The Iraqi Federalist Papers - The Prerequisites for Freedom

The latest reports say that US casualties in Iraq have topped 1000. Sad as it is, and recognizing that the number is still dwarfed by the 58,000 and 400,000 of Vietnam and WW2, the Iraqis, it seems, have not sufficiently taken up the burden of securing their future as a free country. This is not much of a surprise. History has shown that there is a tragic irony on the path to western nation building - though freedom is a concept that instantly appeals to the collectively oppressed, oppressed individuals often lack the mental mindset to do what it takes to obtain it. This is because, when it comes down to it, the price of freedom may be one's life.

Understandably, the human mind shudders at the thought of willingly engaging in such high stakes behavior. The only way around this mental impasse is to become committed to a cause, a a cause that is bigger than the value of one's individual life. Freedom is that kind of cause (so is martyrdom, as we have seen), but only if you really understand it (no so in the case of martyrdom). If freedom is to be established and remain secured, the minds of those who would enjoy it must be imbued with some prerequisite concepts. They are as follows:

1. Though all humans are not equal in talent and appearance, all are endowed with equal access to three basic human rights - the rights to life, liberty, and property. No one, regardless of his or her status or wealth, has the right to infringe upon the rights of others.

2. In all societies, there are individuals who do not recognize the rights of others. They ignore property rights by engaging in theft. They ignore the right to liberty in coercing individuals by force, thus placing them into servitude (or, at the very least, a life of fear). And they ignore the right to life by eliminating individuals who threaten their agenda.

3. These people are the enemies of freedom. The two cannot coexist. Therefore, those who are oppressed must resist, diplomatically at first, but forcefully, if necessary. They must pay for their freedom, usually in blood. Though foreign forces can and will assist, the ultimate securing of human rights in a country must come from its indigenous peoples. There is no other way.

4. There is no such thing as a predetermined life. History has shown that humans are capable of surmounting all odds. Possessing the courage to obtain the desired life is all that separates those who change their course in life and those who do not.

5. Even when the largest threats to freedom are removed, there will still be a domestic contingent of individuals who do not recognize human rights. Populations oppose threats from these people by instituting governments designed to secure the rights of all individuals. These governments are founded on the rule of law, whereby all individuals are treated equally under the law.

6. The laws of the land must be codified in a constitution that centers on securing human rights, and is founded on the notion that government is only legitimate as the instrument by which social and economic policies are created, adjudicated, and enforced.

7. With the power and scope of the government so limited, individuals are immediately faced with an expanded set of personal responsibilies. The cost of not being enslaved is having to make a living for yourself. The cost of getting to accumulate property is having to learn how to keep it.

8. Given the increased responsibility for making a living, the free society must be founded upon a free market economy. History has shown that this is the very best way to create a diverse market of jobs and to increase the prosperity of all people. The right to property implies the right to do with it what you will. In a free market economy, you can trade it as you wish. And your time is also your property, so you can trade it, too, for things you want and need - all of this, so long as you do not infringe upon the rights of others. This circumstance creates competition between buyers and sellers, which creates jobs and wealth. The law exists to set the rules of how trades happen, and the government's sole role is to ensure fair competition, and to adjudicate and enforce the laws when disputes arise.

9. In a free society with a free market, there will be individuals who accumulate vast wealth and attempt to trade it for power over other individuals. These individuals must be stopped, which will not be easy. They will coax with gifts and threaten with force. But the moment they infringe upon the rights of individuals, the rule of law must be enforced, no matter what. This is the most critical factor in maintaining the free society. As soon as some individuals are afforded the right to trample the rights of others, the entire system begins to break down.

10. A free society is also a society that supports a massive diversity in lifestyles, opinions, and behaviors. The system depends upon individuals respecting the rights of others while withholding judgement or concern for their values and predilections. No one has the right to not be offended.

These basic concepts must be predominantly resident in the minds of any population that intends to establish freedom where there is currently tyranny, and that expects to use it as the foundation of a nation. It is not a coincidence that these are the basic ideas that underpin the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution. The founding fathers, steeped in man's history and the philosophy of the Enlightenment, had it all worked out. Their hardest task was educating the masses as to how the rights they fought for in the revolutionary war translated into a post-revolutionary free society. In the years between 1784 and 1789, the task was taken up in the form of documents, such as the Federalist Papers, that articulated in detail the philosophical rationale for the concepts that would eventually find their way into the constitution. It was this education en-masse that created the climate necessary to allow for the ratification of the first document to establish a country based upon philosophical ideals and nothing more. This was a very big deal. Alas, given how things are currently unfolding, we should be skeptical that anything resembling this event will happen in Iraq.

To begin with, the Iraqis didn't actually fight for their own liberation. Therefore, one might conclude, they still lack the will to "live free or die." That's not a very encouraging start. Add to that the fact that the concept of all people being equal in the eyes of the law is laughable in a world where corruption and tyranny have held sway for as long as anyone can remember. Until the Iraqis believe in their rights, believe it is possible to secure them on a continuous basis, and are so offended by the insurgents who continue to thwart their prosperity, that they are willing to risk life and limb to eliminate them, the likelihood of freedom coming to rest in that area of the Middle East is slim. Even if they somehow manage to rid themselves of the Baathist uprisings, they'll still have to learn how to cooperate enough to build a free society. This, also, has its share of challenges.

Once again, Iraqis will find it difficult to believe in how powerful the rule of law can be when the majority is committed to it. They've never seen it in action. If they suspect that "equal protection under the law" will eventually fail, ordinary Iraqis may hedge their bets and take sides with nefarious individuals, which leads quickly to the slippery slope that ends in a totally corrupt society. No, if freedom is to last in Iraq, the Iraqis really have to believe. They need a vision of a fair society governed by a rationally justified government, one that is founded on protecting human rights. This vision will serve as the method by which they can internalize the cause, and when some finally get it, everyone else will need to realize that the process will take a while. If America is any example, it will take several years, even more if we don't start dealing with the situation pragmatically.

This is my hangup with the situation in Iraq. If we're not nation building, then we need to wrap things up, hand it over a truly international peacekeeping operation, and move on. I know - easier said than done. No matter, if we are nation building, and I think we are, then we need to get our heads in the game. We need an Iraqi version of Alexander Hamilton working furiously on the Iraqi Federalist papers. Then, alongside our soldiers, we need a cadre of instructors taking the message to the people. If that doesn't factor into the plan, we'll be having this same conversation when the 2000th US soldier is killed in Iraq.