How The Ideas of Liberty Win

By Chris Rossini

Conflict is a permanent part of the human condition. Human beings have unlimited wants, but live in a world of scarce resources. Conflict is thus unavoidable and perpetual.

While on the surface this may seem like a bad thing, it doesn't necessarily have to be. Conflicts may be unavoidable, but how they are resolved mean everything.

The ideas of Liberty offer a wonderful answer to this dilemma: Conflicts should be resolved peacefully. Private property, contracts, sound money, free markets, the division of labor and specialization are the way. While conflicts can never be eliminated completely, these ideas exponentially reduce them in both number and severity.

The ideas of authoritarianism offer a much different prescription: Resolve conflicts through force. Take what you want. Ignore private property, pretend contracts don't exist, cronyism, "central planning" (which is really centralized chaos), and central bank counterfeiting are to be adopted. These ideas exponentially increase the number of conflicts, as well as their severity.

These two opposing ideas have now both had a century of domination in America. During the first century of our nation, the ideas of Liberty dominated. That doesn't mean that everyone was a libertarian. Far from it. It just means that the ideas of Liberty dominated. The results were a century of prosperity that the world literally had never experienced before.

This was a whole new ballgame for humanity.

During the second century of our nation's history, the ideas of authoritarianism have dominated. The results, all the way up to the present moment, could not be more predictable. While the America dominated by Liberty was known as the "New World," modern-day America has become more and more like the "Old World" that it broke away from.

The "Old World" was the status quo of mankind's history. Authoritarianism has always been the norm. The "Old World" was surely threatened by the ideas of the "New World." 

Individual liberty? 

The biggest middle class in mankind's history?

Anyone could climb as high as they desire? 

Travel as they please? 

Own their own homes? 

Be captains of their own their own ships?

No...no...no. 

This was not a good development for believers of "Old World" ideas. This was a huge problem.

Should "New World" ideas dominate the globe, the "Old World" ideas might vanish!

This was a conundrum.

The "Old World" had no absolutely no chance of taking the "New World" head on. Nothing animates the human soul like freedom. You can't just walk in and take it away. People will die en masse to protect their freedom.

Instead, those who valued freedom would have to be convinced that it was better not to have it, and that they should relinquish it on their own.

So little by little, year by year, the "New World" had to be melted down. "Old World" ideas would have to be steadily injected into this environment of individuals. "Old World" habits, institutions, laws and policies would be introduced; one, after another, after another.

With this indirect strategy, the "New World" and the ideas that animated it would gradually disappear. The "Old World" authoritarianism is all that would be left.

The status quo of all of human history would return.

And so today, we see the "Old World" right in front of our very eyes:

"You will own nothing, and be happy."

You will be intimately monitored from cradle to grave. 

Travel? Forget about it. That will be for the elites.

Your food? Bugs and lab-created non-foods.

Your speech? Restricted.

Your traditions? Gone.

Your religions? Also gone.

Your body? Roll up your sleeves.

Now...

All of these threats appear to be moving forward and are spoken of as if this is all a done deal. It's inevitable as far are you are to be concerned. 

Well, nothing could be further from the truth. 

Liberty is always only an idea away. That is why the propaganda has to be so intense, and has to hit you from every angle.

Liberty is only one idea, and one choice, away.

This is a battle of ideas. It is not a battle of arms. It is not a geographical battle. It is not a physical battle in any way. It is all mental.

Here's the best news imaginable:

We are all the individual kings of our own minds. The moment that you make the decision, and firmly believe that you are meant to live free, it is a done deal as far as you are concerned. No matter what happens, good or bad, you have taken control of your own destiny. In your mind, your flag has been planted. And because it's in your mind, your flag cannot be touched by anyone else.

Speak the words of Liberty to others, and they just might make the same decision as you. They might plant their own mental flags. It's their choice, in the very same way that it is your choice.

Believe and speak --- Believe and speak.

That's the only way that "New World" ideas will prevail.

​One mind at a time.