Tag Archives: #american history

A Future with Hope

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For more than two hundred years the United States has stood before the world as a beacon of hope, as a source of creative energy and as an evolving expression of political freedom, social diversity, and economic vitality.  People everywhere have been attracted to the vision it represents.  Yet, the extraordinary challenges confronting the American people today mark a turning point and a defining test of America’s place in history. 

Few have expected what we are seeing now.  Values, assumptions, expectations have all been disrupted.  Even so, America remains blessed with a constitutional order that respects the individual, seeks to protect both minorities and majorities, and makes room for diversity, innovation and creativity.

The genius of the United States Constitution lies in a simplicity that imposes minimal restraint and allows maximum freedom—all the while requiring moral responsibility and functional cooperation.

The unique character of the Constitution reflects the recognition of the Founders that “the pursuit of happiness” depends on the active pursuit of basic virtues: Truthfulness, trustworthiness, fairmindedness, forbearance, and a prudence that respects the interdependence of all the virtues. 

The Founders spoke of this numerous times.  It is written into the fabric of the American experiment. 

They did their part.  Our responsibility confronts us now.

We are living at a pivotal moment.  We face unsettling questions and a multitude of crises.  Will civil order be torn apart by distrust, resentment, and frustration?

Will the nation survive as the constitutional republic envisioned by the Founders?  Do we have the fortitude and grit to learn the lessons that can lead to a genuine American renewal?

What has happened to us?  Why do we feel so isolated, and so vulnerable to dysfunctional governance?

The dominance of corporate mass society has led to the destruction of coherent communities across the United States.  This has had a major impact on our personal lives, on civil order, on social stability and resilience.

Americans have been set adrift from the traditional source of identity and support once provided by cohesive local communities.  Few of us understand what we have lost.

The American Conservative Movement, founded soon after 1950, understood that “the quest for community” represents a fundamental human need.  Local communities have served as the foundation of civilization for thousands of years.

This inheritance has been lost, and with it the foundations of stability and well-being.

Without authentic community and the diverse institutions of civil society that community would support, Americans are vulnerable to the dominance of monied interests and centralized government.

Healthy communities do more than support safety and stability.  They provide the means for resolving problems and meeting shared needs.  They offer alternatives to dependency on government.

In stressful times reciprocity and collaboration become ever more important.

Local neighborhoods, communities, and networks of communities organized with constructive purpose, will ensure that the American identity is held in trust through the hard times ahead. 

Community will not protect us from uncertainty.  What it can do, and will do if we are determined, is open the door to the potential we already possess—dependable neighbors, mutual assistance, practical security, and home-grown economic renewal on a regional scale. 

In my new book, I offer practical guidance for making community work.  You are invited to consider a future we can all respect and believe in.

It will not be easy.  Responsibility never is.  With loyalty, discipline, and determination I submit to you that something far better, far nobler, something perhaps beyond our present ability to imagine, will emerge from the present turmoil.

The book is “Liberty and the American Idea: Rebuilding the Foundations,” by Tom Harriman.  It is available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book sellers.

May you find harmony, strength, and generosity of spirit in this holiday season!

Tom

Please watch for the next post on or about January 2. 

The Book is Published

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The book I have promised is finally published.  I apologize for the time this has taken.  I needed to get it right.  It is “Liberty and the American Idea: Rebuilding the Foundations” by Tom Harriman.  It is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers.

Amazon is providing an unusually generous preview or “sample,” which includes the entire preface, introduction, and first chapter.

Regular readers of this blog will find the book familiar, yet detailed, thorough, and coherent.  I begin the introduction with the following words:

“Is there an ‘American idea,’ a shared understanding of the character and meaning embodied in American history? Would you like to think there is, or could be?

“What would you like to see accepted or discarded among the values, qualities, or attributes that contribute to our national character?

“While I am an American addressing Americans with this question, it is not my place to assert an answer.  Rather, I offer a brief review of ideas and influences that have made the United States what it is, followed by an invitation: A practical long-term strategy to make authentic dialogue actually possible among concerned citizens.”

The introduction goes on to explain the structure of the book.  Readers will find the proposed strategy supported by careful explanations and detailed guidance.  Dangers and stumbling-blocks are discussed frankly. 

This is a book about responsible citizenship and constructive action.

The preface to the book might also interest you.  Contributed by a distinguished historian and Professor of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, it harkens back to the foundations of the American Republic:

“’These are times that try men’s souls,’ Thomas Paine declared in ‘The American Crisis,’ urging patriots to rally during the darkest days of the Revolutionary War in 1776. In ‘Liberty and the American Idea’ Tom Harriman issues a similar call to action, urging Americans to work together to confront the deep challenges facing the nation today.

“Harriman’s book offers a two-part approach. First, he provides an unflinching diagnosis of the historical, social, and economic forces that have brought us to this critical juncture.  

