Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Conservative or Libertarian? Or Both?


It both delights me and grieves me that it took an atheist from Great Britain to write this book.  If only more American citizens/voters were as educated about limited constitutional government as Cooke, we would have a happier and more prosperous country--and perhaps even a more virtuous one!

In The Conservatarian Manifesto Cooke tackles the inconsistencies in the Republican Party, such as opposing gun control, yet supporting the mass imprisonment of non-violent people for mere possession of drugs in the name of the "War on Drugs."  He doesn't give Libertarians a pass, either, pointing out that being pro-life is not an issue only for the religious, but for everyone who values human life over human convenience.  Naturally, Progressives get plenty of logical opposition from Cooke.  His perspective from living in the much more statist environment across the pond has given him an appreciation of our American freedoms that more Americans should share.

As a pro-life libertarian and an anti-war-on-drugs conservative, I felt like Charles Cooke actually "gets" me.  An atheist and a Christian can agree that mankind is imperfect and cannot be perfected by any government, progressive or conservative.  Freedom is the best way to maximize good outcomes in society; At least it gives most people a fighting chance at their pursuit of happiness.

This should be required reading for high school civics class (although I guarantee it will not be--at least in government-controlled schools) and for educated Americans of all political persuasions.

I received a free review copy of this book through Blogging for Books.

Author Bio: Charles C.W. Cooke

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