Countdown to Independence Day: #8 Understand America's Classical Liberal philosophy

Over the next several days leading up to Independence Day I will be posting the 10 steps that must be taken to preserve our great nation and the principles it was established on.  Each day will cover one of the steps as they appear in my book Liberty Inherited.  It is my hope that, in some small way, I can get Americans to start thinking of what they are on the verge of throwing away.  Today's posting covers step number #8.  I recommend reading the previous posts for step #1 through 7.  Please note that any additional comments that I add to the original text will be in italics.

8. Understand America’s classical liberal philosophy

As mentioned previously, classical liberalism was the basic philosophy of this country until the turn of the 20th century when progressivism started to pervert the term “liberal” for its own agenda. It is essential that every American understand what true classical liberalism is and why it was so important in the development of the United States of America. The truth is that classical liberalism has been completely removed from modern America’s political discourse. Most people have never heard of it and are unfamiliar with how it led to America’s exceptionalism. As a result of this ignorance and unfamiliarity, most Americans  continue to allow themselves to have to choose between faux liberalism or conservatism, neither one of which truly fits the American character.

This is a topic that I discuss throughout Liberty Inherited and, as I explain in the introduction to these posts, the above is copied directly from the book.  Thus, being taken out of context, I feel it helpful to explain its meaning.   

It is clear from its founding documents that America is based on a philosophy and principles that evolved in England.  That philosophy is called Classical Liberalism and I believe it to be the apex of the enlightenment that started with the Renaissance.  Lacking an aristocracy, the United States was able to take this philosophy and its principles of limited government, individual rights, private property, and free-market economics to a level not possible in 18th century Britain.  

It may come as a surprise to many Americans that Classical Liberalism not only guided the founding of this incredible nation, but was the the nation's basic political philosophy up to the late 1800s/early 1900s.  Since then it has slowly been erased from America's political conscientiousness to the point that most Americans are completely ignorant of it and its significance for the country.  But I believe that, at heart, the majority of Americans are still Classical Liberals.  After all, it is in their political genes and remains part of America's psyche.  This is why so many are not comfortable with what both political parties have been doing over the last 100 years.

This is what the Progressives understood when, after years of failed policies, the Progressive title became unpopular and they rebranded themselves as 'Liberals.'  But, as I explain in the book, their policies had and still have nothing to do with the principles of Classical Liberalism.  In fact, they envision the opposite.  They are, in reality, wolves in sheep's clothing.  That is why I call their version of  Liberalism 'FAUX LIBERALISM.'  It is nothing but a fraud....a very dangerous fraud.

Now, 236 years after the Declaration of Independence, America is on the verge of losing its political identity, its political soul.  I strongly believe that only by reconnecting to our political roots can this country be saved and that is why I wrote "Liberty Inherited: The untold story of America's exceptionalism."  It is my attempt to play my part in saving this great, and ,yes, exceptional country.