Part IV: The Road to Serfdom?

(for earlier posts in this series see here, here, and here)

I realize that the foregoing will have put me well beyond the pale in the eyes of most libertarians, but for what it’s worth, I remain convinced that the present day State is far larger and more intrusive than is necessary. Libertarian critics are right to point out that an expansive state tends to undermine private initiative, crowd out the voluntary sector, and drain the vitality from communities, families and civil society. Not to mention the important fact that the State often makes claims of loyalty for itself and demands sacrifice in a way that can only be called demonic.

But, it will be objected, what principled reason do I have for saying “this far and no further” to Leviathan? Haven’t I placed myself on a slippery slope to totalitarianism, on the proverbial road to serfdom?

I don’t think so, mainly because what might look like a slippery slope in logical terms is often nothing of the sort in the real world. In the real world, we draw lines, even if they seem arbitrary from certain theoretical perspectives. What prevents government over-extending itself is usually not our political theory, but people’s common sense and their commitment to a particular way of life. We don’t need a theory about “limited government” so much as we need people with the virtues and practices that enable them to resist the blandishments of ever-expanding government. How much government intervention is appropriate is a judgment that can only be made by citizens employing the virtues of prudence and justice. What kind of political regime we have, I think, ultimately depends on what kind of people we are.