“He [surveys] the erosion of civil society effected by ideological partisanship, ethical incoherence, rampant materialism, environmental pressures, and media disinformation that divides the nation and weakens its capacity to solve common problems effectively….

“However, unlike many appraisals of our ills, this book is also dedicated to providing constructive solutions and strategies for how to rebuild a functioning community life. It is a sincere plea to all citizens of goodwill to take pragmatic steps to restore a shattered social trust.”

I look forward to hearing from readers of the blog as we engage constructively in building an American future we can trust and believe in.

Tom

Regular readers can watch for the next post on or about December 1.

I expect to build a new website to better facilitate continuing dialogue.  I want to hear from you.  The URL will remain unchanged: http://www.freedomstruth.net.

The Two Faces of Freedom

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Americans are a freedom-loving people.  But we do not often think about what this means.  Freedom means different things to different people.  At this extraordinary moment in our nation’s history, it might be wise to consider what we understand it to mean.

Two distinct views of freedom have emerged during the past two centuries. 

One is simply the idea that we should be free to do or to be what we are able to do or to be without human interference.  The second is the idea of having full control over our own initiative and purpose as self-directed individuals.

These two concepts seem quite similar at first glance, but they differ substantially in their implications.

The first involves the absence of coercion—the wish simply to be left alone.  It asks that we be assured of a minimum area of personal freedom in such manner that our humanity is not denied or degraded.

Recognizing the potential for personal freedom to impact negatively on the freedom of others, this view seeks freedom for the many.  It asks only that we be guaranteed a reasonable measure of completely free space around ourselves.

Perhaps we would also agree that, at the very least, the liberty of religion, opinion, expression, and property need to be protected from arbitrary interference.

The second concept is quite different.  This view insists on unrestricted self-assertion and absolute control of one’s own life regardless of the consequences this imposes on others.

Deriving from the will to control one’s own life and destiny, the second concept has significant consequences for society.

Clearly those seeking such liberty perceive themselves as responsible persons possessed of good judgment and perhaps exceptional wisdom, who are able to make choices based solely on their own ideas and purposes.

However, given the natural human resistance to rational and moral limits, this attitude can easily disrupt the equilibrium in communities, or in society as a whole.

These two concepts of freedom have come into serious conflict with one another over the course of the last two centuries.

An insistence that we should be free to do as we wish cannot be exercised in isolation. It readily evolves into a belief that we may have the right to influence or control the lives of other people.

It is convenient to assume that we know best, and some people think they know the true interests of other people better than those people do themselves.

This view gained traction during the 19th century, hitching a ride with the powerful Enlightenment belief that all of reality must ultimately be harmonious, and that science and reason would give humankind knowledge of a single unified truth.

It followed, therefore, that fully rational thinkers would never disagree and that conflicting values or truths were ultimately impossible.

Consequently, a number of well-known thinkers became convinced that if reason and rationality demand that our values must coincide in a free and “just” society, they must be made to coincide by any means necessary.

The historian of ideas, Isaiah Berlin has written about this concern in his famous essay, “Two Concepts of Liberty.”  He reports that Enlightenment philosophers became convinced that the better educated members of society had a right and responsibility to create and maintain a “free” society.

They believed we should do for citizens what they would do for themselves if they possessed the rationality and competence to understand their own best interest.

Thus, political philosophy rationalized the idea that it can be valid to restrain people in their own interest.

In this extraordinary view, writes Isaiah Berlin, “freedom is not freedom to do what is irrational, or stupid, or wrong.  To force empirical selves into the right pattern is no tyranny, but liberation.”

“Liberty,” he continues, “so far from being incompatible with authority, becomes virtually identical with it.”

Needless to say, this problem raises substantial concerns about our understanding of justice, morality, and governance.

Can it ever be justified or appropriate to place pressure on citizens for being, in our view, “irrational?” 

It was not long before this idealistic absurdity led to the nightmares of totalitarian despotism and total war in the 20th century. 

Tom

Regular readers can look for the next post on or about October 1. My forthcoming book is “Liberty and the American Idea,” subtitled “Rebuilding the Foundations.”  It is now in the hands of my publisher and will be available at Amazon and other booksellers very soon.  Sample chapters can be found at the top of the homepage.

A Gentle Leadership

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This is a very challenging time; a time of testing, of self-examination and soul-searching for a society confronted with disruption and uncertainty.  In the midst of conflict and distrust, Americans are called to envision our future as a nation—a vision worthy of our better selves—and to find a way forward with a spirit that transcends our differences.

How can safety, security, and collaboration become possible at a time such as this?  It is a tall order, and there is no quick fix.

As individual citizens we have little control over eventual outcomes, yet we can surely place the imprint of personal commitment, of our caring and our spirit, on the character of our purpose.

