The Classical View of Liberalism

I've spoken several times about how our current partisan split works like a screw that systematically clamps down on our liberties as power swings from left to right.

To break out of this contraption, we need leaders who understand the mechanism ... and should avoid the "true conservatives who are dedicated to the partisan divide.

We need leaders who are dedicated to liberty (liberals in the sense that Adams, Jefferson and Washington were liberals), but who understand the modern mindset to avoid all of the pitfalls for liberalism.

The US Founders had a solid training in classical logic, and were part of a tradition that began to realize that creating a climate of freedom is largely a matter of removing those things that oppressed the people.

The founders studied history and realized that governments are the primary oppressor of people. So, the founders created a limited government charged specifically with a small number of powers to keep the government from undermining people and becoming the oppressor.

To get back on this track we need more than partisan conservatives. We need intellectual leaders who actually understand the dynamics of this system.

I really don't see many of these people appearing in the Republican party. Any that realize that the whole point of American conservativism is to preserve a liberal order get shouted down by loud mouthed wanks who have a knee jerk partisan reaction to the word "liberal."

To preserve freedom, we have to break this cycle where freedom is diminished from both the left and right. It will take a complete different dialog than the dialog on Fox and in mainstream conservatism.

Such a dialog does not begin with criticism of one's partisans opponents but reflection on one's own intentions and how one's actions can undermine one's intentions.