Liberalism is the philosophical belief in the goodness of mankind and the inviolability of universal civil rights under a limited central government. Unlike the belief system of the left wing liberals, liberalism seeks to narrow the focus away from rigid viewpoints and instead focus on bettering society as whole by finding common ground. Liberalism seeks to establish a government beneficial to the common welfare with fair laws and equal opportunities. Liberals believe in a government regulated economic system that protects citizens from big businesses which only seek to devour the little guys through monopolies and corporate buy-outs. Conversely, liberalism supports the need for a free market without government interference or control. Everyone is free to participate in an unregulated marketplace. If the government steps in to limit the successes of big businesses, then our country will become more socialist than capitalist, and individual responsibility will be lost. A free market allows for unlimited public access to wealth and products, as well as individual innovation.
Liberalism stresses the rights of the individual, and the root to a successful government is the fair and equal treatment of its people. The central values of liberalism are freedom; responsibility of the individual; tolerance in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual preference, geographic location, and socio-economic status; social justice; and equality of opportunity. Everyone should have access to the same level of education, and everyone should have the opportunity to pursue any job which he or she desires in complying with absolute tolerance. Freedom and equality are values which should be implemented worldwide, and decisions about international affairs should be agreed upon in a peaceful, unimposing setting between elected officials of all nations.
In a liberalist society, every individual is responsible for his or her own actions. People are free to live their lives while keeping in mind the interests of the common good. Everyone is entitled to free speech and access to information. Peace abounds in a liberalist society because everyone is free and equal.
Although all of this sounds rather Utopian on paper, our society is a long way away from the liberalist goal. With left and right wing candidates constantly going out for blood, our society is limiting its own progression. Plus, in order to begin to dream for world peace, all the other societies of the world would have to change. Politicians just aren’t that flexible when it comes to relinquishing their power over to the people they govern, and with terrorist threats and energy warfare on the rise, the central government is really our main source of protection. People cannot be expected to take that kind of responsibility for the common welfare, because, unfortunately, most people are inherently selfish. If that weren’t true, then we would have succeeded in establishing such a benevolent government by now.
Liberalism is a beautiful dream, but there is no way to ensure it’s success in a cut-throat capitalist society. As long as people have the longing for wealth, they have the longing for short-cuts and greed. Somehow it is hard to believe that an unselfish society can exist on the foundation of a selfish marketplace.
Hopefully the liberalism reform will come to life one day, and all the nations of the world can exist in a peaceful, loving manner.
Tags: Liberal, Liberalism, liberals