The challenge before us is immediate and unavoidable.  The consequences of our actions or inaction will be profound.  For this reason, I have proposed that we consider our personal contributions—our own actions—in a new way.

I ask that you to think of yourselves as gentle leaders.

What do I mean by this?

Leadership is understood in different ways.  Many people assume that a leader is someone with commanding authority or influence.  That is not what we need now.

If we are to build strong, resilient communities amid the disorder of today’s world, such a view would be useless, or worse.

If security depends on a diversity of experience, perspective, and learned skills—as it certainly does today—leadership must understand this.  Resolving problems, meeting needs, and finding safety will require all the resources we can put in place.

Please think of leadership as taking active responsibility for gathering and encouraging your neighbors to engage in planning and constructive action.  This can be done selflessly, and with generosity of spirit.

A civilized future will depend on an integrity anchored in trustworthiness.  Are we up to this?  Can we persevere despite the distrust that abounds around us?  Never has courage and a steady hand been so essential.

Local communities can build the foundations for the future even as we address shared needs and act in our own best interests.

Personal initiative matters!  The future can begin around your kitchen table. A nucleus formed with just a few neighbors can make things happen.  Don’t argue!  Don’t wait!

Human civilization depends first on loving families, engaged neighborhoods, and functional communities.  This is our place.  This is where order is established, experienced, and proven.

Authentic community cannot be invented with wishful thinking.  The small steps that create safe communities can begin at any time—today or tomorrow.  And the small steps are the most important.

Our role as citizen-leaders is to bring community to life through constructive action—quietly, little by little, every day.  To think and act responsibly we need to engage our neighbors gently, effectively—all of them—regardless of our differences.  We need to cultivate relationships that get things done.

We do not need to agree on everything—only on what needs to be done.  If we are serious, we will gradually mold simple relationships into trustworthy alliances and, sometimes, genuine friendships.

Everyone is capable of concern for our place in the world.  Some may need convincing, but with steadfast patience we can bring them around.

Tom

Regular readers can look for the next post on or about July 1.

My forthcoming book, “Liberty and the American Idea,” will be published and available in the coming weeks.  The introduction and several sample chapters are linked at the top of the homepage.

American Destiny and the Human Heart

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Americans have an extraordinary history and a rich but conflicted heritage. The creation of the United States brought a new political model to the world and a vision for the pursuit of justice and prosperity. This is an honor that we can take pride in.

While a record of missteps, tragedies, and popular misperceptions has plagued the country, we are called today to build a future that is free, just, and constructive.

This imposing task is made all the more challenging by the looming threat of numerous crises, in addition to the social costs of the past.

We could continue forever to relitigate the details of a painfully human history. But, in truth, we can only move forward by living our best intentions, honestly and frugally, into a better future.

Currently, a multitude of interacting crises are converging on the United States and on the planet—material, social, moral. The immense number and diversity of threats is unparalleled. Few Americans fail to recognize the challenge this represents.

Something extraordinary is happening. Our experience of normalcy has evaporated. Our lives are disrupted and the end is nowhere in sight.

It is natural to look for someone to blame, but this is hardly constructive. The most significant mistakes now plaguing us were made over a long period of time.

In addition, today’s world faces dramatic structural change—the inevitable outcome of material development and growth. Many of the new realities are quite substantial: digital connectivity, invasive technology, automation, surging population growth, and the rapid loss of farmland—to name just a few.

This is no one’s fault.

Our circumstances are disorienting and anxiety-provoking. That a faltering social order and growing tensions have generated conflict and political divisiveness is not surprising.

Never have Americans encountered a more pressing need to turn to our traditional strengths: To build strong local communities and to re-engage the fundamental basis for civilized order intended by the Founders.

Our greatest challenges fall generally into two categories, which will interact with devastating effect. One is material or structural in nature, while the other is social, mental, and ethical in its influence and consequences.

The second of these, while personally significant also impacts our ability to respond effectively to everything else.

Anxiety and stress are very personal. When they dominate our lives, it becomes difficult to see clearly, to solve problems, and to understand people. Uneasiness, aggravation, and impatience prevail.

Nothing is more subversive than distrust, nothing more destabilizing than dishonesty, nothing more destructive than fear.

Where guns are easily accessible, murder and suicide are destroying families and devastating communities.

What is to be done?

My forthcoming book does not dwell on the details of oncoming crises. I am focused instead of local solutions and the enduring strength of sustainable communities.

We need each other, but we are divided and alienated.

Our humanity was made for unity and compassion. The material world was made for our comfort and prosperity. Yet we are weighed down by fear, shattered by violence, and threatened by despotism.

Our immediate responsibility lies with our families and in our local communities. These are the foundations for identity and security. Here trustworthiness and dependability matter most

Like a family, communities are built slowly, with care, and sometimes where none previously existed. A dependable community can begin with just a few neighbors, but it must begin.

