Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Christians and libertarians together

Marvin Olasky shows the way. Here’s a snippet, couched in terms of advice for Mike Huckabee:

This "small government requires social conservatism" argument is not a 10-second soundbite, but Huckabee in speeches could explain that a conservative position on social issues contributes to a conservative position on fiscal issues: Individuals who are family-reliant and God-reliant are rarely government-reliant. He should also insist that same-sex marriage be opposed only in ways that treat gays as still possessing human dignity. He should assert that anyone who says "I’m righteous and you’re not" has an inadequate view of sin.

Stated another way, the libertarian theme of personal responsibility is the product of and produces responsibility to and for a community. This is not liberationist libertarianism, which is the product of and produces personal irresponsibility. And irresponsible people are rarely willing to live with the consequences of their actions. In their weakness, they’ll call for someone to bail them out. And since their irresponsibility has typically sundered relations with individuals or the proverbial little platoons, all too often they’ll have base their claim for assistance on something abstract and impersonal, like the "right to healthcare." Enter big government.

Discussions - 2 Comments

These are incisive points you raise--but I must say, they're precisely the ones that have led me to support Ron Paul. Libertarianism, properly applied, is a bridge to communitarianism and personal responsibility. Our federal government incentivizes recklessness, for rich and poor alike; experience demonstrates that it's best to localize most governing, and keep folks accountable to their neighbors. I think Huckabee is on the Jim Wallace bandwagon of "[federal] government for your good," which tends in the direction of soul-less bureaucracy. Plus, isn't he out of cash?

Interesting! It looks like this bit of insight is too late for 08, but perhaps Huck will get the message for the future...

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