The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post Are Standing for “Freedom” and “Free Markets”?
In an editorial this week, the conservative Wall Street Journal chided Jeff Bezos, the owner of the liberal Washington Post, for Bezos’s announcement that henceforth the Post would be standing for “personal liberties and free markets.” The Journal pointed out that Bezos’s phraseology is remarkably similar to that employed by the Journal, which is “free markets and free people.” The Journal wanted to remind people that they were first to promote this freedom and free-market philosophy but also wanted people to know that they welcome the Post serving as their new ideological “wingman.”
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There is just one big problem, however, with the Journal’s and the Post’s devotion to “liberty” and “free markets.” That big problem is the matter of definition. Their definition of liberty and free markets is the opposite of the libertarian definition of such terms, which is the genuine definition of liberty and free markets.
Without delving into the positions that the Journal and the Post take on specific issues, let’s examine generally the governmental programs that conservatives and liberals (i.e., leftists or “progressives”) favor as part of what they have convinced themselves is “liberty” and “free markets.” Generally speaking, both conservatives and liberals favor the following 40 things:
- Social Security and Medicare, which are the crown jewels of American socialism.
- Farm subsidies, education grants, FDIC, SBA, and other welfare-state programs and agencies.
- SEC, OSHA, bank regulation, health regulation, and other agencies and programs that manage, control, and regulate economic and healthcare activity.
- The Federal Reserve System.
- America’s monetary system of paper money.
- Public (i.e., government) schooling systems.
- Compulsory school-attendance laws that punish parents who do not send their children into the state’s “educational’ system for indoctrination and regimentation.
- A compulsory military draft that forces people to serve the state.
- Wars of aggression.
- Undeclared wars.
- A national-security state.
- Mass secret surveillance.
- The arrest,
Article from The Future of Freedom Foundation
The Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF) is a leading voice in libertarian thought, tirelessly advocating for individual liberty, free markets, and limited government. Established in 1989, the FFF is more than just a think tank; it’s a hub for intellectual exploration and policy advocacy that draws on the classical liberal tradition and Austrian economics. Through insightful articles, videos, and events featuring top libertarian minds, the organization provides a robust critique of mainstream politics and policies, championing instead the principles that underlie a truly free society. For anyone seeking a principled stand for freedom and limited government, the Future of Freedom Foundation serves as an invaluable resource and an inspiring beacon.
