Not Libertarian? You're Probably a Socialist

Topher Morrison

PurpleSerf.com

PART I

pics on Sodahead 

We Are The Planners, not you.

          In March of 1944, amidst the crescendo of World WarII, F.A. Hayek dedicated his seminal work The Road to Serfdom to “The Socialists of All Parties.”  He recognized the carnal desire that spanned the entire political spectrum, which ultimately lead to so much bloodshed – the desire to plan for others.

          All political persuasions will agree government is really good at accomplishing one thing, monopolizing violence, in other words, coercion.  It follows therefore that the largerthe government, the larger its ability to coerce.  We have all leant tothe state this legitimate force except in matters of our own immediate self-defense and while we may have a gun for that purpose the government is designed to always have a bigger one. 

          We lend this power because government’s central role, first and foremost, is protection of life. Liberty thereafter is what our conscience demands and what our hearts desire.  Through liberty we mix our labor with property and create the world in which we live and hopefully thrive.  When government fails at anyone of these junctures tyrannies are invited and are allowed to grow.

          Our representatives, whom were honestly and appropriately called "public servants", are now unfortunately referred to as "officials", "leaders", etc.  They originally had few duties, all mutually boring and tedious, but nonetheless essential to our well being hence, they were in the public'sservice.  

          Life wasn't meant to be sexy as most of their time was to be spent establishing "weights andmeasures", deliberating monetary policy, growing the judiciaries, maintaining diplomacy, and providing for the common defense, in other words, to engage in the eye watering monotony that was public life.  

          It was nevermeant to be a career, but a way of giving back to a nation that afforded the liberty to establish themselves.  It was viewed as a truly philanthropic endeavor of the highest order.  Could anyone today, with little exception, claim that of their representative and do it with a straight face?

          Our servants were to simply guard the institutions charged with executing these fundamental duties from both ineptitude and undue growth.  God willing after a few terms they were then to return from whence they came hence, the citizen statesmen.  When they ceased to function as humble sentinels and begin to act as permanent managers was in our interest and our duty to remove them from office.  At least that was the plan.  Permanent managers is lamentably what they have now become, what we refer to as the "leadership class" or more appropriately the "establishment."

Government isn't a business either.

            You often hear, especially from the right, that government should be run like a business.  Republican candidates Mitt Romney and HermanCain have touted their private sector resume, but why?  Granted, achievements are necessary in defining leadership acumen, however, there is little to justify running government like a business.

          Businesses are meant to grow, set prices, innovate, hire, sell products and services - to compete.  Not many Americans want their government competing with them.  We already have enough of this already we need more of it on Main St. not on Capitol Hill.  This isn't confined to only the right, however.  

          How often does the left laud plans to increase "revenue?"  It is obvious both the left and right see government as some kind of legitimate business, I stress to you it is not.  One cannot simply purchase protective services for rights and liberties from another government.  There are roughly 190 governments throughout the world, and compared with the seemingly infinite number of businesses most of us are pretty much stuck with the government we've got.

          You might argue, however,that beyond the simple and achievable trio of mandates mentioned earlier it is also the role or duty of our leaders to plan for us so we may all enjoy the full expression of life, liberty and property equally.  Sounds reasonable, but there is a clear distinction between planning through coercion and planning to compel others, including government organs, to respect our rights and liberties.  

          It is only by accomplishing the latter do we enable each other to plan for ourselves and therefore enable everyone to enjoy freedom as such, equally.  We are theplanners.  When that role is usurped whether by dictators, our favorite actor, monarchies, technocrats or democracies - we become serfs.

NEXT: The Left & The Right as Socialists