Each of us can form a nucleus of safety and sanity around our kitchen table. Each can serve the future with constructive purpose.

If we are to take control of our destiny we must engage our hearts, cleansing ourselves of resentments, of hatefulness, and every hint of darkness.

It is in our heart that we recognize justice. Here is the source of courage and generosity.

Turning outwardly with heart-felt intent we can be firm in our resolve, constructive rather than fearful, and ever mindful of forbearance and self-control.

Rising above the evils we encounter we can realize the goodness we were made for. We are all capable of bringing light into darkness.

Tom

Regular readers can watch for the next post on or about February 1.

The forthcoming book, “Liberty and the American Idea,” will be published early in the coming year. The Introduction, Table of Contents, and several chapters can be found at the top of the homepage.

Alienation and Authority

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The degradation of social order we are experiencing today did not come out of nowhere. Growing alienation and distrust have been apparent for decades. This is not mysterious. But understanding it has become essential.

In his book, “The Great Degeneration,” economic historian Niall Ferguson discusses what has come to pass. He considers four areas in which the degeneration of values and social stability in the United States has had devastating consequences.

Paraphrasing him with my own words, these are: 1) the role of responsibility in the stability of social order, 2) the disintegration of the market economy, 3) the fundamental role of the rule of law, and 4) the essential qualities of a vibrant civil society.

Looking back, Dr. Ferguson reminds us of the vigorous civil and cultural life of 19th century America:

“I want to ask,” he writes, “how far it is possible for a truly free nation to flourish in the absence of the kind of vibrant civil society we used to take for granted? I want to suggest that the opposite of civil society is uncivil society, where even the problem of anti-social behavior becomes a problem for the state.”

Regular readers of this blog are well aware of the destruction of functional local communities over the course of American history. What happened? Why is authentic community so important to civilized life?

This question was addressed directly by Robert Nisbet in the early days of the American Conservative Movement. His influential book, “The Quest for Community,” provides a clear explanation for the social deterioration underlying our present condition.

Robert Nisbet states: “I believe, then, that community is the essential context within which modern alienation has to be considered.

“Here I have reference not so much to a state of mind—although that is inevitably involved—as I do to the more concrete matters of the individual’s relation to social function and social authority. These are… the two supports upon which alone community, in any reasonably precise sense, can exist and influence its members….

“By authority, I do not mean power. Power, I conceive as something external and based on force. Authority, on the other hand, is rooted in the statuses, functions, and allegiances which are the components of any association.

“Authority is indeed indistinguishable from organization, and perhaps the chief means by which… a sense of organization becomes a part of human personality…. Unlike power, it is based ultimately upon the consent of those under it; that is, it is conditional.

“Power arises only when authority breaks down.”

Loss of a self-generating social authority, which brings order, identity, and justice to our lives—is, according to Nisbet, the ultimate challenge confronting Americans. This is the necessity we must recover if we are ever to reach a civilized future.

If we allow the coherence and consciousness of civilized order to be replaced by autocratic top-down domination, we will have lost our liberty, our integrity, our self-sufficiency—leading to a long and difficult road ahead.

Constructive change made possible by the decision-making structure of the United States Constitution will be impossible without it.

Reflecting on the 20th century, and the legacy of two world wars and mass murder on a monumental scale, political philosopher Dr. Hannah Arendt drives home the hard truth of a shattered heritage–

“We can no longer afford to take that which was good in the past and simply call it our heritage, to discard the bad and simply think of it as a dead load which by itself time will bury in oblivion. The subterranean stream of Western history has finally come to the surface and usurped the dignity of our tradition.

“This is the reality in which we live. And this is why all efforts to escape from the grimness of the present into nostalgia for a still intact past, or into the anticipated oblivion of a better future, are vain.”

Listen, my friends: The only future for a free people must be secured with genuine values: Truthfulness, responsibility, steadfast patience—and the necessity for trust.

Each of you is capable of forming a nucleus of safety and sanity with your neighbors.

Don’t argue! And don’t wait!

Tom

Regular readers can watch for the next post on or about January 2.

The forthcoming book is “Liberty and the American Idea.” The Introduction, as well as an annotated Table of Contents and several chapters are linked at the top of the homepage.

American Crucible

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For more than two hundred years the United States has stood before the world as a beacon of hope, as a source of creative energy and as an evolving expression of political freedom, social diversity, and economic vitality. People everywhere have been attracted to the vision it represents.  Yet, the extraordinary challenges confronting the American people today mark a turning point and a defining test of America’s place in history. 

We have entered a dark time.  Confronted with economic degradation, with deep distrust and growing social disorder, it can be easy to forget the unique stature of the United States and the unfolding role it has played in the progress of an ever-advancing civilization.

Our economic well-being as a nation has been weakening for decades, and the generosity of spirit for which we have long been known has dimmed.  Confidence in the future is shaken.

