Our Flawed Political Labels

the AZEL PERSPECTIVE Commentary on Cuba's Future, U.S. Foreign Policy & Individual Freedoms - Issue 364 B

José Azel's latest books "On Freedom" and "Sobre La Libertad" are now available on Amazon.  Our Flawed Political Labels (Previously published) Share Tweet Forward

As a classical liberal, or libertarian in the American political lexicon, I am often frustrated with political labels that do not capture my belief in the supremacy of our natural rights, or my understanding of liberty mostly as freedom from government. I find the American usage of political labels such as Left-Right and liberal-conservative, confusing and inconsistent.  In the current American usage, Left, or liberal, is used to define those who believe government should play an extensive role, and who advocate for the use of government’s coercive powers to bring about a more egalitarian society. We label as Right, or conservative, those that argue that the role of government should be anchored on the Founding Fathers’ conceptualization of a limited government concerned primarily with protecting our lives, liberty and property.  I emphasize “current American usage” because historically and geographically these labels have had different meanings. Yet, it is a fundamental philosophical incongruity to support a larger government role in our lives, while desiring increased personal freedoms. By definition, an expanded government diminishes liberty.  The terms Left and Right originated with the French Revolution (1789) when members of the National Assembly divided into supporters of the King (and religion) who sat to the President’s right, and supporters of the Revolution who sat to the President’s left. Then, Left and Right were not indicative of political ideology, but only of the seating arrangement in the legislature. Those on the left called themselves “republicans” and those on the right referred to themselves as “conservatives.” It was not until early in the 20th Century that Left and Right came to be associated with political ideologies.  Similarly, the term “liberalism” originated in the early 1800’s in the Cadiz Cortes in Spain where Liberales introduced reforms replacing feudal privileges with freedom of contract. The Liberales recognized the rights of property owners and favored the commercial middle class by eliminating special provisions for the Church and the nobility. In contrast with our current  American usage, Spanish liberalism expressed the political theory of limited government, and the philosophy of John Locke, Adam Smith, and Thomas Jefferson.  On the other hand, historical conservatism holds that society comes first, and is superior to the individual. The historical conservative view is that power should be vested, not on individuals, but on institutions such as the State or the Church. In the historical usage, conservatism stands for more government because government is needed to complete the flawed individual. In the Spanish Cortes, the advocates of state power were called Serviles (the servile ones) who represented the privileges of the regalists and King Ferdinand VII.  In most of the world today, liberalism still stands for the supremacy of the individual, and conservatism for the supremacy of the State. Unfortunately, in the American usage the term liberalism has come to mean something almost in direct contradiction to its historical roots. In our usage, liberalism and Left stand for a larger government role, and conservatism and Right stand for limited government.  In our current American usage, how do we label Republicans who want less government involvement in economic matters, but argue for more government controls on social topics? Are they liberal or conservative? Or, in what political cubbyhole do we put Democrats who want the government out of our private lives (as it should be) but want extensive government regulations of commercial activities? What is our party affiliation if we are fiscally conservative and socially liberal? How can we favor more personal freedoms and less personal freedoms simultaneously?  As a consistent supporter of individual freedoms, free markets, and limited government, I would prefer to reclaim our historical right to the term liberal. Unfortunately, it may be too late for that, and we are left with monikers such as classical liberal, market liberal, or libertarian.  However, the point of political labels should be to identify us according to our preferences for less or more government. Political labels ought to be an accurate shorthand expression of our political philosophy. So, how about libertarian for freedom lovers, and servile for government lovers? Please let us know if you  this article. We welcome your feedback. Abrazos, Lily & José (click on the name to email Lily or Jose) José Azel, Ph.D. José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a 13 year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan - the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere.   He is currently dedicated to the in-depth analyses of Cuba's economic, social and political state, with a keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba strategies. Dr. Azel was a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) at the University of Miami, Jose Azel has published extensively on Cuba related topics. In 2012 and 2015, Dr. Azel testified in the U.S. Congress on U.S.-Cuba Policy, and U.S. National Security.  He is a frequent speaker and commentator on these and related topics on local, national and international media.  He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration and a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the University of Miami. José along with his wife Lily are avid skiers and adventure travelers.  In recent years they have climbed Grand Teton in Wyoming, trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Machu Pichu in Peru.  They have also hiked in Tibet and in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest Base Camp. They cycled St. James Way (El Camino de Santiago de Compostela) and cycled alongside the Danube from Germany to Hungary and throughout southern France.  They have scuba dived in the Bay Islands off the Honduran coast and in the Galapagos Islands. Most recently, they rafted for 17 days 220 miles in the Grand Canyon.  Their adventurers are normally dedicated to raise funds for causes that are dear to them.  Watch Joe & Lily summit Kilimanjaro. Books by Dr. José Azel José Azel’s writings are touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone who wishes to understand why countries do, or do not, progress will find in this book the best explanations. And, from these readings emerge numerous inferences: How and why do the good intentions of leftist collectivism lead countries to hell? Why is liberty not a sub product of prosperity, but rather one of its causes? If it was in my power, this work would be required reading for all college and university students, and I would also recommend its reading to all politicians, journalists, and policymakers. With his writings Azel accomplishes what was achieved in France by Frédéric Bastiat, and in the United States by Henry Hazlitt: Azel brings together common sense with intelligent observation, and academic substance. Stupendous, Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                                    BUY NOW Los escritos de José Azel están tocados por la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquiera que desee entender por qué los países progresan, o no, encontrará en este libro las mejores explicaciones. De estas lecturas surgen numerosas inferencias: ¿Cómo y por qué las buenas intenciones del colectivismo de izquierda llevan a los países al infierno? ¿Por qué la libertad no es un subproducto de la prosperidad, sino una de sus causas? Si estuviera en mis manos, esta obra sería de obligada lectura de todos los estudiantes universitarios, pero además, le recomendaría su lectura a todos los políticos, periodistas y policy makers. Con sus escritos Azel logra lo que Frédéric Bastiat consiguiera en Francia y Henry Hazlitt en Estados Unidos: aunar el sentido común, la observación inteligente y la enjundia académica. Estupendo. Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                            Compre Aqui "Liberty for beginners is much more than what the title promises. It is eighty themes touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone that wishes to understand why countries do, or do not progress, will find in this book the best explanations. Stupendous" Carlos Alberto Montaner Buy Now "Libertad para novatos es mucho más de lo que promete el título. Son ochenta temas tocados con la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquier adulto que desee saber por qué progresan o se estancan los pueblos aquí encontrará las mejores explicaciones. Estupendo." Carlos Alberto Montaner Compre Aqui In Reflections on Freedom, José Azel brings together a collection of his columns published in prestigious newspapers.  Each article reveals his heartfelt and personal awareness of the importance of freedom in our lives.  They are his reflections after nearly sixty years of living and learning as a Cuban outside Cuba. In what has become his stylistic trademark, Professor Azel brilliantly introduces complex topics in brief journalistic articles. Buy Now En Reflexiones sobre la libertad José Azel reúne una colección de sus columnas publicadas en prestigiosos periódicos. Cada artículo revela su percepción sincera y personal de la importancia de la libertad en nuestras vidas. Son sus reflexiones después de casi sesenta años viviendo y aprendiendo como cubano fuera de Cuba.  En lo que ha resultado ser característica distintiva de sus artículos, el Profesor Azel introduce con brillantez complejos temas en  breves artículos de carácter periodístico. Compre Aqui Mañana in Cuba is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future. Buy now Pedazos y Vacíos is a collection of poems written in by Dr. Azel in his youth. Poems are in Spanish. Buy now

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