The Main Points Of My Political Philosophy

From all of the political philosophies discussed throughout the unit, there hasn’t been one that fits me perfectly, but rather a combination of a variety of beliefs from a few social classes that align with my views. I believe in minimal government intervention both economically and socially, with the government protecting our rights and individuals themselves driving markets and society. My views resemble those of John Locke and his belief that humans are self-interested and create a society for their own benefit. Humans are social atoms and are not connected to individuals around them. Therefore, I am a libertarian-leaning classical liberal. Differing from a typical libertarian, I believe there must be partial government intervention in the economy. A totally free market, one in which the sole purpose of the government is to promote competition and prevent monopolies, would undoubtedly cause a variety of problems within our society. These problems are currently dealt with by beneficial programs and necessary interference by our government. While some may argue for Adam Smith’s idea of an “invisible hand” driving markets, an average of 21% of Americans participate in at least one government assistance program according to a 2016 report by Medicaid. gov. Many of these people are unable to work and would be left to struggle without help from the federal government.

While I am all for a free market and letting individuals drive the economy, we must recognize that from time to time, people end up in unfortunate circumstances. Without any safety net, people would be left in poor living conditions and without adequate resources to put themselves back on their feet. In addition, government interference in the form of subsidies benefits both businesses and consumers in a variety of ways. As a result of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression of 1929, the government realized that food supply must be protected from natural disasters and provided subsidies to farmers. These subsidies ensured that businesses were able to survive in hard times while preventing high price fluctuations for consumers at their local grocery store. Consumers should not have to worry about large price swings and be able to afford commodities such as food one day comfortably and not struggle to afford it the next. More aligning with traditional classical liberal views, I see eye to eye with John Locke on many of his beliefs. First and foremost, I agree with his idea that humans have inherent rights that the government must protect. The government’s central job is to protect the rights and property of its citizens, and failure to do so should result in rebellion.

A significant belief of Locke is that humans are social atoms, which means that inherently, humans are individuals and not connected or responsible for others. Unlike social liberals today, I am opposed to a lot of government aid. Ideas like limiting the pay of CEOs, subsidized college tuition, and increased taxes on the uber-wealthy are just a few I am against. All of these proposals all come down to one thing, equal opportunity for all in America. However, many fail to realize how equal things currently are today. Sure, if one is born into a wealthy family, they may have it easier than someone born into poverty. However, the opportunity to succeed is still there for everyone, and some must work harder than others. As stated in a 2018 report by taxfoundation. org, the top 1% paid roughly 37. 3% of all income taxes with a hefty portion coming from the uber-wealthy. Billionaires are frequently unfairly scapegoated for a large part of the countries problems. People must realize that billionaires are not the problem and are ultimately beneficial to our society. On top of paying their fair share of taxes, lots of the uber-wealthy are incredibly charitable and have positively impacted the lives of many inside and outside of the country. Warren Buffet, the founder of Berkshire Hathaway and the third richest person in the world, has alone donated billions of his fortune to help solve a range of different humanitarian problems. Yearly, Buffet gives billions of dollars worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to fight hunger, promote women’s rights, and back social justice initiatives in Nebraska. He has also pledged to donate 99% of his wealth when he passes away. This charitable manner isn’t an anomaly within billionaires and is extremely common.

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and the second richest person in the world, has donated over $30 billion in various projects. They are primarily focused on providing vaccines to under-developed countries where malaria is common. It can be said that from both Bill and his wife Melinda’s contributions, millions of lives across the globe have been saved. While “college for all” and “free universal health care” sound good in theory, these extreme left policies would fail and be disruptive to the economy. Nothing comes free, and those who are no longer attending college and responsibly paid their way through would be forced to contribute through taxes. Funding for higher education should be up to the individual and should not be guaranteed to every citizen. Degrees would be significantly less valuable, and the workplace would become filled with irresponsible and sluggish workers. When you pay for a college degree, it shows that you are both dedicated and motivated to turn your life into something positive. Although the current price of degrees is high, it is not out of reach with the help of student loans. I fail to realize how people can complain about the struggle of paying off student loans when they get degrees in useless fields like gender studies. In a capitalistic society, you are paid on how useful and essential your skills are. It is absurd that people today believe the cancellation of outstanding student debt and the idea of free college should be a reality in America. To conclude, the society that is currently established in America is inarguably the best in the world.

We do not only have the most economic freedom in the world but the most rights and a government that protects and cares about those rights. Although I believe we could do without some government intervention that is currently in place, the balance works exceptionally well. Paul Ryan said it best when he mentioned that, “We don’t want to turn the safety net into a hammock that lulls able-bodied people into complacency and dependence. ” America was founded on the core principles of freedom, and the new demand for a drastic governmental change is extremely concerning. We must not forget how this country has thrived over the years and be careful not to destroy it with heavy governmental societal and economic intervention.