But this is not the end of the story

A new beginning will be necessary to recover the resilience and generosity of spirit that has made us what we are.  It is time to rise to the next level.  There is truth in the unity of our national character—in our humanity and the dignity that has given Americans courage and self-respect.

Few have expected what we are seeing now.  Values, assumptions, expectations have all been disrupted.  Even so, America remains blessed with a constitutional order that respects the individual, seeks to protect both minorities and majorities, and makes room for diversity, innovation and creativity. 

The genius of the United States Constitution lies in a simplicity that imposes minimal restraint and allows maximum freedom—all the while requiring moral responsibility and functional cooperation. 

The Constitution is a legal document, carefully crafted in structure and intentionality.  But it is far more than a simple contract.  It embodies a vision and a trust.  It was prepared by men who cared deeply about the future and about Americans as a people.

This has been presented to us as the gift of an inheritance.  The freedom it promises is anchored in the wisdom of its legislative order, the protections it seeks for the individual, and the means with which it enables constructive change. These are among the elements of a non-partisan civil order that provides Americans with stability and the opportunity to forge a rational future.

The unique character of the Constitution depends on moral responsibility and the basic virtues we all know about: Truthfulness, trustworthiness, fairmindedness, forbearance—and a prudence that respects the interdependence of all the virtues.  This is written into the fabric of the American idea. 

Yet we are faced with unsettling questions, here and now.  And we are confronted with a multitude of serious crises. Will civil order be torn apart by resentments, distrust and frustration?  Will the nation survive as the constitutional republic envisioned by its founders?  Do we have the fortitude and grit to learn the lessons and reaffirm the vision that will lead to a genuine American renewal?

We are living at a pivotal moment. Are we prepared to embrace the spirit called for by the founders, which alone can lead to unity of purpose?  Or will we succumb to a rigidity born of insecurity and fear? 

The correction of mistakes cannot be addressed until we answer this question.  It must be addressed in dialog and in our hearts.  Civil disarray and social degradation will remain with us until it is.

What do we fear? 

A readiness to entertain differing views without altering one’s own is the measure of a mature person.  And we cannot seek solutions or influence change without an accurate understanding of what other people are thinking and why.

Only when the underlying conditions of conflict are fully understood, can it finally become possible to negotiate genuine security and collaboration. 

We will pay a heavy price for suspicion or defensiveness—when courage is only a step away.

Tom

Regular readers may watch for the next post on or about August 1.

An Introduction to the forthcoming book and several sample chapters are linked at the top of the homepage. To receive emailed alerts, you may click on the Follow button..

Who We Are!

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The American Founders made a determined effort to ‘see the end in the beginning’.  The Constitutional Convention of 1787 gave birth to a vision that generated inner fortitude and outer prosperity for more than two hundred years.  The Constitution has provided protections for both minorities and majorities which have remained firmly in place despite every upheaval.  It ensures the order necessary to make constructive change possible, and guides us through the patient discipline required to do so. 

Americans stand today at another decisive turning point in history which calls for the same kind of visionary maturity.

We are blessed with the oldest democratic republic on the planet, a brilliantly conceived structure that has channeled the creative initiative of immigrant peoples into a dynamic force for capacity-building and well-being. Basic order and consistency have survived throughout a contentious past, as the United States has advanced slowly, painfully, toward an ever-more just and inclusive society.

There have been inconsistencies, certainly.  There will always be work to do.

Most of the Founders appeared unable to imagine a multiracial society.  Slavery remained prevalent in the United States long after it was ended everywhere else in the European world.  This injustice was unique in a modern nation.

Yet the Constitution put a set of institutions in place that were capable of resisting injustice to an unparalleled degree.  We have been growing into this inheritance as we have matured.  Ours is the responsibility to give trustworthiness and fairness the strength and resiliency they require.  Prosperity will be unattainable without this.

The record has not always been pretty, but how could we expect anything approaching perfection when we throw the human race, gathered together from diverse roots, into the managed chaos which is the nature of freedom?

The human race has matured as America has matured.  The Constitution provides the structure; we must do the work.

Early in the twenty-first century the American people have splintered into isolated fragments, as fear and inflexible thinking dominate public discourse. Those citizens who defend the time-honored American traditions of pluralism and inclusion have found themselves isolated amidst the clamor and confusion of bitterness.

What is it, after all, do we suppose made America great?  May I make a suggestion?

The Constitution has provided a supple backbone for a vibrant, combative, and creative people.  It trusts citizens to live and act with moral responsibility.  Our behavior matters.  The Founders knew the success of the new nation depended on this, and they said so.

The lack of ethical leadership in America is one of the many signs of the breakdown of moral values in our society. Without such leadership it becomes necessary for each citizen to examine his or her assumptions and test them against the reality that confronts us.

