Ideological Affirmation Task Force seeking comment from libertarians http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=020107A By Arnold Kling : 01 Feb 2007 "As in a church, everyone has an opinion how things ought to run. Internet users express their opinions through meetings of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The IETF is another volunteer organization... [Requests for Comment] RFCs are the documents that define the Internet. They talk about how it works, how to use it, and where it is going." -- Ed Krol, The Whole Internet User's Guide & Catalog, first edition, p. 14 and p.317
I admire the governance structure of the Internet. I believe that libertarian conservatives, under siege from so many directions, could draw inspiration from this open, voluntary, do-it-yourself, just-in-time approach. I invite readers to participate in an Ideological Affirmation Task Force (IATF). The first Request for Comment (RFC) is given below. It is a draft document that attempts to articulate a set of principles for contemporary libertarian conservatives. To comment on these principles on your blog, write a post that includes the phrase "IATF RFC." I will use that phrase to search for comments. Please elaborate on the wording that most appeals to you and the wording that needs the most improvement. There are certain to be revisions, and comments themselves are an important part of the conversation. IATF RFC Number 1, version 0.2: Who We Are Economic Principles 1. We weave a thread of self-reliance into a sturdy fabric of interdependence. By respecting the law, we reinforce impersonal justice. By competing intensely and fairly in an impersonal global market, we raise our standard of living through specialization and innovation. By upholding Constitutional principles for limited government, we sustain our individual freedom. 2. We are creative and pro-active in helping one another. We do not have the patience to wait for government, nor do we want to be lulled into passivity by the promise of government. Instead, to solve those problems that require collective action, we form voluntary associations, including civic groups, corporations, clubs, standards-setting bodies, consumer information services, and charitable foundations. 3. Government must be kept in its place. We hold government officials to high standards of competence, honesty, and fairness. However, we do not confuse government with family. We do not confuse government with religion. We do not confuse government with business. We are conscious that any expansion of government responsibility, however well-intended, crowds out those institutions that are the true bulwark of our society. 4. We celebrate the successes of others. We are glad when an entrepreneur becomes wealthy by finding a way to fill a customer need. We are glad when an immigrant family climbs the ladder of success. We are glad when people living in other countries make economic progress and spur us to innovate and improve. Ethical Principles 5. Government cannot legislate morality, but it does mess with the incentives. Those incentives should never be tilted against the institution of the family whose mission is to raise children to be fine, upstanding citizens. 6. We maintain an ongoing conversation about morality and ethics. This conversation is informed by the Ten Commandments and Biblical scripture. It is informed by the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. It is vital to continue the conversation, even when consensus is difficult. 7. Like new businesses, new moral ideals can revitalize our society, even though many of them fail. For example, we recognize that we are a better people without racial segregation or barriers to the education and career opportunities for women. However, we judge some social experiments to be failures, including eugenics, Communism, and nihilistic cultural relativism. International Principles 8. Our ideology does not have to be sustained by military suppression. Although it can inspire people to fight against tyranny, ultimately our ideology allows us to live in peace. 9. We believe that people all over the world yearn for liberty, and for them we stand as a beacon and a champion. But we recognize that freedom is not ours to give when community leaders are not ready to seize the opportunity that it offers. 10. When foreign leaders issue threats against us, we take them at their word and act accordingly. The Need for Affirmation The goal of articulating these principles is to fill what appears to be a need for affirmation. This need arises for a number of reasons. Since 9/11, we have become aware that we are in an ideological war. We seem to lack tools to fight that war. Anti-Americanism is reportedly high and rising, and we are puzzled, because in our hearts we know that we stand for what is good. To the extent that a set of principles serves to clarify who we are, it can be a tool in the ideological war. Our principles can be used to connect with our friends in other English-speaking countries, but they could also be translated into every language and posted on street corners around the world. The unsuccessful nation-building exercise in Iraq has debilitated our spirit. It would be wonderful if the new strategy in Iraq succeeds, so that the President's enemies, foreign and domestic, are confounded. But I question whether the various religious and secular leaders in Iraq have what it takes to live in an open society. In any case, I would like to see this issue raised before we undertake nation-building exercises in the future. Meanwhile, we have fallen back into a pre-9/11 feckless timidity in the face of threats from Iran and North Korea. We need an ideological affirmation so that we do not lose sight of the need to confront dangerous foreign leaders. On economic policy, many libertarian conservatives feel that our supposed allies among Republican elected officials went astray over the past six years. They made government larger, more inept, more intrusive, and more corrupt. We need to express the idea of limited government clearly and with moral force. When it comes to limited government, our political opponents constantly seek to define us by impugning our motives. With an ideological affirmation, we can discuss our principles with open- minded citizens and thereby counteract the demonization tactics. Within the conservative movement, concerns about immigration or homosexuality can veer into hatred. If Hispanics want to come to our country to earn an honest living, then that is a good thing, even though it is impractical to accomodate all of them. If homosexuals want to attempt to form families in order to raise children to be fine, upstanding citizens, then their intentions are good, even though we may be profoundly skeptical that such arrangements will not backfire on the institution of the family. We need an ideological affirmation in order to make sure that legitimate concerns with immigration or moral issues are expressed in a context of optimism and understanding, not fear.
