Call it situational libertarianism: Liberties should be as unlimited as possible -- unless and until there arises a real threat to the open society.[Who determines the reality of the threat? The government, of course.]
Mr. Krauthammer goes on to praise British Prime Minister Tony Blair:
Britain is just now waking up, post-7/7. Well, at least its prime minister is. His dramatic announcement that Britain will curtail its pathological openness to those who would destroy it -- by outlawing the fostering of hatred and incitement of violence and expelling those engaged in such offenses -- was not universally welcomed.To which Lew Rockwell and/or Kurt Kober respond: [at LewRockwell.com Blog]
His own wife had made a speech a week after the second London bombings loftily warning against restricting civil liberties. "It is all too easy to respond in a way that undermines commitment to our most deeply held values and convictions and cheapens our right to call ourselves a civilized nation,'' declared Cherie Blair. You need only read Tony Blair's 12-point program to appreciate how absurd was his wife's defense of Britain's pre-7/7 civil liberties status quo.
Hey Chuck, how about if I call it situational fascism?Point 11 of Mr. Blair's plan:
Eleven, we will consult on a new power to order closure of a place of worship which is used as a centre for fomenting extremism, and will consult with Muslim leaders in respect of those clerics who are not British citizens to draw up a list of those not suitable to preach and who will be excluded from our country in future.How would Christians feel if the American government gave itself a new power to close churches that foment extremism? How would we feel if churches were forced by the Federal Government to consult a list of those not suitable to preach before calling a pastor?
Situational freedom is not freedom at all.
But American right-wingers can rest easy. The Fred Phelps-style 'God-hates-fags' churches are safe; the historic peace churches and mainline churches that oppose 'wars of choice' are more likely targets of government bans. After all, those that criticize the 'war on terror' support terrorists, don't they?
God our security,
who alone can defend us
against the principalities and powers
that rule this present age;
may we trust in no weapons
except the whole armor of faith,
that in dying we may live,
and, having nothing, we may own the world,
through Jesus Christ. AMEN
--Janet Morley, All desires known, 1988
who alone can defend us
against the principalities and powers
that rule this present age;
may we trust in no weapons
except the whole armor of faith,
that in dying we may live,
and, having nothing, we may own the world,
through Jesus Christ. AMEN
--Janet Morley, All desires known, 1988
