How are the views of the Modern Liberal similar to, and different from, the views of the Classical Liberal? Let’s examine the evidence for a better understanding.
ON JUSTICE
Classical Liberal: Believed Perfect and Universal Justice in society a noble ideal to be industriously pursued, even if sometimes it can only be imperfectly achieved.
Modern Liberal: Believes the very idea of the pursuit of Justice an imperfect ideal, and therefore not a worthy objective. The only real Justice the modern liberal understands is something they call Social Justice, which is a bizarre and impotent bastardization of the idea of Universal Justice, a sort of “Multi Generational Vengeance” on the Macro, or Group Scale. Does not believe in Justice as normally defined, rather, believes in compensation, courts, and legislation by lawsuit.
ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Classical Liberal: Believed Human Rights Granted to all Men and Protected by God. Believed in Universal Equality.
Modern Liberal: Believes Rights derived by ever-malleable Human Social Contract, and therefore open to debate as to their nature, extent, and character. Believes some people are capable of liberty and some are better suited to rule by Tyrants, Strongmen, and Dictators.
ON EDUCATION
Classical Liberal: In general extremely well and Classically educated. Believed in self-education throughout the entire term of their lives.
Modern Liberal: Thinks the modern and current public education system is a brilliantly effective method of education. Doesn’t understand the term self-education, and sees no point to the exercise.
ON LIBERTY
Classical Liberal: Was willing to fight for, in word and deed, his own liberty and the liberty of his fellow man, no matter how long the struggle took or how difficult it might be.
Modern Liberal: Expects liberty to be granted to him as a birthright, but is unwilling to fight for or expand the franchise to his fellow man if any real sacrifice is called for, or any real struggle is involved.
ON RELIGION
Classical Liberal: Deeply, if often unorthodoxly, religious. Friendly towards expressions of religious liberty in public life. Believed faith based institutions such as churches valuable components of a healthy societal order and public virtue. Believed personal behavior often tied to, and beneficially regulated by, religious belief.
Modern Liberal: Unorthodox and Freakish in personal behavior. Often deeply irreligious. Desires religion and therefore religious liberty expunged from public life. Believes the greatest public virtue is to erase faith as a component of the societal order.
ON EVIL
Classical Liberal: Feared no evil and believed all evils could be overcome with patience, proper action, and reason.
Modern Liberal: Sees no reason to try to understand the concept of evil. Thinks it a Fairy Tale or subjective psychological construct. Resents recent talk of evil and wishes we could all return to the days of neuter-speak and inoffensive misdefinition.
ON TAXATION
Classical Liberal: Believed Taxation means and meant exhaustion and therefore taxation should not be imposed unless absolutely necessary for a true and valid function of local, state, or federal government. Did not believe in taxation without representation. Believed individuals made the most productive use of their own resources. Believed taxation should be directed towards what people consume, not what they produce, and that taxes in regards to property should be allodial.
Modern Liberal: Believes the resources of the individual actually belong to the government. Does not believe in any invalid or unproductive government function. Believes representatives should promote ever higher rates of taxation. Believes in a nebulous and non-sequitor term, “Progressive Taxation,” even though the terms progress (to continue or to improve) and tax (to exhaust) are diametrically opposed to one another. Thinks property should be continuously taxed in order that the state, not the individual owns the property in perpetua.
ON MARKETS
Classical Liberal: Believed Markets should be free and open enterprises and that competition is the mechanism by which both individual and collective industries improve, thrive, and prosper.
Modern Liberal: Thinks prospering is very bad and unjust and that people should be protected from the markets, lest they too profit.
ON INCOME AND WAGES
Classical Liberal: Understood the original and true distinctions in definition between the terms “Income” and “Earnings” and “Wages.”
Modern Liberal: Does not understand what an income is, but thinks it should be tied to the minimum wage, and that earnings should be universally regulated.
ON INITIATIVE AND INVENTION
Classical Liberal: Was admiring of Personal Initiative and Invention in individuals and considered both necessary qualities of eventual success.
Modern Liberal: Takes the initiative in declaring persons incapable of individual success without assistance from collective groups or governments. Is not impressed by success because it sets an unfair measure of personal achievement that makes it very difficult for the lazy to achieve profitability parity.
ON ENTERPRISE, PROFIT, INDUSTRY, AND DRIVE
Classical Liberal: Understood the definition of the term Enterprise and that it signified a dangerous and risky undertaking. Understood the concept of “Profit.” Thought a man would succeed or fail based upon his Personal Industry and Drive.
