Why Democracy? — The Tyranny of the Majority

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Culture, Freedom, Government, Liberalism, Liberty, Morality, Philosophy, Politics

We’ve been brought up to think that democracy, i.e., rule by the people, is a good thing. Most of the wars that the United States has fought in its history have been, purportedly, to make the world safe for democracy or to spread democracy to those who have lived under oppressive tyrannies. It would be safe to say that for the ordinary American, democracy is equivalent with liberty. It’s often been said that democracy may not be the perfect form of government, but it’s better than all its predecessors.

I want to debunk this notion. As I’ve studied the concept of individual liberty, I’ve come to realize that not only is democracy not equivalent with liberty, but in some subtle ways, democracy may be even more detrimental to individual liberty than other forms of government. Some of the most evil and oppressive regimes in the past century were democratically elected, yet they did more harm to the cause of individual liberty than the old monarchies of Europe.

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To Serve and Protect?

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Culture, Freedom, Government, Libertarianism, Liberty, Philosophy, Police, Police State, Politics, Totalitarianism

There’s been a lot of talk in some political circles as to whether or not America is creeping toward a police state. Before we go any further with this discussion, it would be helpful to lay out a definition of what a police state is. Let’s define a police state as thus: A nation in which the police, especially a secret police, summarily suppresses any social, economic, or political act that conflicts with governmental policy. With that definition in mind, it might seem strange to equate the United States with a police state. When one thinks of a police state, one typically thinks of the USSR or China or Cuba, not America. However, to be fair, I said there are some who speak of whether or not America is creeping toward a police state. Inherent in that statement is the understanding that America is not quite yet a police state, but is exhibiting signs of approaching one.

Now it is not my intention to debate the pros and cons of such a position. I am neither informed enough nor qualified enough to debate whether or not America is approaching the qualities of a police state. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that America is indeed creeping toward a totalitarian police state. However, most of us live our lives without running foul of the authorities; therefore, we generally treat such stories as the fruit of conspiratorial minds.

Why Libertarianism? Why Not?

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Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Conservatism, Culture, Freedom, Government, Jesus Christ, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Liberty, Philosophy, Politics, Theology

As has been noted elsewhere, I am a recent ‘convert’ to the political philosophy of Libertarianism. This has raised questions from some of my more conservative Christian friends as to why I would embrace a political philosophy that advocates for (among other things) drug legalization and gay marriage. How could a Christian, a conservative, Bible-believing, evangelical, embrace Libertarianism? I have written elsewhere on the compatibility of Christianity and Libertarianism, but I want to expand on that a bit here and suggest that not only is Libertarianism compatible with Christianity, but Libertarianism is the only political philosophy that makes sense for a Christian to hold. That’s a pretty bold statement to make, and I’m sure I will get some push back for it. All I ask is that if you disagree with me, please take the time to discern why you disagree with me; examine your theological and political presuppositions and make sure your politics agrees with your theology. I have often said on this blog that American Christians are far too American and not enough Christian when it comes to social and political discussions.

Let’s begin with what Libertarianism is not. Libertarianism is not to be confused with Libertinism. Libertinism is a moral philosophy, not a political philosophy. A Libertine is one who essentially operates without moral principles, especially in matters of sexual behavior. A Libertine typically rejects accepted opinions on matters of religion; they are sometimes referred to as free thinkers (an oxymoron from a Christian worldview). Here is a good rule of thumb when considering Libertinism and Libertarianism: Most (if not all) Libertines are Libertarians, but not all Libertarians are Libertines. It is true that some Libertarians advocate for drug legalization and recognition of gay marriage, but not all. It is important to not confuse the two; when people do, in an attempt to argue against Libertarianism, they erect straw men and argue in a disingenuous manner.

American Exceptionalism — A Christian Response

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American Exceptionalism, Culture, Freedom, Liberty, Morality, Philosophy, Politics, U.S. Constitution

I am an American citizen. I was born here and I will probably die here. Back when I was in school, we were still taught American history in which the United States were still looked at in a positive light. I was taught to love my country, be proud of my country, and be loyal to my country. In other words, I was taught that America is an exceptional country.

If you look up the word “exceptional” in a dictionary, it is defined as follows: “forming an exception or rare instance; unusual; extraordinary.” Given this definition, is America exceptional? I would argue “yes.” Our country is rare, unusual and extraordinary in many ways. It’s formation was exceptional. The United States of America was born when representatives from the 13 British colonies declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776 and won that independence seven years later in 1783 when the War of Independence was won and the Treaty of Paris was signed recognizing the sovereignty of these United States of America. What was exceptional about our formation was that America was the first nation in the history of the world that was founded on the classical liberal ideals of life, liberty and property. The American experiment, as I like to call it, is an experiment in freedom, liberty and self-determination. No nation prior and no nation since has had a founding quite like ours.

Why I am (and am not) a Liberal

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Culture, Government, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Liberty, Philosophy, Politics, U.S. Constitution

Before many of my Christian friends think I’ve gone off the deep end and started embracing theological liberalism, I am using “liberal” in the political sense and not the theological sense. I am, will always remain (Lord willing) a confessionally reformed evangelical. But even in the political sense, how can I both be and not be a liberal? Well, that depends on how you define the term “liberal.”

