By Tim Jones
Progressivism is always criticized for being wrong in many ways but there is one element to it that is often missed. It deserves criticism but it also is something that actually explains why it is adopted by so many. And that element is permissiveness.
At its core, progressivism is the destruction of limitations and boundaries. And what makes this work so well for both progressivism and capitalism is permissiveness to choose without restraint.
In The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Right and Left, author Yuri Levin describes freedom coming from tradition and obligation as envisioned by Burke. From Paine, the original liberal, it comes from choice. So by extension, limiting choice in the liberal tradition would be limiting freedom and therefore permissiveness becomes the means to create and enhance personal freedom.
So from the philosophy of Paine, permissiveness has grown to become a key driver in our capitalistic system -- choice. Problems begin in myriad ways however, when unlimited choice occurs not just in the marketplace but also into the social realm.........More
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