We are all Classical Liberals Now

In 2008 elections the Democratic Party, lead by its leftist members, swept into the White House and took control of both chambers of congress.  The MSM eagerly and giddily pronounced Conservatism dead.  Shortly after Obama’s inauguration Newsweek went so far as to do a cover proclaiming, “We are all Socialists now.”

In the mid-term elections of 2010 Conservative Republicans returned to congress in-force.  They took back control of the House of Representatives and all but eliminated the Democrat majority in the Senate.  The American people had put the brakes on the Socialist schemes of Obama, Reid, and Pelosi.

This swift shifting of the pendulum left the liberal elites confused and dazed.  I can recall one commentator observing that, “In 2008, they elected Liberals.  Now they elected Conservatives.  This just shows that the American people do not know what they want.” 

At the time, I remember thinking, “No, the American people know what they want.  The problem is that neither party is offering it to them.”  

It has been my experience that the majority of Americans are neither 100% Conservative nor 100% Liberal.  But we tend to take these titles because they are the only two of three options from which we have to choose.  Or we go with the third option of being an independent.  

This does not mean that the American people do not have a political foundation.  They do. It is the uniquely American form of Classical Liberalism.   Although we may argue over implementation, most Americans support the classical liberal principles of: 

·         Limited Government

·         Individual Rights

·         Private Property

·         Free-market Economics

The first two guarantees political freedom while the latter two provide the opportunity for economic freedom.

This was the “Great American” experiment.  It was these principles of classical liberalism on which this nation was founded and remained its basic political philosophy for over 100 years.  Millions of immigrants from all corners of the globe, seeking freedom, were drawn by the hope that classical liberalism offered.   More significantly, it resulted in America becoming the most prosperous and powerful country in history.  A country that, when true to these principles, is truly the “shining light on the hill.” 

Unfortunately, since the early 1900s, there has been an aggressive campaign to eradicate this nation’s Classical Liberal roots.  This campaign has been so successful that most people have never heard of Classical Liberalism.  It is no longer taught in school.  Even political science or history classes, if it is taught, it is done so as a long lost political philosophy from the Enlightenment Age of Europe. 

It is remarkable that its principles still exist.  But they do.  They are in the heart of every American who believes that America is an exceptional country, which, I believe, is the majority of us.

No, Newsweek, the American people are not Socialist. They are not even Liberal or Conservative.  They are what they always have been; Classical Liberals! 

Blame the MSM, not the Tea Party

Sometimes we do not notice the subtle changes that occur over time but they are obvious to those who have not been here to experience them. This was the situation for friends of mine who had returned recently for a visit. For the past three years they have been living in Australia and the changing sentiment in America was, as they put it, “shocking and disturbing.” They cannot believe how much the United States has changed. As they noted, ”it is not a physical change that is easily recognizable, but a psychological one that reveals itself in conversation with others.” Yesterday’s attack on Congresswoman Giffords is evidence that we are no longer the country where freedom of thought and speech can be safely exercised. For those of us who have watched this develop over the last couple of years it is just another step on the road to self-destruction. For those who have not noticed it, it is a wake-up call.


The Main Stream Media (MSM) often claims that what is happening to our nation is the fault of the Tea Part-- that the Tea Party and its supporters are to blame for most if not all the “vitriol” that is consuming the political discourse in this country. They describe Tea Partiers as being white, old, Right-wing, religious zealots who are angry that America is no longer the country it use to be. They worried, even prophesized, that the Tea Party’s actions would lead to violence and, if you get your news from the MSM, yesterday’s attacks seems to bear this out.

Congresswoman Giffords is a democrat who supported ObamaCare and was against SB 1070 (the Arizona illegal immigration bill). Similar to many Tea Party supporters Jared Loughner, the shooter, had railed against the federal government, wants a return to the gold standard, and believes that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. For the MSM this clearly means that Loughner was motivated by the Tea Party’s rhetoric and Sara Palin’s failed efforts to have Giffords defeated in the last election.

The leap to this conclusion is not only superficial, it is also unprofessional. While Loughner is white he is, at 22, not old. He is a self-described atheist who was angry that he was given a Bible at a recruiting center and wrote that he “will not trust in god.” This goes directly against the caricature the MSM has been using to describe Tea Partiers. Furthermore he has posted that his favorite books are Mein Kampf, Communist Manifesto, Animal Farm, and Brave New World. I can safely say that these are not top reading material for Tea Partiers and Conservatives. Adolf Hitler and Karl Marx were both statists who saw a big all-powerful government as the solution to societal problems. In the1960’s and 70s George Orwell’s Animal Farm was a “must read” for any serious leftist radical and Aldous Huxley was a Humanist, pacifist, mystic who advocated the use of psychedelic drugs. Finally, Loughner was even described by a former classmate as being “left-wing, quite liberal.” This makes it very difficult to claim that Loughner was influenced by conservative ideology and Tea Party rhetoric.

But claim they do! Against all information to the contrary the MSM is still trying to paint the Tea Party with the blood spilt by Loughner. In my opinion this is done for one of two reasons: incompetence or outright bias. Either way, it is the actions of the MSM, and not the Tea Party, that has helped create the “vitriol” in American politics. People become angry when they are ignored and this is especially true in a democratic society that is use to having a responsive government and a professional unbiased media. By allying itself with politicians who are attempting to marginalize a large segment of the American people the MSM has created an environment which has forced people to find an alternative way to be heard. So it can be argued that the Tea Party is the unintended consequence of the MSM’s deplorable and unprofessional behavior. It can also be argued that the Tea Party, by providing a voice for the American people, has acted as a valve for the negative pressure being created by the MSM and politicians. But this cannot go on indefinitely and I am worried that the longer the MSM and politicians ignore significant segments of the American population the more acts of violence we will see. Of course, they will blame the Tea Party and the cycle of destruction will continue.