The Tug of Liberalism

The Tug of Liberalism

Posted on May 20,2010

The Promise: At its core, Liberalism seems reasonable. Liberalism uses the mechanisms of a strong central government, so that society can be modeled from the top down. Equality, fair distribution of wealth, no poverty, and a level playing field for all is the promise of Liberalism. This Utopian vision lurks in the hearts of everybody, especially the idealistic young and those who can't seem to make any headway in a free society.

Other Liberals: There are other Liberals. Other Liberals can basically be defined as people who have been bestowed with the talent to earn great wealth such as entertainers, athletes, and others whose talents have allowed them to enjoy the fruits of having money. Most of this group came from humble beginnings and feel a little guilty over their success. Their compassion for those less fortunate is an honest, heartfelt desire for the government to help alleviate the pain of the lower strata's of society.

Liberal Friends: Liberals take a bum rap from the extreme Right. My Liberal friends are patriotic, compassionate, honest people who have the deep seeded belief that the government has the responsibility to advance the living conditions of the poor from squalid conditions to a more tolerable lifestyle. They disdain the avarice of big business and generally blame business for the plight of the less fortunate.

The Greedy: Greed takes its toll and erodes trust between the Liberal and the Conservative. The greedy and ambitious of both extremes exploit both Liberals and Conservatives. Greedy politicians fan the flames of mistrust; those with political ambitions suck the life from the center. The extremes of both sides are destructive to society. However, the pull of the extremes gives direction to the center and helps to make normal corrections that maintain equilibrium.

The Center: The center of the political tug-of-war is not an easily defined area. It meanders left and then right. The center vacillates between the two extremes. For instance, in the later years of the 1800's, the pendulum of center was tilted to the right. Conditions were appalling for the working man and child labor was common. If you weren't rich during this period, you were miserable. It took a series of labor laws and the formation of labor unions to move the center towards the Left. Now, in the 21st century, the meandering course of our politics has swung too far left. Government has become too intrusive and is hurting the opportunity for wealth creation. And just as when our political course was too far right, a society that wanders too far left suffers. The extreme left only works as long as there is adequate wealth creation.

The Reality: As long as there is enough money to finance their Utopian ideas, Liberalism works. But Liberalism transforms into a beast that is insatiable because of the demands of a growing constituency that wants more and more benefits. The political machine in charge has a vested interest in maintaining its political power base. However, keeping their base of power becomes more problematic as a heavier load is placed on the producers. The demands made on those who produce wealth becomes unbearable.

Wealth Decreases: As the financial load increases on the wealth producers, disillusionment increases. In the pursuit of a better life for their families, a producer may have started a business, pursued excellence in a profession, or bought equities in a business that was perceived as being profitable... all for the purpose of creating personal wealth. These producers are responsible for creating the jobs that the rest of society depends on to maintain their families. But as the producers become discouraged from the abuse by the Liberal establishment, they quit making those investments or making those purchases that help maintain the financial health of a society. High taxes, unwarranted legislation, and demonization by a Liberal establishment all combine to prevent risk taking and job creation.

Course Correction: It is easy to see that a course correction to the right is needed. Over reaching tax and regulation burdens are the crushing blows of extreme Liberalism. There is no pot of gold at the end of the current spending spree we are on. Franklin Roosevelt had the great fortune of a pot of gold at the end of his spending spree. That pot of gold was to be the leader of a nation untouched by the ravages of war. That unique position made the United States the world's supermarket. The war refurbished our industries and refined our production techniques. As a nation, we entered a golden age of prosperity. But the same conditions are not present today. There is no pot of gold; there is not even a rainbow to give hope. The only apparent solution from Liberals is to borrow our way to prosperity. As a practical matter, try borrowing your way to prosperity. Remember, the bill will come due and the piper always has to be paid.

The Piper: The bills will come due. Our children and later generations will have a debt that will kill the goose that lays the golden egg. The pump of wealth creation is not self-priming. We are stealing the prime that makes the pump work. If you have ears, listen. You can hear the sound of opportunity for our future generations packing its bag. If we continue to waste our wealth on the frivolity of a Utopian dream, the lessons learned from chasing Utopia will be a very harsh lesson indeed.

Cheers,

-Robert-

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