Four Folkways and Liberty, 8/3
Comments on David Hackett Fischer's "Albion's Seed"
Regarding a topic from our recent discussion with Virginia Postrel, Peter Saint-Andre once wrote,
Fischer calls the New England idea "ordered liberty" (freedom to determine the course of one's own society), at worst exemplified in the stifling, moralistic conformism that we still associate with the word "Puritan", at best in the strong town-based democracies (and suspicion of anything but local power) still evident in parts of northern New England. The Virginia idea was that of "hegemonic liberty" (freedom to rule and not be ruled), at worst exemplified in the hierarchical "Slaveocracy" that valued freedom for those at the top but not for poor white trash or black slaves, at best in the aristocratic excellence of men such as George Washington. The Quaker idea was that of "reciprocal liberty" (freedom for me and for thou), at worst exemplified in the pacifistic pursuit of commerce without regard for nation or principle, at best in a quite modern-sounding respect for all human beings to pursue their own fulfillment. The frontier idea was that of "natural liberty" (a freedom without restraints of law or custom), at worst exemplified in the violent and often-emotionalistic chaos of life beyond the reach of civilized norms, at best in eternal vigilance with regard to the sovereignty of the individual.
Postrel described libertarianism, as an explicit ideology in America, as an uneasy combination of reciprocal liberty and natural liberty. One branch coined the slogan “anything peaceful.” The other branch coined the slogan “Don’t take other people’s stuff.”
The heirs to the Quakers and other Mid-Atlantic dissenters are libertarian intellectuals. Think of the Cato Institute. Or Paul Ryan.
The heirs to the Scots-Irish are the Trump supporters.
These two factions have really parted ways on issues of trade, immigration, entitlements, and foreign intervention. As a result, libertarianism looks especially weak today.
Assuming I get regular Monday night zoom sessions going (probably not this month), a discussion of Albion’s Seed will definitely be one of the topics.
Libertarianism ("do nothing") is always weaker than authoritarianism ("do something"). Where Libertarians need to step up is in making the argument against the case of "doing something". But, as we saw during Covid, many Libertarians don't actually agree on "doing nothing" or in fighting against the "do something" agenda.
In other words, there are far fewer Libertarians in practice than there are in theory - everyone is a Libertarian about what they want, few are Libertarians in defending others to do as they please.
I appreciate the true Libertarian believers - such as Don Boudreaux. For even if I don't accept all his positions, I know he is defending my liberty and I am grateful for that. Milquetoast Libertarians are a nuisance. They promote liberty for all their favorite causes - Ukraine, gays, big business, etc, but will never lift a finger to defend the liberty of the people and groups they don't like.
Being personally familiar with each of Fischer's "factions" I find each simultaneously admirable and insufferable. Ultimately I align myself politically with the "Quakers" but my empathy is for the "borderers" - the "Scottish-Irish" who just want to be left alone.
"freedom without restraints of law or custom" sounds like "defund the police" and "what do you mean I can't groom your kids?" - very Trumpy
the problem is that you can't really expect the american coastal elites to know the difference between one tribe of americans and another
everyone who is not them is a redneck
Trumps' base is the petit bourgeoisie and the working class (they do ordered and reciprocal liberties) but Gov/media/academia types can't tell the difference between a plumber and an appalachian moonshiner