There is a new paradigm sweeping America. You know you are about to hear a part of its gospel each time someone qualifies a statement with the phrase, "In the post September 11th world..." You've all heard it a thousand times over the past five years.

"Freedom of speech is great, but in the post September 11th world..."

"I don't want the government eavesdropping on my conversations, but in the post September 11th world..."

"I don't agree with the war, but in the post September 11th world..."

Americans have been a fortunate and relatively free people for a long time. The first part of each of these statements, demonstrates the strength of our belief in the principle of freedom. We know--instinctively--that a powerful, all-knowing, unchecked government is a bad thing, but we have been sold a bill of goods that liberty and safety is a zero-sum game. "And, in the post September 11th world..."

We've heard the phrase so many times now that we have become almost oblivious to its implications. Inherent in its context is a fundamental belief that the Revolution of 1776 is an historical failure. That while freedom of speech, personal privacy, and a small unobtrusive government are high-sounding ideals, they simply are not practical in the "Post...well, you know".

Libertarians and others committed to the principles espoused in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights bristle at this clearly statist paradigm. The unfortunate truth, though, is that it has slowly seeped into the thinking of most Americans. Gradually, we have been acclimatized to the September 11th reference and its auto-response--fear. Many Americans have accepted this zero sum liberty/safety premise as the basis for their assumptions about foreign policy. A generation of children is growing up believing this muted version of freedom is all they have the right to expect. We've stood by as liberty after liberty, right after right, check and balance after check and balance has slowly been whittled away in the name of keeping us safe from the boogie man. Where is the accountability? Where is the evidence that the liberty/security trade off--wrong-headed as it is--has even yielded the supposed benefit of greater security?

What is the answer to people who view personal liberty as a situationally expendable commodity to be jettisoned at the first sign of threat? I believe the antidote is libertarianism. In the modern political landscape, only Libertarians are positioned to lead the resurgence of personal freedom in America. Too many elected Democrats and Republicans have thrown their lot in with the statists. Their answer to any problem--terrorism, natural disaster, you name it--is more government. Even when they are demonstrably incompetent and negligent, they unabashedly come to us with a straight face and ask us to give them more power and control. Is that even logical?

These statists have gained power--in the post September 11th world--by carefully using fear to manipulate the American people into poor judgments at home and abroad. They have practiced violence and coercion in a way, frankly, reminiscent of the very enemy they claim to be fighting. They have no respect for Constitution or the law. They have subverted Jefferson's words in the Declaration of Independence by asserting that our rights come from the government and are only retained at their pleasure. They believe September 11th is their free pass to do whatever in the world they want.

Thankfully, our Founders' wisdom and commitment bequeathed to us a ready means of peaceful revolution--the ballot box. The time for change is now. Vote Libertarian this year when you can. When Libertarian is not an option vote for the candidate who seems to believe most strongly in our founding principles and is willing to help us turn the statist trend around before liberty is forever stifled in America.

About the Author

Ray Davis is a writer and thinker based in the American midwest. He researches and writes on national and geopolitical issues focused on respect for the dignity and personal freedom of the human being. He currently serves as editor of The Free Kansan -- the official newsletter of the Kansas Libertarian Party. His articles and poetry have been featured on numerous sites around the Internet.