Thought this might be timely:
“As Strauss understood it, the principle of liberal democracy in the natural freedom and equality of all human beings, and the bond of liberal society is a universal morality that links human beings regardless of religion. Liberalism understands religion to be a primary source of divisiveness in society, but it also regards liberty of religious worship to be a fundamental expression of the autonomy of the individual. To safeguard religion and to safeguard society from conflicts over religion, liberalism pushes religion to the private sphere where it is protected by law. The liberal state also strictly prohibits public laws that discriminate on the basis of religion. What the liberal state cannot do without ceasing to be liberal is to use the law to root out and entirely eliminate discrimination, religious and otherwise, on the part of private individuals and groups.”
If the path of greater liberty for one group of people runs through regulatory state power to coerce others who would deny them that liberty (especially by way of short-term political gain and calculation), then what is a possible recourse for that group seeking liberty that also increases the scope of liberty for all individuals?
There are hidden costs to such activism. It increases the size and scope of government broadly, making more opportunities for waste and corruption. It increases the taxing and regulatory power of government into the daily lives of individuals and the free associations into which they enter (including a power which can be turned against its initial advocates). It adds another layer of lobbying interest on Capitol Hill.
Related On This Site: The voluntary exchanges that occur between people pursuing their own self-interest in the marketplace has been the greatest driver of human freedom and the greatest liberator from the natural human conditions of poverty, privation and want. Adam Smith’s invisible hand and Thomas Jefferson’s separation of powers: Free To Choose Milton Friedman Via Youtube: ‘Responsibility To The Poor’…How Would Obama Respond To Milton Friedman’s Four Ways To Spend Money?…
From Darwinian Conservatism By Larry Arnhart: “Surfing Strauss’s Third Wave of Modernity”
