I have read a few new books lately. Jimmy Carter's "Our Endangered Values" is an excellent read. He discusses the rise of fundamentalist Christian's influence on American politics. The details are more eloquent than I can express, but the major tenant is that political give and take, compromise, is lost when on takes a position that one believes is God's exact position. How can one go against God's word and retain your religious values? Carter argues that religious beliefs must inform political positions, not BE political positions. This notion is tied to the abortion debate with a great deal of logic. As one would expect, Carter also addresses America's relationship with other nations, per his work with the Carter Center. He relays that our current position as the only superpower has lead to jingoistic, arrogant conduct across the world, with a loss of international support for our country. The applications to the invasion of Iraq are clearly written and useful for informed discussion of that situation.
Would also recommend "The Libertarian Reader", a compliation of readings edited by David Boaz. The libertarian movement's basic writings are included, spanning information from Lao-Tzu, the Bible, through the John Locke, the Federalist Papers, to Adam Smith and Milton Friedman. These cogent arguments nicely cover basic tenants, especially the need for a nonintrusive government in the lives of its citizens. The discussions of protection of private property, as a core value of society, are particularly relevant, given the recent Supreme Court ruling in "Kelo v. City of New London". This 5-4 ruling allows a city to condemn private property for the use of developers to use the property for their own profit, not for public use. This encroachment appears to be in direct violation of the 5th Amendment. Libertarians would point to this as a continuing erosion of private property rights and the overreach of government in general.
Several other readings of interest were about the libertarian idea(l) that people will successfully self-organize, without the heavy hand of government forcing cooperation. The Chinese philosopher, Lao-Tzu, writing in the 6th Century B.C., is quoted:
The more prohibitions there are,
The poorer the people will be.
The more laws are promulgated,
The more thieves and bandits there will be.
Therefore a sage has said:
So long as I "do nothing" the people will of themselves be transformed.
So long as I love quietude, will of themselves go straight.
So long as I act only by inactivity the people of themselves will become prosperous.
Of all of the readings, all interesting and crisply written, this quote is perhaps the most clear in capturing overall libertarian philosophy. Stay out of people's business, and the people will prosper. I think government can do positive things for its people, but this reader is a good source for alternative ideas of a free market, self governed society. Not the easiest read in the world, but picking through some of the readings is most challenging and rewarding.
Next read is fiction, "Pastwatch", by Orson Scott Card.
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