Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin

    I went hiking on the Big Dry Creek Trail in Westminster recently with Mark Levin.  Actually, I was listening to his audio-book, Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto.  Levin is a radio talk show host and an out-spoken Constitutional Conservative and Originalist.    He covers a range of important issues that are facing our country today. These include the Free Market, the Environment, Immigration, and the Welfare State to name a few. Each chapter focuses on his conservative belief on the topic, and he challenges the opposing viewpoint of what he calls the Statist. He leaves no room for compromise with his firm stands.

    The first chapter describes the differences between the "Statist" and the "Conservative."  Statists believe that man's life and work belong to the state.  Levin identifies a statist system, whether communist, fascist, Nazi, socialist or welfare state, as one that is based on the government’s unlimited power.   Levin identifies with principled conservatives who stand up for limited government, the freedom of the individual, capitalism, and personal property rights. Levin calls on conservatives to stop statists from trashing our constitution and trying to fundamentally transform our society into some kind of centrally controlled socialist utopia. The argument is no longer about Republican and Democrat. The argument has become whether we should stand for our founding principles of freedom and liberty, or fundamentally transform our country.  Levin believes that the Democrat Party has been hijacked by the Statists whose agenda it is to push America toward a European style of government. The conservative, according to Levin, is almost impotent to prevent this from happening, partly because the conservative has not engaged in politics in the way the Statist has, therefore the conservative has been caught off guard like a deer in headlights.

    In the second chapter, Levin begins with an overview of our country as a constitutional republic and how we got here. He then states clearly his book's theme and rallying cry -- Conservatives must know the philosophical foundations for the principles they purport to advance in order to defend liberty from the "soft tyranny" of modern liberalism. Levin calls up the likes of DeTouqeville, Adam Smith and many other to give a true history of conservative thought. Once we understand where conservatism comes from, it becomes very easy to see how far we are from that reality now. In addition to the history, Levin outlines the true conservative view of many of the issues we are dealing with today. 

    Chapter Three, On Faith and the Founding, goes into great detail going back to the founding fathers and what influenced them into drafting the Constitution the way they did.  Levin logically lays out what has made the United States of America different from all other nations in the history of humanity. He re-introduces us to the founders and framers, and those people who inspired them long ago. At its most basic elements, our country was founded on the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that we have these rights conferred on us, not by man or government, but by Natural Law, which originates with the Creator. Levin puts us back in touch with our founding doctrines, which are at the very heart of what conservatism is and has always been.  He accurately summarizes all of the ideas that led up to the 13 Colonies breaking away from Great Britain and eventually establishing their own country. Levin does a great job in this book of explaining how our Constitution has enabled us to be a free nation for more than 230 years. Levin then details how the liberal (and some so-called conservative) political elite rejects the notion of American Exceptionalism and seek to surrender voluntarily the sovereignty our forefathers fought and died to give and to preserve for us. 

    Chapter 4, On the Constitution, Levin provides basic explanations of the founding principles of America, such as individual liberty, individual rights. Levin describes the reasons for gun rights and property rights, in addition to free speech, press and religion, and why they are necessary and how any government can creep toward tyranny without these checks on its power in place.  He discusses how the Constitution has evolved as well as how it has been misinterpreted.  He explains how politicians have by-passed the Constitution to take away more and more of our freedoms, all in the name of building a utopian society.  Levin goes on to meticulously explaining the principles of classic conservative philosophy of "prudent" progress, of a government that is subservient to the people (rather than the other way around), the fundamental truth that rights are not derived from the government but from a higher power, that the free market system more than any other in history provides the best, most efficient and most just opportunity for individual prosperity as well as for the general welfare.  Levin outlines the intent of the framers in writing the Constitution and discusses the Federalist Papers. He further outlines the attempts to circumvent the Constitution since the time of Hoover and the dangers to the freedoms we citizens hold dear. 

    In Chapter 5, On Federalism, describes how the federal government has gotten far too big, is grasping for too much power over our lives and is in serious need of common sense as put forth throughout this book, which Levin calls a "Conservative Manifesto."  Levin supports principled conservative politicians who stand up for limited government, the freedom of the individual, capitalism, and personal property rights.  Levin then touches on some good ideas such as a flat tax and elimination of the department of education.  

    In Chapter 6, On the Free Market, Levin exposes the myth of the New Deal, a myth that should have died in the 30s. As late as April 1939 (more than 6 years after Roosevelt had been in office) the unemployment rate spiked up past 20%. Objectively speaking, the New Deal was a complete failure. 

    Chapter 7 addresses the welfare state.  Levin provides alarming statistics such as the fact that we now have 54 million people drawing Social Security/SSI checks.  Levin describes the failures of socialized medicine in European countries.  He mentions how it works so poorly in the UK that dentists do not work once their yearly quotas have been reached because they don't get paid to do anything beyond their quota.  He tells the sad story of Barbara Wagner of Oregon who was not offered life-extending cancer treatments due to cost but was offered a free doctor-assisted suicide instead which may be a harbinger of things to come.  Levin seeks the elimination of Medicaid and restoring Medicare and Social Security to their original intent as entitlements that kick in at an age past life expectancy (~75 years now). Levin makes a strong case that something needs to be done about entitlement programs now.  I was hoping that he would mention corporate welfare, but that is not covered in this chapter.

    In Chapter 8, On Enviro-statism, begins with a long history of DDT and how this highly effective mosquito repellent could save thousands of lives if not for irrational statist fears.  He describes how government regulation such as CAFE standards for cars have resulted in more Americans deaths in car accidents than soldiers have died in wars. 

    Chapter 9 deals with immigration, and Levin rails against illegal immigration.  This chapter is strong, but laden with statistics. It is interesting to note that Cesar Chavez was against illegal immigration because competition from illegal immigrants lowered wages for the United Farm Workers.  Other interesting facts that Levine cites are that 9% of Mexico's population is living in the United States and 27% of Mexico's labor forces works in the United States for 1/3 of their formal wage earnings. The comments from Mexico about how it considers the American Southwest to still be part of Mexico are alarming. 

In Chapter 10, On Self-Preservation, Levin provides a well-thought out list of ideas that conservatives will have to implement if the nation is to improve. Some of Levin's suggestions include establishing a legislative veto over Supreme Court decisions, and reforming our tax system with a flat tax to help facilitate job creation and an economic recovery.

    Levin ends with a flourish with a section about international treaties and conventions that emphasize "global citizenship" vs. the true purpose of government which is to protect our rights, as noted by Locke, Jefferson and Bastiat.

    I found this book to be an intelligent, well-written, cogent articulation of conservatism and statism in modern American. No matter what your perspective, ideology, or political leaning, you will be educated in a foundational understanding of Conservatism after reading this book.  You may or may not agree with some of the views presented, but you'll almost surely finish better informed on the challenges facing our country today and tomorrow.