We must try to become aware of our unconscious assumptions—what we assume to be true.  When unexamined assumptions are taken for granted, they can become “conventional wisdom”.  We imagine them to be “the truth”.

And so it is that self-styled “leaders” parrot back to us what they think we want to hear.

Americans need to take responsibility for the order given us by the Constitution.  It is not rational to expect someone else to make things right.  We are a sovereign people.

Responsibility is always personal. Until we accept this truth the world will disintegrate around us.

The Constitution provides a framework with which to apply ourselves.  It invites us to find our way into the future with loyalty, collaboration, reciprocity.

We are Americans.  We can do it.

Tom

A note to regular readers:  You may watch for the next post on or about April 2.

An annotated Table of Contents from the forthcoming book, as well as the Introduction and several sample chapters can be found at the top of the homepage.  I welcome your ideas and feedback.

Image courtesy of the Washington Plaza Hotel.

Liberty, Order and Individuality

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Among the most influential ideas in colonial America was respect for independent human individuality.  This might not have been widely discussed at the dinner table, but the feeling was strong.  Most immigrants came to America to seek religious freedom or to escape from oppressive social and economic circumstances.  Strong reactions to oppressive government policies and practices were expressed on both sides of the Atlantic.

The term “individualism” is relatively new to human history, first coming into common use late in the 18th century.  Leading almost immediately to confusion, differing interpretations engendered fiercely competitive philosophies.  But, that’s a story for another day.

My purpose here is to consider individuality, identity, and self-reliance in the context of American history and from our perspective today.

Individual liberty has sometimes been associated with egoism and selfishness.  However, the concept was originally conceived as respect for the validity of the views and experience of the individual within his or her own sphere, and the ideal that each of us should be encouraged to develop our own natural gifts.

This begs an interesting question:  How do mutual respect and the strength of community arise in the presence of human selfishness?  This is a very practical concern.  How do we think about it?

It is not hard to see that freedom without respect for others would make civilized order quite impossible.  A regard for the individuality and integrity of others has value for us personally, as well as for society.  And it is a basic principle of moral responsibility.

The perceptions and behavior of our neighbors can have direct consequences for our own well-being.  As conditions worsen, we will need one another.  We are all facing the same deteriorating conditions.

We may accept personal differences, but degrading behavior and open hostility are simply not acceptable.  We need some degree of order for safety and comfort.

Living with diversity is both beneficial and unavoidable.  Consequently, fostering dependable relationships with our neighbors is important.  This requires interactive dialogue and supportive cooperation.  Needless to say, dependable relationships need to be sustained.

We are all experiencing extraordinary challenges today.  The degradation of the social order and the physical environment are confronting us with greater burdens than we have ever known before.

We normally take life’s irregularities for granted.  But, the personal challenges to our independence and integrity seem to come now every day.  Trustworthiness and dependability are life-lines to safety.

Many things can chafe in life, particularly the actions of others.  Domineering people and dysfunctional institutions are particularly aggravating.  And yet, as mature adults we have always risen above the inevitable constraints in life to find meaning and purpose in a social world.

The future calls upon us to rise to the next level, both as individuals and as a society.  And so, I address each of you with the following questions:

Firstly, can we stand on our own two feet with fortitude and generosity of spirit—to serve a confused and fearful humanity?  Are we ready to be genuinely trustworthy and dependable?  This is the bottom line.

Secondly, we would do well to consider a simple question concerning these very complex circumstances.  What is it, I ask, that humanity deserves to gain from the founding of the United States?  And, as Americans what do we wish to keep?

What is the potential for justice and integrity that comes with “the American idea?”  And, why should we fight to sustain that potential into the future?

We have entered a new chapter in American history.  We need to reorient ourselves and adjust.

Miscommunication and antagonism limit our knowledge and hamper our ability to act.  Misinformation will subvert our best intentions.  A questioning mind and a positive attitude are of greater importance now than ever before.

We need to agree on an acceptable bottom line for national unity, which allows for diversity and ensures that dialogue and decision-making are possible.

We are all capable of a curious interest in understanding people.  There is no reason for us to lose our identity, independence, or self-respect.  What are we afraid of?

It is not necessary to agree with people in order to understand them.  And, if we fail to understand, we are flying blind.

Tom

A note to regular readers:  You may watch for the next post on or about December 2.   To receive emailed alerts click on the Follow button. An annotated Table of Contents for the forthcoming book has now been made available at the top of the homepage.

Freedom & Responsibility

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In the years since the World Wars, Americans have gradually come to terms with the idea that freedom and responsibility have a direct and integral relationship with each other.  This seems reasonable enough, but how much attention do we give it?  Why is it true, and what does it actually mean?

Self-reliance and the acceptance of responsibility for family and community are hallmarks of the American idea.  They are sources of human dignity and self-respect.  They support dependability among neighbors.

