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Jeffersonian
There are few Libertarian voices as
prominent as Larry Elder’s. In his new book, Showdown,
Elder preaches a message of self-reliance, personal responsibility and
citizenship that would make Thomas Jefferson feel at home. As he’s done in
prior books, Elder takes on race, education, welfare, politics, and whatever
he feels like. Some of the stories and anecdotes appearing in Showdown
sounded just like the ones Elder covered in prior books. At the same time,
Elder’s voice is fresh and provoking, which makes Showdown
worth reading for those who want to hear a Libertarian voice.
Here’s an excerpt of what to expect:
“Conservative
Republicans, especially post September 11, criticize Libertarians for
promoting ‘open borders.’
Regarding ‘open borders,’ the official Libertarian Party platform says: ‘The
Libertarian Party has long recognized the importance of allowing free and
open immigration, understanding that this leads to a growing and more
prosperous America…. At the same time, we recognize the right to enter the
United States does not include the right to economic entitlements such as
welfare. The freedom to immigrate is a freedom of opportunity, not a
guarantee of a handout.’
‘Open borders’ does not mean
no-questions-asked entrance into the country. Nor does it mean we allow
students to overstay their visas with no follow-up means to determine their
location and activities. Numbers matter. Given our welfare state, and the
magnet it presents for those in the third world, ‘open borders’ remains an
ideal for a world where people live in political and economic freedom. But coming
to America is a privilege, not a right. And any country’s number-one
responsibility remains protecting its citizens from foreign and domestic
enemies. Government could and should ensure that people entering the country
do so for peaceful purposes and do not overstay their visas and melt into the
population with no follow-up.
Libertarians make Republicans uncomfortable because they must deal with the
gap between rhetoric and action. Several pundits, for example, viciously
attacked former Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne when he
suggested that America’s foreign policy provoked the attacks of September 11.
A conservative Republican pundit said, ‘This sort of idiocy would be
altogether unworthy of attention were it not for the sad fact that many
thoughtful, patriotic people voted for Browne in his presidential campaigns….
The next time someone tells you he’s backing a Libertarian candidate as a
means of “voting his conscience,” please recall the party’s unconscionable
incoherence at a moment of national crisis. From now on, the leaders of this
oddball political operation deserve the designation “Losertarians.”’
Never mind that the Libertarian Party platform position strongly disagrees
with Browne. A look at the Libertarian Party platform shows no blanket
prohibition against foreign intervention, let alone suggests blaming America
for something like September 11. On foreign policy, the Libertarian Party
says, ‘There is no excuse for such savage acts. No legimate political or
religious ideology can justify the murder of thousands of innocent people….
The Libertarian Party hopes these attacks will elicit a thoughtful national
discussion about how we can prevent similar tragedies in the future.’”
For a side of the story that’s not often
presented, read Larry Elder’s Showdown.
Steve Hopkins, October 23, 2002
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ă 2002 Hopkins and Company, LLC
The
recommendation rating for this book appeared in the December 2002
issue of Executive
Times
For Reprint
Permission, Contact:
Hopkins
& Company, LLC • 723 North Kenilworth Avenue • Oak Park, IL 60302
Phone: 708-466-4650 • Fax: 708-386-8687
E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com
www.hopkinsandcompany.com
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