I don't care for labels.
We have enough isms as it is: liberalism, libertarianism, conservatism, paleoconservatism, centrism, radical-centrism, and on and on.
In vogue now: post-liberalism.
Post-liberals fancy themselves real conservatives, rather than socially liberal Republicans who only care about deregulation and lower taxes.
They believe that Reaganism is passé.
Post-liberals say that their time has come.
But, as I've argued in this very blog, post-liberalism is nothing more than a re-packaging of social conservatism, Rick Santorum style.
Now, don't get me wrong, I admire a lot of so-called post-liberals. Some of my favorite writers and thinkers include Patrick Deneen, Yoram Hazony, Phillip Blond, and other kindred spirits.
I am, at least on paper, a post-liberal, too.
What does that mean?
Well, I believe that...
- while trade liberalization has undoubtedly had some economic benefits, we ought to have a robust industrial policy that will reshore American manufacturing jobs;
- social obligation should come before individual desire;
- we should be governed, not by reason alone, but by historical empiricism;
- and that the sexual revolution has profoundly and negatively impacted the family unit.
I am, of course, leaving many important bullet points behind here, but this is more or less my world view.
As R.R. Reno wrote in a recent article for First Things:
Is it far-fetched to think that liberalism and its strong emphasis on the individual have played a role in bringing us to our present, unhappy condition—and offers little guidance about how to reverse course and chart a path toward a society more likely to protect human dignity and sustain a culture of freedom?The answer is, of course, no. No, it's not far-fetched to say that the excesses of liberalism have worked to our own collective detriment. Liberty without order leads to decadence, profligacy, and overall moral decay. Plain and simple.
The answer is not a Leviathan, nor is it authoritarianism. Rather, the solution is balance. That is, balance between liberty and social order. It is the communitarian way.
But, why give this a new name? Post-liberalism honestly just sounds pretentious. No need for a new label.
I say we call it Americanism. Or, perhaps, the Western way of life. We don't need to reinvent the wheel here.
To be sure, I'm guilty of using labels myself. I often say things like "communitarian," or "small-c conservatism."
Perhaps those terms are not always helpful. Instead, I'm going to make it a habit to say: "I'm an American and product of Western Civilization. I am grateful for this awesome inheritance, and for my ancestors before me. I want to preserve what we have here, and help those around me."
That's human-speak. Something that a lay-person can understand.
No more isms. Just common sense.