People respect people who are respectful—people who take responsibility for themselves and care about others.  When the going gets tough, whining and complaints really don’t fly.

We can all see the way things are coming apart.  Integrity in our relationships with friends and neighbors will matter.  In a crumbling society it will matter a lot.

We demonstrate our personal integrity in working relationships.  Responsibility can only exist in relationships.  This is where we show our true colors.

Some people imagine they can assert their freedom by simply doing as they wish.  But there can be no freedom without consideration for the realities of a civilized order.  Personal security depends on order and the quality of relationships.

Some seem never to have considered the conditions required to secure safety or justice or the basic functionality of human society.  Some seem ready to tear everything down without a thought for the consequences, even for themselves. 

Over-reactive drama, lacking foresight or wisdom, can actually destroy the means for needed change—for seeking constructive solutions.  A failure of foresight can undermine security and bring about the dissolution of order. 

In the previous post I spoke with you about the importance of truthfulness, trustworthiness, and forbearance, virtues which the American founders expected of the American people—not simply from political leadership, but from everyone. 

They knew liberty could not be had in any other way, and they said so.  They gave us their trust: A governing structure with almost no constraints other than those respecting the property and well-being of our fellow citizens.

Democracy was a new idea back then.  The Constitutional Convention of 1787 struggled with the concerns of a contentious constituency, and recognition that the Republic would face future threats and unpredictable stresses.

Libertarian sentiments were strong among Americans in the 18th century.  There was a natural fear of the oppressiveness of institutions from which they had so recently fled. Many had strong feelings about protecting the freedom they experienced in America, a freedom that stood in marked contrast to the ever-present example of slavery (which they insisted on maintaining).

The Founders were quite aware of the mood, and recognized that majority factions had no qualms about suppressing minorities or rejecting the interests of anyone who differed from themselves.  It was easy to imagine a tumultuous future.

The United States Constitution is the product of this tension, and the determination to create a dynamic framework capable of protecting freedoms while channeling the forces of conflict and change that would surely come. How did the Founders endeavor to project freedom and order into a future they could only barely imagine?

The Constitution provides a structure for governance designed for a diverse and argumentative population.  Yet, it is notable for its’ simplicity and provides few legal constraints. They chose a course that depends on Americans to govern their own behavior.  Fairness and balance are woven into the fabric of the Republic.  The rest depends on us. 

Americans are now more than 300 million in number and we have differences.  Disagreement is natural.  Differences need to be fully understood before solutions can be investigated.

Civilized choices are made possible through the collaborative problem-solving enabled by the Constitution.  Americans possess the tools for problem-solving, for managing change, and most importantly, for addressing violations of integrity and trust.

These things take time if we care about freedom and responsibility.  Instability begins with impatience, and the inability to compromise. 

We stand today at an extraordinary turning point.  We cannot abandon our inheritance and imagine it possible to start over again from nothing.  That would be impossible.

Tom

You may watch for the next post on or about November 1.

Note to new readers:  An introduction to the coming book, an annotated table of contents, and several chapters are available in draft at the top of the homepage: http://www.freedomstruth.net.

Freedom’s First Principles

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As the crises multiply around us, Americans are confronted with unexpected challenges.  It is becoming painfully apparent that we may need to know and depend on our neighbors, whatever their religion, their politics, or the color of their skin.  With disunity comes danger and vulnerability.

If we are to build strong communities and safe neighborhoods, it will begin with the personal integrity upon which community depends.  Integrity is essential in the character of purpose.  So, let’s be clear about what we are doing: The only acceptable future depends on trustworthiness. 

I suggest that the foundations for trust include truthfulness, dependability, moral responsibility, and genuine interpersonal dialog.

These are not things to be acquired by wishful thinking.  We must make them so.  They are learned and lived in relationships.  Authentic community is not possible without them.

This may seem idealistic to some and to others simply out of reach.  But it is clear to me that we have no choice but to live responsibly.  This will mean summoning the courage to engage meaningfully with everyone around us.  Yes, everyone!

Americans can do this.  Freedom depends on it.  But it does require a positive attitude, practical thinking, and skills we are all capable of learning. 

In light of recent history, a respect for moral values would seem to be a practical response to the degradation of social order in a society dominated by dishonesty, deception and distrust—and their inevitable consequences.

The word ‘virtue’ has lost respect and many people now avoid using it.  But when we think about integrity, there is no other word that serves as well.  Why?  Because the virtues are necessary if we are to live our lives engaged with what is real rather than what is imagined.

One might reasonably argue that this is a global problem and not limited to the United States.  As Americans, however, we have particular reason to take notice. The bulwark of stability that is the United States Constitution cannot function in the absence of the traditional virtues.  And the reason is, quite simply, because it provides a uniquely unrestrictive governing structure.

The character of the Constitution is founded upon the founders’ expectations regarding the integrity and character of future Americans.  Their contract with us was an act of faith, an expression of the belief that Americans could be entrusted with the future.

