The Betrayal of Liberalism: How the Disciples of Freedom and Equality Helped Foster the Illiberal Politics of Coercion and Control

This collection of papers explores various aspects of the decline of the liberal movement, ostensibly dedicated to peace and freedom, sweetness and light, into the coercive utopian form that dominates in the western world at the present time. As a result of this process the term liberalism has ceased to mean anything unless it is qualified in some way. All of the contributors have something valuable to offer, especially Keith Windshuttle and Robert Conquest. Windschuttle has studied the waxing and waning fortunes of British liberalism, especially in relation to imperialism and the Empire. Adam Smith and David Hume saw no future for overseas dominions other than as friendly trading partners and similar views were held by the 19th century Manchester radicals such as Cobden and Bright. However one evil led to another because the threat of Napoleon prompted Britain to establish a worldwide system of naval bases to protect their sea trade and later these became the entry points for colonization of the pink coloured empire that extended around the globe. The philosophical counterpart of this movement was the philosophy of T H Green and the later Mill. The new nationalism and jingoism of the late 19th century resulted in some of the most squalid episodes in British history, of which the worst was probably the Boer War. Robert Conquest's essay examines the record and credibility of the fellow-travelers with communism. During the Cold War Arthur Koestler speculated that the future of civilization might depend on the outcome of the struggle between communists and ex-communists because only ex-communists could comprehend how the cause could capture the loyalties of some of the best of men and also the worst of men. The best had to undergo crises of conscience when the reality could not be avoided. Little Louie, the fictional communist dockworker in Darkness at Noon committed suicide but more sophisticated western fellow travelers generally lack his integrity. The collection has strengths and weaknesses. First the positives.For a long time it has been apparent that true liberalism could win any number of battles on economic policy but still lose the war through being outflanked on the cultural front. It often seems that true liberals of the libertarian kind have not been very active on this front or even aware of the issues at stake. Conservatives tend to be more alert to the dangers in this area and more active in responding to them, as the contributors to this collection have done.Some market liberals may need to be reminded that we do not live by bread and technology alone. Our lives gain meaning and purpose from the myths and traditions which constitute our non-material heritage. At a lower but no less important level our daily transactions are dignified and lubricated by civility and good manners. Both the higher and lower orders of this fragile structure of civilisation are perpetuated bycultural practices and by institutions such as the family and the

Kramer and Kimball show how classical liberalism (free-markets, free-people, small government) has been betrayed and abandoned in favor of a "modernized" version that inverts the priorities of the classicists -- namely the promotion of controlled-markets, regulated-people, and an activist government. Freedom (personal or economic) is no longer the most important guiding principle. Rather egalitarianism and vague notions of equality and social justice are promoted instead. The consequence has been the creation of a top-heavy administrative (bureaucratic, regulated) State that continually seeks to increase its sphere of influence -- a centralized federal power that consume 20% of the nation's production. And while modern liberalism still pays lip service to personal freedom, its ambition for egalitarianism necessarily impose on both economic and personal freedom -- hence the books subtitle, "How the Disciples of Freedom and Equality Helped Foster The Illiberal Politics of Coercion and Control." This book is an essential read for those wishing to understand how American values were transformed from those of the Founding Fathers to those of Marx.

Although the current mavens of the "liberal" school will shriek apostasy, The "Betrayal of Liberalism" nails it precisely and unsparingly. The question is will anyone take to it to heart? Preaching to the choir has been the failure of many excellent treatises on the bankruptcy of modern liberalism. Offending the liberal orthodoxy may make new friends among the conservative movement but it does little for one in the world of culture, academia, and least of in the arts. For all of that, there are still authors who struggle on speaking truth to power and exploding the base nastiness of modern liberalism. The price over time is that one will be smeared relentlessly until even if one's work is never widely read, the nasty things averred of the author are. For good measure, for a fictional look at a debasement of freedom imposed and for the most part cheerfully accepted, what liberalism hopes to attain in other words, read "Transfer-the end of the beginning" by Jerry Furland.