Show Toward a New Despotism Liberal is a grand old word But l its s true meaning and its significance have been tragically distorted in recent times Henry Hazlitt describes what has happened in the introduction to his new book The Free Mans Man's Library He writes One of the crowning ironies of the present era era is that it is precisely es- es especially especially especially es es- in America the people who flatteringly refer to themselves as liberals who have forgotten or repudiated th the essence of the true liberal tradition tradition Historically the liberals fought against government government government govern govern- ment tyranny against governmental abridgment of freedom of speech and action against governmental restrictions on agriculture manufacture manufacture manufacture manu manu- facture and trade against constant detailed governmental regulation regulation regulation regula regula- tion interference and harassment at a hundred points against to use the phrases of the Declaration of Independence a multitude of new offices' offices and swarms of offices offices' against concentration of governmental governmental governmental govern govern- mental power particularly In the person of one man against government government government govern govern- ment by whim and favoritism Historic liberalism called on the other hand for the Rule of Law and for equality before the law Today's styled self liberals are enthusiastically in favor of just about everything the historic liberals opposed Their goal is to concentrate con more and more power over business agriculture labor everyone in the hands of the government They are for the most put contemptuous of states state's rights and believe in a solidly concentrated concentrated concentrated concen concen- central government in which all major decisions are made in Washington The result is what Mr Hazlitt accurately terms terns a trend toward a new despotism Real Peal liberalism stands for maximum freedom for all It Is predicated predl Gated on the principle that government Is the servant not the master of the people |