Protect privacy, Capitalism depends on it.

I have a thesis that is developing. One of the logical bricks in this thesis is the idea that what passes for accepted dogma and public policy in the realm of modern liberalism and the policies of the Democrat party in the United States (actually socialism) requires the de-emphasis of privacy. In fact, in order for the great society philosophy to be realized privacy must become an artifact of days gone by, the consequence is an indirect assault on Capitalism. It's happening as we speak and you need to be on the lookout for it.

It is easy for many to become confused by the posturing of various political leaders today. We have a president who clearly likes big government, yet is the default leader of a politcal party supposidly premised on Capitalism, free enterprise and liberty. We have elected representatives in Madison who whisper in secret when it comes to taking on anything regarding the soviet styled, monopolistic education system in Wisconsin; preferring the likes of many here OTBL to run the gauntlet of criticism for daring to attack.

While it may appear somewhat confusing, what is not to me is the clear fact that the socialists (which I essentially mean the modern manifestation of the Democrat party in America) who advocate great society, big government policy have instituted in the education system (and elsewhere) this idea that keeping ones personal matters personal is somehow bad. That, in fact, it is virtuous to tell all about ones family, work, income, friends and aquiantences, you name it. It goes so far as to require children to bring to their teachers in the government schools a myriad of answers to very personal questions about themselves and their families. Why?

I believe that this is a systematic attack on capitalism as the premise of the American economic system. Philosophically, those on the left who are the true believers (typically, marxist idealogues who do their darndest to masquarade otherwise) oppose lassiez faire capitalism and endeavor to implement socialism at every turn as socialism is the stepping stone, or intermediate step, toward marxism. If you don't believe there are people who believe in marxism, just look no further than our university campuses.

So, here is the thesis. In order to accomplish a devolution and destruction of capitalism, the primacy of private property must be eliminated. In order to accomplish that task, privacy itself must be devalued and full disclosure of personal information must come to be viewed as a virtue. Step by step, once full disclosure is viewed as a virtue then the whole idea of what is mine and what is yours becomes completely muddied and then national socialist ideas such as self-sacrifice as virtue become commonplace. From there, it is a very short philosophical walk to one form of collectivism or another, which then eliminates the full premise upon which our Founding Fathers stood. It should come as no surprise why there are some of us out here (I dare say all) who defend free markets and capitalism as vehemently as we do.

Now, this may at first blush seem counter-intuitive. After all, most in the tradition of the Democrat Party value highly personal liberty, freedom of speech, abortion rights, etc. This seeming confliction of the left makes sense when viewed from the premise of destroying capitalism and replacing it with highly interventionist policy (the clear stepping stone to socialism). That confliction has resolved itself on the left with the mass exodus from their party by the likes of Ronald Reagan (originally a Democrat) and Zell Miller. They both believe in capitalism more than they believe in redistributing away the basis of it. So, the destruction of capitalism was a premise long ago which infused into the Democrats mindset and was pushed into the government school monopolies in subtle and not so subtle ways. Such a change could never be openly advocated, nor accomplished in a day, in a country whose prosperity brought about by capitalism is unparalelled in the world. No, in the tradition of George Bernard Shaw the frog must be boiled very slowly... and we must start with the children.

Now, there is substantial support for my thesis and it comes from none other than Ludwig Von Mises who wrote the following in his small but very engaging book, The Anti-Capitalist Mentality: "Private property creates for the individual a sphere in which he is free of the state. It sets limits to the operation of the authoritarian will. It allows other forces to arise side by side with and in opposition to political power." What Mises is telling us here is that not only is private property the basis of capitalism, but also the one thing that must be defended at all costs. It is the basis for our individual freedom and liberty. Most recently too, you have Walter E. Williams' article, The Indoctrination of Our Youth.

Folks, the left's philosophy of statism starts with our kids and you need to look for the warning signs at every turn. Then, challenge anyone who asks your child for any personal information. Ask why. What possible relationship can there be to academic training? The answer is usually none, and your privacy should be kept that way... private.

For a great primer on private property, I would refer anyone to Tibor Machan's Right to Private Property. Machan's biography is here.

For more information on Von Mises - go to: www.mises.org

bildanielson @ OnTheBorderLine