Classical Liberalism

Classical Liberalism, Ilana Mercer, Ilana On Radio & TV, Individual Rights, libertarianism, Liberty, Natural Law, Paleolibertarianism

Jerri from Righttalk.com, with whom I used to do a short commentary segment fortnightly, once asked what “classical liberalism” meant. How about the principles upon which America was founded?

Not so long ago I became acquainted with the writings of French classical liberal, Benjamin Constant (1767-1830). And in particular, his treatise on the Principles of Politics. Frederic Bastiat was, “in some ways,” Constant’s heir.

I liked Constant’s definition of freedom: “Individuals must enjoy a boundless freedom in the use of their property and the exercise of their labor, as long as in disposing of their property or exercising their labor they do not harm others who have the same rights.” Of course, today’s statist interpretation of “harm” would include competition: setting up a Wal-Mart adjacent to a mom-and-pop shop.

More pearls from Constant: “Society has no right to be unjust toward a single of its members … the whole society minus one is not authorized to obstruct the latter in his opinions, nor in those actions which are not harmful, in the use of his property or the exercise of his labor, save in those cases where that use or that exercise would obstruct another individual possessing the same right.”

A contemporary gem is my friend, renowned British philosopher, David Conway. As a teacher, David explains freedom splendidly in Classical Liberalism; The Unvarnished Ideal. Contact him to obtain the book.

Liberty is explained in “Jackass Cooper & The 1-Trick Donkeys”: “Classical liberals (this writer) are distinguished in that the only rights they recognize are the individual’s right to life, liberty and property, and the pursuit of happiness. The sole role of a legitimate government is to protect only those liberties. Why life, liberty, and property, and not housing, food, education, health care, child benefits, emotional well-being, enriching employment, ad infinitum? Because the former impose no obligations on other free individuals; the latter enslave some in the service of others.”

In addition to an application of the principles of liberty, my columns/essays almost always include references. It’s about taking the time to work through the columns and extract the references. I have links on my Links Page to great classical liberal sites.

My Articles Archive is easy to navigate. Begin with Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard, Ayn Rand, Henry Hazlitt, Frederic Bastiat, F. A. Hayek, Lysander Spooner, and the great heroes of the Old Right, Frank Chodorov, Garet Garrett, John T. Flynn, and Felix Morley. Morely’s “Freedom and Federalism” is a must in every American bookcase.

A discussion of natural rights can be found in “CRADLE OF CORRUPTION.”

“Older Liberals Like Me.”

UPDATE I (3/31/2017): MORE BOOKS.

If you want to understand The Idea of America, read foundational books on American republican virtues (not least the title linked). Begin with the book The Power in The People by Felix Morley, and you’ll be able to watch or read Bill O’Reilly’s folderol, and such stuff, and assess it for the shallow nothingness that it is.

Truth is not about the penny plan, or the red line in Syria, or whether to beat up on Russia or not. It’s about grasping the foundational principles of liberty and the limits of government—the principles Jefferson, Madison, Mason, John Roanoke, John Calhoun held dear; grasping those creedal core issues and applying them to the issues of the day.

The other exquisite text by Morley aforementioned is Freedom and Federalism.

For starters, let’s see these texts on your coffee tables.

UPDATE II (12/2):

Reverend Wright Revolts Once Again

Barack Obama, Democrats, Race, Racism, The Zeitgeist

CNN televised Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s address to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This lunatic’s delivery left the limited Rick Sanchez, front man for CNN, gasping. But then, his colleagues, chiefly Soledad O’Brian, whom Wright endorsed during his rant, put him at ease. Wright’s sermon was light, fun, humorous, designed to show the totality of this much-maligned preacher. She and colleague Roland Martin were dressed in Homer Simpson-type mumus or caftans for the solemn occasion. Fix News’ retards—Geraldo Rivera and his “analytical entourage”—echoed Soledad’s solidarity with Wright.

Having listened to Wright’s insane sermon, I can only marvel at mainstream media’s ability to shed darkness on whatever topic they tackle—an ability that comes with a great deal of God-given stupidity.

Other than stark raving mad, Wright’s delivery was dripping with bile. He is a cynical, smug, sardonic so-and-so. Love? Compassion? His is the strident voice of racial grievance. And envy. The man is green with envy. His sheer envy of “European” achievements is palpable. Why else would he devote an entire hour to listing “European” achievements, deriding them, and then defining an inability to emulate these achievements as nothing but difference? Wright also latched on to fashionable brain bifurcation balderdash—he puts great stock in right brain/left brain discredited pop pedagogy—to explain black dereliction and drop-out rates. (So does Mike Huckabee)

The entire sermon was dominated by collectivist racial theorizing:

Black children learn a certain way, speak a special way and think in ways different to whites, said Wright. African music is different from European music, and here the holy man emitted a caterwauling which was supposed to come off as a cantata. The emulation was derisive, mocking. To contrast the so-called pomposity of the cantata, the MF launched into Brother musical mode, jovial and jolly. Black music was different, not deficient, to white music, said he. The one, he implied, was filled with Joie de vivre, the other just jejune.