“Liberal” has undergone a redefinition over the past 100 years. Back at the turn of the last century, a liberal was someone who was a strong proponent of individual liberty and a small, limited government. Nowadays we call these people libertarians. While I’m OK with the label “libertarian,” I don’t like the fact that the label “liberal” was co-opted by people who are not liberal by the classic definition of the word. So this article is one man’s (perhaps Quixotic) attempt to regain a word that has fallen out of use.

A very helpful organization called LearnLiberty.org has a video called “What is Classical Liberalism.” In that video, the speaker highlights ten principles that most classical liberals adhere to. I am going to expound a bit on those principles and contrast each principle with where modern liberalism stands on that principle. In the end hopefully you’ll see why we need to take our label back from the pretenders.

Government, Debt and Morality

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Christian Living, Christianity, Culture, Election 2012, Government, Liberty, Morality, National Debt, Politics, Ron Paul

By all accounts, the most pressing issue on voter’s minds for this upcoming election is the economy. To which we all say…DUH! However, to hear the rhetoric of President Obama and many of the GOP contenders, the problem with the economy is that our unemployment numbers are too high. If we can get America back working again, the economy will improve as the new workers will begin spending again. As such, we have the President touting his “jobs” bill and all of the GOP contenders unveiling their “jobs” plans.

The State vs. Liberty

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Freedom, Government, Libertarianism, Liberty, Philosophy, Politics, U.S. Constitution

It is during this election cycle more so than at any time in my life time that the lines are being drawn between whether or not the United States of America remains to be a country founded on the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence, or it transforms irrevocably into an elected dictatorship with power concentrated in the executive branch and more and more control being transferred from the Congress and the people to the president.

Why do I say this? What proof do I have to back this up? Let’s consider government spending as a percentage of GDP. According to this chart, government spending as a percentage of GDP was nearly 42% in fiscal year 2010. These are the highest levels of government spending since WWII. Moreover, since its most recent low of 20% in 1948, the rate of government growth as measured by this index has grown steadily to its current high. In other words, the rate of government growth has been slow and incremental. That is until Barack Obama assumed office in 2009. At that time, the rate of government growth jumped up dramatically from 37.39% to 42.11%; more than the entire rate of growth during the Bush years (which grew from 33.61% in 2001 to 37.39% in 2008, a 4% growth in government).

Ron Paul vs. Herman Cain

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Election 2012, Government, Herman Cain, Liberty, Politics, Ron Paul

As I continue to observe the 2012 GOP presidential primary, it is becoming more and more apparent that mainstream republican voters are dissatisfied with the current field of candidates. Up until the Ames, IA debate and straw poll, many were clamoring for Texas Governor Rick Perry to enter the race, and he did not disappoint — that is until he first opened his mouth at his first debate. His debating skills are, to say the least, to be desired. Despite that, Perry has been exposed on his less than conservative stances over the years. The bottom line on Rick Perry is that he is a republican opportunist who looks and sounds conservative, but upon closer examination, reveals himself to be inconsistently conservative at best.

After Perry waxed and waned, people were pressing such republican celebrities such as former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan to enter into the race. As of this writing, all three of them have declined to enter into the race. Unless something drastic happens, the current field of candidates is going to be it. That means conservatives are either going to have to hold their collective noses and pull the lever for Mitt Romney, or rally around a current candidate.

Christianity and the State — Liberty and Morality

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Christian Living, Christianity, Freedom, Government, Jesus Christ, Libertarianism, Liberty, Politics, Theology

Continuing our series on Christianity and the State, we’re going to look at the concepts of Liberty and Morality. In our last article, we looked at politics and activism as it relates to the Christian and the State. In that article, we noted that it is perfectly acceptable for the Christian to be involved in the political process to work for the betterment of society as long as he or she works within the legal system set up by the State. That’s going to look very different in a Democratic-Republic like the United States than it would under the Communist-Totalitarian state that was the USSR. This was all based on the passage in 1 Corinthians 7:21 where Paul writes, “But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.” In other words, Christians aren’t supposed to upset the social order — that’s not our calling as individual Christians — but if the situation avails itself to improve one’s lot in life, then take it. Our application of that passage was that if the opportunity is available for the Christian to improve the social order through legal political activism, then that is an appropriate use of his time and talents.

“What Are Rights?”

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Classical Liberalism, Freedom, Government, Libertarianism, Liberty, Philosophy, Politics

In today’s political climate, there is a lot of talk surrounding our economic problems. In America as of this writing, we currently have an unemployment rate of 9.1% (actual numbers are higher when underemployed and those who have quit looking for a job are factored in), an annual federal budget deficit of $1.6T, and a total national debt of $14.6T. The stock market had been acting like a roller coaster and all economic indicators are suggesting that we’re in the grips of a severe recession.

Because of this situation, there is serious talk about looking at budget items that can be cut and eliminated. This is only rational considering that revenues are lower. However, while there are many who can agree that such items as foreign aid and the military spending can be trimmed, there are howls of protest whenever the subject of entitlement spending is brought up. That word, “entitlement,” suggests that things like social security, medicare, medicaid, unemployment insurance, etc. are rights — things Americans are entitled to.