Long Term Freedom Bull

Arguments with purist libertarians have spiked around here with cogent comments from Perry Eidlebus and Harrison Bergeron. A sizable part of my argument is that liberty is not as popular as many purists think. There are just not enough laissez faire voters to elect candidates or enact some of the legislation we would prefer.

Do not infer that I am pessimistic. I am very worried about American liberty in the near term. An unpopular war is associated with those would liberalize trade and lower taxes, recent GOP Congressional majorities have behaved poorly and without principle, and the 60's poisoned influenced collectivists are at the apogee of their power in media and academia. Some very bad government is likely coming our way. Long term, I am hopeful, based on two things:

• The power of classically liberal ideas will, over generations, always advance. This assertion frightens me, because I just finished Karl Popper's destruction of Marx's making similar if contrary claims. But I think historical trends back me up


• Like I expect the global economic boom to smooth over a brief slowdown in US GDP growth, I now think the global "liberty market" will keep things alive while we dither. SarbOx did not kill capitalism, it chased it to England and Hong Kong. JohnGalt asks whether "somehow, in the long run, Americans who've known prosperity like none other in history will slit their own throat?" Yes. As we do that, however, I am energized by the resurgence of freedom in unlikely locations.

The American Magazine I was shilling in a previous post has Japan on the cover. While we were all watching China, The world's second largest economy freed itself from decades of collectivism and government intervention. Under PM Koizumi and Abe, labor's hold has been loosened, government intervention reduced, and growth is rebounding. Another story details liberalization in -- sit down -- Sweden! They are selling off the government run and owned company that makes Absolut Vodka.

Add the election of Sarkozy in France, Merkel in Germany, a wave of tax cutting across Europe, freedom may be in good hands while its shining light flickers.

Philosophy Posted by jk at July 16, 2007 4:30 PM