"There are three general opinions as to the main danger facing mankind in general and the nation in particular: Conservatism, liberalism, and libertarianism. "Those who value civilization are called conservatives. For them the enemy is barbarism. The conservative expects that all men are equally prone to corruption and self-serving, and that no one can be trusted with power. Their view is that each man is primarily responsible himself for his own life. "Those who value equality are called liberals. For them the enemy is exploitation, that is, the abuse of the free market by the rich or by the many to oppress the poor or the few. The liberal view is that Man is evolving, and eventually all men will be better, once social institutions and education has the opportunity to create better men. Their view is that the social conditions and institutions are primarily responsible for man, as well as primarily responsible for the failures and evils of man. Hence the liberal view, for example, that poverty causes crime. Their view of man is collective. "Those who value liberty are called libertarians. For them the enemy is slavery, that is, the abuse of the authority of the sovereign to oppress the citizen. The libertarian view is that man is utterly autonomous , and that civilization and law exist only to protect the innate rights of the individual. Individual liberty is absolute, and has no just limits on its exercise, except that no man may use his liberty to invade the liberty of another man."
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 17:06:51 +0000
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