This is not a theoretical interpretation of the founders’ motives.  Their expectations of us were clearly expressed in letters, speeches and writings. “Everyone involved in the creation of the United States,” writes Charles Murray, “knew that its success depended on virtue in its citizenry – not gentility, but virtue.” 

James Madison was explicit: “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people is a chimerical [wildly fanciful] idea.”

Patrick Henry was equally forceful: “No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue.” And, in his farewell address George Washington famously said: “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.”

These words of wisdom are quoted by Charles Murray in his book, ‘Coming Apart’.  “In their various ways”, he comments, “the founders recognized that if a society is to remain free, self-government refers first of all to individual citizens governing their own behavior.”

The warnings confront us today as we peer into the waiting abyss of a corrupt and duplicitous future.  Will we stop to consider why the founders knew that liberty depends on virtue, and, indeed, what liberty actually meant to them?

In America, accountability falls to ourselves.  And it is here that a discussion of first principles must begin.

There is a reason why living virtuously is about living well.  Virtue is practical.  It protects us from violating the foundations of existence. 

It has been said that prudence, which is one of the so called ‘cardinal virtues’, is actually the form or pattern of all the virtues.  This is because the virtues allow us to live in a way which is compatible with true order. 

It is prudent to be trustworthy.  It is prudent to respect reality.

Tom

You may watch for the next post on or about October 2.

A note to readers: An annotated Table of Contents, Introduction, and several chapters from the forthcoming book are posted in draft at the top of the homepage.

Courage and Authenticity

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We are Americans!  When we encounter other Americans who appear quite different from ourselves, either in their character or their views, do we shun them?  Or, are we curious?  Do we test our assumptions honestly?  How will we discover the potential for dependable neighbors if we walk away with our first impressions?

This is an important question: Do we investigate the positive contributions people might have to offer—despite our differences with them?  How many good people are we willing to toss into the trash barrel of willful blindness?  What are we afraid of?

If we have no need of trustworthy neighbors today, the time is fast approaching when we surely will.

Practical needs are not the only thing that require good neighbors.  There will be no trust and no possibility of a secure future without real dialog.

Yes, starting conversations with strangers can cause a little discomfort.  But only at the start.  When we discover who our neighbors really are, and how their experience makes them who they are, we sometimes discover unexpected dependability.

Strangers rarely turn out to be what we imagined. 

Some people will reject our good will.  This is inevitable.  When people are governed by their fear and unable to respond with civility, leave them to themselves.  We must keep moving on. 

However, it is essential that we identify every potential friend and neighbor, every diamond in the rough, as society deteriorates around us.

When it comes to local necessities, nothing can be done without unity on some level.  Safety is found in trustworthiness, not partisan politics. It will only be with dialog and cooperation that Americans can navigate effectively through the narrow place in which we now find ourselves.

This wisdom is rooted in American history and heritage.  Let’s think about what we already know.  Recognizing and rethinking cherished assumptions is always difficult.  There is nothing new about this.  It is normal to feel uncomfortable with people who appear different from ourselves.

Emerson famously said: “People only see what they are prepared to see.” Stephen Covey put it similarly: “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are—or, as we are conditioned to see it.” 

While this conditioning is natural, it interferes with constructive problem-solving.  And, in today’s world our ability to solve problems is the essential problem. We may need to help others push past this, but let’s not be responsible for it ourselves. Building the future will best be pursued with uncluttered emotions, clear vision and a pure heart. 

Albert Einstein once said, ironically: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” The reasonable person shudders at the immensity of the task.  But we do have the means to respond constructively. Americans are resourceful!

The path to a future we can respect and believe in actually exists.   It must be secured.  And, we do not need to change our values or views to contribute our skills and positive energy.

Trustworthiness develops with interactive engagement.  Working relationships that accept the mystery of differences and diversity need not be threatening.

In my view, the key to this riddle is best described by the Christian philosopher Henri J.M. Nouwen: “You don’t think your way into a new kind of living,” he wrote. “You live your way into a new kind of thinking.”

The kind of creative action Pastor Nouwen is talking about would be impossible in isolation.  Living our way into a new way of thinking can only take place in dialog and authentic community.

I have used the word “authentic” often.  What does it mean?  Certainly, something that is authentic is the “genuine article”.  Or I could say I am my “authentic self” when I am being consistently genuine in my words and actions.

So, let me be clear:  Authentic community is far more than one structured in a particular way.  Rather, it is one in which we share “a new kind of thinking”.  It can only be built on the foundation of trustworthy relationships.  And trust can only develop with experience—with genuine interest, practical engagement, and productive consultation. 

Tom

You may watch for the next post on or about August 1.

From the forthcoming book:  An annotated Table of Contents, a revised Introduction, and several sample chapters are posted at the top of the homepage.