by Chris Alexion, Copyright December 10, 2006, all rights reserved. 40 views
What makes an American? Given America's mixed ethnic history and role as a cultural melting pot, I'd argue that true "Americans" are born of belief rather than blood, and that liberty and equality are the cardinal dogmas of American orthodoxy. Yet as a classmate of mine pointed out in a recent discussion, contemporary Americans are jeopardizing both of these ideals. They're doing this by abandoning liberty in pursuit of a skewed concept of equality.
Let me start by saying that I'm all for equality. That's also part of what makes America unique. We've had and still have our moments of shame and inconsistency, but in this land it's not your granddaddy but your character and skills that matter. My ancestors were humble immigrants from Greece and Italy, and today I'm as American as anyone. Red, yellow, black, white, male, female, Greek, Jew–all are equal under the law.
But recent interpretations of equality insist on more than equal treatment and equal opportunity. Mortimer Adler, for instance, argues that Jefferson's phrase "the pursuit of happiness" implies that everyone, rather than merely being left alone and unhindered to pursue happiness, should be provided with all reasonable means to achieve this goal: "[O]ur natural rights consist in our rights to life, liberty, and anything else that we need in order to pursue happiness [emphasis mine]–goods that the government of an organized society can confer upon us . . ." (We Hold These Truths: Understanding the Ideas and Ideals of the Constitution [New York: Macmillan, 1987], p. 41).
In other words, says Adler, all the other rights Jefferson lists "are rights to things that every human being needs in order to succeed in the effort to lead a decent human life" (Adler, p. 52). Adler suggests that government may need to provide services like education and health care in order to promote true equality.
In Chesterton's day, budding English socialism insisted that more government intervention could help make men equal, and in this quest they drew attention to the post office. "The red pillar-box," says GKC, "was the immovable post against which the irresistible force of Capitalist individualism was arrested. Business men who said that nothing could be managed by the State were forced to admit that they trusted all their business letters and business telegrams to the State" (Eugenics and Other Evils, ch. 2 section VII). To complete this point I have to quote GKC at length, but I can perhaps be forgiven, since the best we writers today can hope for is to steal from Chesterton:
That was one side of the argument: that the change would remove inequality; and there was an answer on the other side. It can be stated most truly by putting another model institution and edifice side by side with the Post Office. It is even more of an ideal republic, or commonwealth without competition or private profit. It supplies its citizens not only with the stamps but with clothes and food and lodging, and all they require. It observes considerable level of equality in these things; notably in the clothes. It not only supervises the letters but all the other human communications; notably the sort of evil communications that corrupt good manners. This twin model to the Post Office is called the Prison. And much of the scheme for a model State was regarded by its opponents as a scheme for a model prison; good because it fed men equally, but less acceptable since it imprisoned them equally. (Eugenics, 2:VII)
Chesterton saw that increased emphasis on government-aided "equality" must lead to a proportional decrease in personal and political liberty. And it seems unlikely that the contemporary United States will slow down the process anytime soon. We've tasted the fruit of state intervention, and we don't want to give it up.
And this is no partisan issue; both left and right are infected. Republicans complain about the growth of the liberal bureaucracy but cheer at the possibility of another preemptive military strike for "democracy." Democrats cry foul on domestic spying but support a judiciary only loosely bound by the Constitution. We're headed toward Chesterton's prison house. And unless things change, we'll most likely find ourselves in a new and gloriously progressive civilization.
A civilization with equality for all–and liberty for none.
1 • LHR • December 12, 2006 • 4:47 PM
Very interesting post. I really like the last sentence, so true. My ancestors fought in the War for Independence, but not on the side of the Americans — yet I'm an American too! ./chrisalexion_2008-10_wordpress_export_files/icon_smile.gif alt=:- class=wp-smiley
That is a good quote from GKC, but you're a great writer in your own right!
