I think it is pretty safe to say that AU is a very liberal college. I also think this is a very positive thing and in fact, I consider myself to be quite liberal. Unfortunately, for many students liberal is just a label when in fact their philosophy is more leftist than anything else.
Such support for illiberal causes and despots inspired me to write my final column as a blue print for a young liberal. First, a liberal should believe in peace and freedom for everyone around the world. To attain this peace and freedom, countries should take any measure necessary to protect themselves from terrorism or any other foreign invader. Liberals must understand that if we are not willing to fight for peace, then we will never be at peace. Simply look toward Nazi Germany or the 1948 Arab-Israeli War as examples. If the Allies or the Israelis did not fight to defend peace, we would be living in a very dark world.
Next, liberals must change their view of family values and the role of family in our society. For example, when it comes to abortion, we should rethink where we stand. As a liberal, we should promote choice. However, we should not promote choice at the expense of life. Knowing that a baby has a heartbeat only nine weeks after conception should make us stop and think.
And finally, we should finally put to rest the notion that communism or socialism will help those in need. The reason that most liberals get this one wrong is their misunderstanding of economics. We usually hear that capitalism is a zero-sum game when in fact it is actually a socialist economy that is zero-sum. Socialism requires a government of bureaucrats to take from the rich and give to the poor (a zero-sum action.) Alternatively, as Milton Friedman so eloquently and concisely stated, "The most important single central fact about [a capitalist economy] is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit."
If Milton Friedman doesn't convince you, I will try another tactic. While I will probably lose most of my audience, I will quote the Old Testament. In Leviticus 19:15, it states "You shall not commit a perversion of justice: you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the great, with righteousness shall you judge your fellow." In other words, governments should not favor one group of citizens over another. Socialism does this; capitalism does not.
Most of us at AU call ourselves liberals. That is why I call for all liberals of American University to unite. Unite to preach a philosophy that matches your label. Liberalism believes in everyone's freedom and should be protected by a limited government. Also when preaching about tolerance of all life choices, liberals should not forget about the sanctity of life. And finally, capitalism is not just for rich tycoons on Wall Street, it benefits everybody. So I must ask my fellow liberals: what's so funny about peace, love and capitalism?
Jared Kotler is a graduate student in the School of International Service and Kogod School of Business. To read more from Jared,
visit econfreedom.blogspot.com.
