Why liberty matters

It is so clear to me, now, how abuses of power have taken place and why liberty has been taken so lightly.

Power can be rationalized to solve any problem. And as long as people become attached to the idea that it will solve that problem, any problem, they will defend its use, even if it is not responsible for solving the problem, even if it does not, in fact, solve the problem, and even when it often causes the problem or makes the problem far worse.

It is the ultimate version of post hoc ergo propter hoc. False cause.

And it has plagued humanity from its beginning.

Modern students of history must always wonder why it took so long for humanity to get this figured out well enough to finally create governments that took liberty seriously. Liberal democracies.

And it was because power could and was and is forever rationalized to solve every problem where well-meaning people rationalize its use, even if it causes innumerable cases of unnecessary tragedy in the process.

And it is because it can forever be rationalized to do so.

And as long as our fears rather than our self-confidence dominates, our cowardice instead of our courage, we will forever be lost in this ugly cycle.

Except that we don't stay stuck.

The one real saving grace for humanity is that we figure it out. We always get out of this ugly cycle, though usually only after much tragedy takes places.

We are a foolish and unfortunate lot. Humanity. And much of it is our own doing.

And our failure to take responsibility for our own undoing has been the bane of humanity since long before civilization.

And the one central value that has most moved us forward is our capacity to take that responsibility and any real progress on our parts is and always has been supported by our liberty to do so.

And it is perfectly clear, to anyone taking note of the our most recent history relative to our more distant past, that liberty is what has made the difference.

And liberty will be our saving grace today, as it has always been. Because it gives us the opportunity to learn, to make mistakes and move on, and to live lives where we are loved and belong and where we love others and help them belong.

It is our freedom that makes us great. And it is our freedom that allows us to learn the lessons that move humanity forward.

And that's why liberty matters.