Fox News viewers may have seen that epic clip of Kristin Powers proclaiming that she was liberal and wanted to regulate everything, in effect saying that being liberal and wanting regulations were natural partners.
They are. A crude way of saying it is that progressives are opposed to freedom. Others are more polite. See for example, Randall Holcombe's article The Uneasy Relationship Between Progressivism and Freedom where Mr. Holcombe provides some historic examples while describing how any benefits are offset by the limitations on freedom and economic growth. Excerpt:
The United States was founded on an ideology that viewed the role of government as the protection of individual rights. That view of government was pushed aside by the ideology of Progressivism toward the end of the 1800s. The Progressive ideology envisions a government that not only protects individual rights but also looks out for people’s economic well-being.
A natural tension exists between Progressivism and freedom. Partly, this is because looking out for the economic well-being of some often lowers the economic well-being of others. Increasingly, Progressives also argue that people would be better off if government made their choices for them rather than giving people the freedom to make their own choices.
(Via CafeHayek.com.)
Or as I've said elsewhere:
Americans: Everyone should be entitled to make their own mistakes.
Progressives: No. We should be able to make the mistakes for you.
P.S. If the Brexit movement foretells a universal movement toward more freedom then the Brits have given the world a gift. Freedom, baby!
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