, 1776 HTPatriotPost

Ayn Rand | The Virtue of Selfishness

"Rand writes, "[A]ltruism permits no concept of a self-respecting, self-supporting man—a man who supports his own life by his own effort and neither sacrifices himself nor others … it permits no concept of benevolent co-existence among men … it permits no concept of justice" (VOS, ix)" "...the truly selfish person is a self-respecting, self-supporting human being who neither sacrifices others to himself nor sacrifices himself to others." Summary.

Memoirs of a US Soldier held by the Nazis

World War II diary. Read how American soldiers survive (and die) in concentration camps.

Kurt Vonnegut| "Harrison Bergeron"

It's time again for this classic short story clarifying the stupidity and danger of blindly following a mantra of social equality. If you haven't read it, take time to read the entire text here. More great classic reads are on our Books - Classic page.

Richard Ebeling | Free Markets, the Rule of Law and Classical Liberalism

The Libertarian who managed to get photocopies of almost every page of Ludwig Von Mises papers hidden in Soviet storage back to the United States (and is a Hillsdale College professor) writes on subjects dear to our hearts and futures. The article seems dense at first glance, but start reading it line by line and you'll find yourself nodding in agreement. Read this article.

Frederic Bastiat | The Law

"Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) was a French economist, statesman, and author. He did most of his writing during the years just before — and immediately following — the Revolution of February 1848. This was the period when France was rapidly turning to complete socialism. As a Deputy to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Bastiat was studying and explaining each socialist fallacy as it appeared. And he explained how socialism must inevitably degenerate into communism. But most of his countrymen chose to ignore his logic. The Law is here presented again because the same situation exists in America today as in the France of 1848. The same socialist-communist ideas and plans that were then adopted in France are now sweeping America. The explanations and arguments then advanced against socialism by Mr. Bastiat are — word for word — equally valid today. His ideas deserve a serious hearing." Read the entire text here. (or here)

Rose Wilder Lane | Give Me Liberty

Tired of socialism already? In 1936 this former communist wrote about individualism as the only way to uphold freedom. She advocated opposing any type of enslavement and oppression. Words we need to hear and understand again today. From her wordly travels as an ardent communist, she grows to appreciate that "Everywhere, in shops, streets, factories, elevators, on highways and on farms, Americans are the most friendly and courteous people. There is more laughter and more song in America than anywhere else. Such are a few of the human values that grew from individualism while individualism was creating this nation." Click here to read the entire text. Hint: Click on the authors' name links for more information about them.

Jeffrey Lord | "Democrats: The Missing History"

“The DNC website section labeled "Party History," linked here, is in fact scrubbed clean of the not-so-little dirty secret that fueled Democrats' political successes for over a century and a half and made American life a hell on earth for black Americans…” Read on about what we are proud of and what’s been scrubbed from the DNC website. or read it here