There are two paths to communism, one of revolution and forced conversion and one of electoral and voluntary acceptance. We all know and recognize the first one. Think the Bolshevik Revolution of Russia in 1917. These tend to be violent and messy.

America is experiencing the second one. These tend to be quiet, gradual and voted in by the majority.

Each are equally as deadly.

“Progressives” want to eliminate classical liberalism and its reliance on capitalism and free market economic principles because they are claimed by the collectivist left to be selfish and damaging to the cohesion of society, largely due to the wide array of results that are a feature of this type of society.

But are they, or is classical liberalism our natural state?

I was on a plane last week from Salt Lake City to Paris and had a bit of an epiphany. Those of you that have flown probably have heard the safety briefing, the relevant part is this:

In the event of a loss of cabin pressure an oxygen mask will fall from the panel above you, pull it down and place the mask over your nose and mouth with the elastic band around your head

• Tighten the mask to fit by pulling on the elastic bands
• Put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others
• Oxygen will flow through the mask even though the bag may not inflate

Notice the highlighted text – why would you put the mask on yourself first, especially if one of your children is sitting next to you?

• Because you are selfish?
• Because you hate your child?
• Because you are a coward and want to live?

No – you do it because you have to preserve yourself, you have to remain conscious and safe to survive and help other people. If you don’t protect yourself first and then pass out, then you die and the person next to you who needs your help will die as well.

Classical liberalism is like this – we believe that we should prosper so that others have a chance.

“Progressivism” is like having all the masks removed because one old lady can’t put hers on without assistance or there is a child too small to understand how to don the mask…because its not fair that you can do something that somebody else can’t, so we just stop everybody from doing it, right?

The end result of “progressive” air safety?

You can get by with it for a while but it eventually kills everybody on the plane.

Simple common sense examples like this are all around us. These naturally occurring examples of logic are what all great philosophy is based on. These are opportunities for us to teach our children and others about the human condition, society and life and the importance of deductive reasoning.

We just have to stop and observe. And think.

Liberty can be deduced by just being aware. Natural rights don’t change, nor do people. Human behavior is just as predictable and relevant as it was in the days of Plato. Current political differences are the same as in the opposing philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Thomas More from the 1600’s.

I have previously written that while I agree that “progressives” don’t hate freedom, they just define it differently. Classical liberalism is about “freedom of“, as in freedom of opportunity, freedom of self-determination, freedom of liberty, freedom of religion. “Progressives” define it as “freedom from“, freedom from economic, freedom from political, freedom from social risk and freedom from religion. The classical liberal approach requires minimal regulation and control, the “progressive” requires maximum regulation and control.

Seems that classical liberals (i.e modern conservatives) wish everyone to experience life to its fullest and on their own terms, modern liberals want to use government control to protect everybody from life.

“Progressivism” is not a natural condition in humans; it must instituted by force of regulation and control. Classical liberalism is a natural condition. Where classical liberalism promotes voluntary (and temporary) collective behavior based on a common need, “progressivism” enforces involuntary and permanent collective servitude.