Kashmir is on the boil - and my thoughts, as always, are with those who are fighting for Justice and Freedom against an oppressive and repressive regime. And it is the words of Frederic Bastiat that come to mind, for in his native France they had fought for freedom many times - and never found it. (I recounted the sad story in an earlier post.) But only because they never understood what freedom really means; the principles without which it cannot work. Bastiat said:
...only principles have the power to satisfy men's minds, to win their hearts, and to gain the consent of their consciences. They have asked us: "Do you wish to proclaim freedom simply out of platonic love of freedom?" I, for my part, reply, "Yes." Freedom may entail trials for nations, but it alone enlightens, teaches, and edifies them. Outside of freedom, there is only oppression, and friends of order should bear in mind that this is no longer the time, if there ever was one, when the union of classes, respect for the law, security of interests, and the tranquility of nations can be founded on oppression.
In France we love freedom very much, but we hardly understand it. Oh, let us try to understand it better! We shall not love it any the less.
The Statue of Liberty in New York harbour was donated by the French!
Not only France - many nations have fought for freedom and never found it. Foremost among them are the Cubans - and Che Guevara t-shirts are still to be seen all over the world. Yet the news from Cuba today is sobering. Asked if Cuba's economic system was still worth exporting to other countries, Fidel Castro replied: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore."
Another report in the news today, from the BBC, says that one millions jobs are being abolished in Cuba's public sector - and The Market is being freed up, so that these people can earn their keep through private enterprise.
Even the Americans, who started off so well, have "plunged into slavery," as Mises warned they would. The USA has become the USSA - no champion of Liberty at all, and much hated all around the world. Read this excellent piece by Ivan Eland of the Independent Institute. Eland concludes:
The founders of the United States, who are regularly idolized by most Americans, would roll over in their graves at the mutation of their traditional, peaceful, and restrained foreign policy into a militaristic, globe-girdling empire that is exhausting the country economically and ruining the republic that they created.
Thus, freedom has to be defended by each and every generation.
The Kashmiris fought against a bad King in the 1940s, under Sheikh Abdullah - but Abdullah was a staunch socialist. Thus, the central feature of Srinagar was named Lal Chowk - after Moscow's Red Square. What "freedom" did the Abdullahs usher in?
Take a look at the rest of India - at West Bengal, where the blood of martyrs flowed thick during the "freedom struggle," but Communists took over - and, today, Property is insecure, and Liberty is not to be found. Or take Gujarat, where masses fought behind Gandhi - but even a bottle of beer cannot be enjoyed there today.
It is therefore a very important question: After the freedom struggle - what?
It is here that the Philosophy of Freedom comes in, and must be seriously studied wherever the battle for freedom is being fought. Too often, martyrs have shed blood - but tyrants have taken over. To paraphrase Bastiat:
In India we love freedom very much, but we hardly understand it. Oh, let us try to understand it better! We shall not love it any the less.
This blog has a lot of free material on the philosophy of freedom, for those who wish to study it. I only hope this is used.
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