Modern Liberal: Has no concept of an enterprise. Thinks profits are bad and disgraceful and somehow personally and institutionally corrupting. Thinks no one should mention personal and industry in the same sentence. Likes governmentally mandated regulations on both what you drive, and how much drive you should have.
ON CREATIVITY AND ACCOMPLISHMENT
Classical Liberal: Believed in personal and individual creativity and accomplishment.
Modern Liberal: Thinks creativity occurs by committee, but since they also believe life has no ultimate meaning, personal accomplishments are all illusions anyway.
ON PROBLEM SOLVING
Classical Liberal: Believed every problem eventually soluble via the careful and consistent applications of reason and industry in the individual.
Modern Liberal: Thinks world is doomed and the individual an impotent cipher incapable of solving his own problems.
ON REASON
Classical Liberal: Believed the ability to Reason instrumental to success and one of God’s Great Gifts to Mankind.
Modern Liberal: Believes they have successfully reasoned away God.
ON LIFE, HEALTH, AND PROPERTY
Classical Liberal: Thought a man’s Life, Health, and Property the responsibility of the individual involved and subject to his personal decision making process. Believed very strongly in Personal Responsibility and Accountability.
Modern Liberal: Thinks a man’s health a function of society, his property in eternal escrow to the state, and his life determined by environmental factors and therefore a matter beyond his personal control.
ON PRIVACY AND PERSONAL CONDUCT
Classical Liberal: Believed a man should be secure and honored in his private opinions, speech, and papers. And that his public conduct should be upright and virtuous.
Modern Liberal: Believes everything a person does should be a private matter even if it involves publicly felonious conduct.
ON SCIENCE
Classical Liberal: Believed man should morally and materially benefit from the blessings of Science and scientific progress.
Modern Liberal: Believes that the material benefits derived from Science automatically relieve everyone of any cumbersome consideration of the moral ramifications of scientific progress.
ON TOUGHNESS AND HARDIHOOD
Classical Liberal: Admired the traits of Toughness and Hardihood in individual people.
Modern Liberal: Thinks toughness and hardihood chauvinistic and outmoded expressions of individual behavior. Admires effeminate conduct or at the very least gender-neutral personality expressions in all circumstances.
ON FREEDOM AND LIBERTY
Classical Liberal: Believed all men could and should enjoy the personal blessings of Freedom and Liberty.
Modern Liberal: Believes Freedom means that they should be at Liberty to do as they please.
ON EQUALITY AND THE LAW
Classical Liberal: Believed all men are and should be equal under the Law.
Modern Liberal: Believes the Law is a tool for righting perceived political inequalities.
ON OPTIMISM AND PROGRESS
Classical Liberal: Were highly Optimistic and Progressive in the true sense of the term.
Modern Liberal: Thinks true progress is achieved by properly executed tax schemes, and should be regulated by government. Highly pessimistic and reactionary in most other matters.
ON CHARITY AND PHILANTHROPY
Classical Liberal: Believed that good could best be done to the unfortunate by acts of private and voluntary Charity and Philanthropy.
Modern Liberal: Thinks the government is the best and most efficient method of distributing charity and philanthropy. This is unfortunately how they think they can best serve the unfortunate.
ON LABOR
Classical Liberal: Believed if a man was dissatisfied with the rewards of his labor that he should be free to seek better opportunities to fully exploit his personal industry for higher profit.
Modern Liberal: Believes all labor should be unionized so that the worker can best be collectively exploited, and so that profits may be diverted to more deserving persons.
ON CIVIC DUTY AND VOTING
Classical Liberal: Believed it was the duty of every citizen to vote and to vote with an informed background of information and experience towards both the candidates and the issues.
Modern Liberal: Thinks non-citizens and felons should vote, and vote often – even often in the same election, and that if voters do not understand the actual process and mechanics of voting that their failed intentions to properly execute a vote should be derived by statistical models, the courts, and by political soothsayers and augurs. Issues are secondary considerations in any election for the modern liberal, the important thing is assuring votes are counted or at least construed by psychic process.
ON REPUBLICS AND DEMOCRACIES
Classical Liberal: Believed the highest form of government to be a Constitutional Republic with Rights guaranteed by God for the good of the people.
Modern Liberal: Thinks Democracy the highest form of government, Constitutions open to “living legislation” by the Judiciary, God an anachronism, and the good of the people best decided and protected in every case by majority vote.
ON CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE
Classical Liberal: Believed the most important aspects of an individual to be the nature and content of his character.
Modern Liberal: Believes the most important aspects of an individual to be his charisma, charm, and personality.
© JWG, Jr. 2006
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