Wright even attempted to distinguish typical white from black chords or timing. What a moron. Classical music— certainly Bach—showcases time signature fluctuations—the kind that require a high level of musicianship.

Again, undergirding this disturbing diatribe was the man’s contention that different is not deficient. And when it comes to evaluating cultural products, there is no such thing as objective standards. Naturally, it is in the interest of Wright to declare BB King as good as, only different from, Bach, because, well, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Mahler—they’re sublime. BB King is very small compared to these giants. For obvious reasons, Wright would like to encourage the Zeitgeist on the path it has embarked on in abolishing all objective standards by which learning, accomplishments, and cultural products are judged.

This Afrocentric racial “theorist” aims to instill racial pride in Africans by conjuring contempt for “European” culture. This has been his mission for decades—at least for the duration Barack Obama spent in the pews of Trinity United Church of Christ. Obama’s mind must be full of this empty incitement.

They’re Coming For Your Kids!

Conservatism, Constitution, Criminal Injustice, Family, Justice, Law, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, The State

“Imagine: One day you’re frolicking in the open air on a large compound, doing your daily chores, and feasting on hearty homegrown fare; the next you’re gagging on a diet of T&A courtesy of MTV, and fast-food compliments of your fat foster mom. As the makeshift mom hollers at you to swallow your zombifying meds—the Texas foster care system is notorious for pumping its charges full of psychotropic drugs—her flaccid live-in lover eyes you lustily.”

As I write, many of the kids kidnapped by Texas rangers from the Yearning for Zion ranch are being scattered across the state to far-flung group homes and shelters. In the land of the free and home of the brave hundreds of children can be rounded up and removed from their families based on a hunch or a hoax. No hue and cry will ensue—not from professional civil libertarians, nor from members of the unwatchful dogs in the media, or from presidential candidates vying to uphold—or is it just to hold—the Constitution.”

The excerpt is from my new WorldNetDaily.com column, “They’re Coming For Your Kids!” The column leads the WND Commentary Page for Friday, April 25.

Updated: Elections Fatigue (& A Shout-Out To An Anti-Politician)

America, Education, Elections 2008, Individualism Vs. Collectivism, Media, Taxation

What’s there to say about the interminable electioneering we’re being subjected to? I have less and less to say by the day.

For one, the candidates do not represent me or uphold my rights. If anything; they promise to violate them. The Hillary-Hussein-McCain unholy trinity caters in one way or another to the burgeoning American welfariate.

I’m also repulsed by the unchecked chauvinism of the elections coverage. Not a word about world events have I heard in weeks, perhaps months. America’s pathological, election-time self-absorption makes a mockery of the idea that the US is suited to lead the world. Shouldn’t a world leader take an interest in the world?

I believe the last debate between Hillary and Barack was actually worth watching if only for the performance of a journalist whom I’ve praised in the past: Charles Gibson. Gibson actually flouted the common consensus about his job description and asked the messiah some tough questions. He has a pattern of such subversion.

Alas, by that time, I was so thoroughly fatigued, I failed to watch.

Let me take the time, however, to give a shout-out to an anti-politician: Actor Wesley Snipes, who “was sentenced to three years in prison for a “history of contempt over a period of time” for U.S. tax laws.” Snipes got bad legal advice, but he’s a hero for acting on his contempt for legalized theft.

Update (April 26): MSM, which is seldom to be trusted, keeps reporting that the American people cannot tolerate the scrappy competition between Hillary and Barack. We are led to believe that, as I put it, Americans are so delicate they cannot stomach “a vigorous race for the highest office in the land because it is, well, vigorous.”

Presuming this is true and Americans are as soft as MSM portrays them—at least the ones that aren’t brewing with bitterness and bigotry and doodling with guns—why do you think this is so?

Could it be that the emphasis in schools on cooperative as opposed competitive endeavors—on the girlie over the boyish mindset—has something to do with it? The fact that everyone gets a prize at school for something, rather than for winning or being the best—could this be a factor in crippling the competitive spirit?

If the media is to be believed, Americans will soon be assuming the fetal position and whimpering in the corner if Hill and B. Hussein don’t stop exchanging barbs.

Boohoo.