- Latest Blog Post: The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist. by Tabman
- Latest Comment: Anonymous on The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.
Subscribe to our RSS feed here
Paddy on the values we need.
You'll find it in the Yorkshire Post. Here is an extract:
It is my belief that it is liberalism, of all political ideologies, that has the most to offer today's world. In a nutshell, liberals believe in individual freedom, accountable government, the dispersion of political power, social justice, the rule of law, the free exchange of opinions and goods, and the protection of the natural environment.What could be more relevant to today's challenges?
Above all else, liberals value individual freedom, because we believe that people are best able to decide for themselves what to do with their lives – no-one else, whether government minister or religious leader, can do it for them.
We want to see a government which is run as directly by individuals and communities as possible – decentralised in scale, responsive to the needs and wishes of ordinary people, and one which trusts people to take more responsibility for their own future. What better prescription for today's over-centralised and over-regulated Britain, run by an administration that doesn't listen and doesn't seem to take responsibility when things go wrong?...
...Reading the Dictionary, I have been struck by how important the rule of law was to liberals of the 16th and 17th centuries. Equality before the law was essential to guarantee freedom of choice, conscience and thought, the necessary underpinning of a diverse and tolerant society.
It is easy to take today's legal system for granted – surely we now enjoy the rule of law – until one remembers the government's decision to abandon the investigation into alleged bribery by British Aerospace, its lengthening of the period suspects can be detained without charge, and its new powers to intercept individuals' letters and emails.
The preservation of individual liberties against the power of an over-mighty state is something liberals have fought for throughout history, and is just as relevant today, in our efforts to ensure that measures taken in the name of the war against terror do not destroy the civil liberties they are supposed to be defending.

Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Google




