Democrats cynically claim “freedom” despite their policies

If you listened to the speeches on the podium at the Democratic National Convention, you might have thought that the Democrats were distributing Friedrich Hayek's libertarian classic “The Road to Serfdom” to the audience.

In recent weeks, Democrats have made a sharp turn and are now focused on a rhetoric of freedom. This course was particularly pronounced in Chicago.

The convention anthem was Beyoncé's song “Freedom,” and the Harris campaign unveiled a new commercial titled “We Believe in Freedom.”

Oprah Winfrey quoted an old Republican saying: “Freedom is not free.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who has long made this issue a central theme of his speeches, called the Democrats “the party of true freedom.”

And vice presidential candidate Tim Walz leaned heavily on this idea, contrasting Republican liberty, which is supposedly all about violating privacy and encouraging corporate pollution, with Democrat liberty, which protects people's free choice and safety.

According to the governor of Minnesota, his state’s golden rule is: “Mind your own business.”

There are several things to be said about this rhetorical maneuver: On the one hand, it might work purely politically by linking the Democrats to deeply rooted traditional American values. On the other hand, it is extremely cynical and runs completely counter to the progressive style of government.

It is as if the English pioneer socialists Beatrice and Sydney Webb had called their slogan “Live free or die”.

Or when the 20th century socialist intellectual Michael Harrington began claiming to be a fan of the work of Milton Friedman.

Or if Bernie Sanders were to display the revolutionary-era “Appeal to Heaven” flag that was once popular with Tea Party activists.

That doesn't make sense.

Consider, for example, Walz, whose record as governor is not exactly one of live and let live.

This newfound champion of unfettered freedom has done everything in his power to expand the sphere of influence of the Minnesota government.

During the COVID pandemic, he imposed incredibly strict regulations, closing schools and churches while also setting up a whistleblower hotline so Minnesotans could report those who were not following the rules.

None of this was voluntary.

He has introduced countless new taxes that the population obviously cannot reject.

He signed a law Mandate paid family leave – funded by taxes on employers and employees – and a law Mandate that Minnesota utilities will switch to 100% carbon-free energy by 2040.

Conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. once joked: Liberals don't care what you do, as long as you do it.

Walz has falsely claimed that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows a ban on “hate speech” and, in violation of the Second Amendment, advocates a ban on America’s most popular rifle.

He has never encountered an economic regulation that he did not like.

It goes without saying that he does not support school choice, which would allow more parents to decide for themselves which school their children attend, nor does he support right-to-work laws, which allow workers to join or pay union dues, or health savings accounts, which give people more control over their health care.

He is clearly not a libertarian.

When Democrats talk about “freedom,” they usually mean abortion on demand. But that is only a legitimate form of freedom if the unborn child is wrongly viewed as nothing, without rights or interests of its own.

In Chicago, Democrats often raised the issue of the alleged infringement of freedom when authorities tell children what books they should read.

They relate to decisions about public school curricula or what books are available in public school libraries. These decisions are made by the government all the time.

Walz himself has introduced new required ethnic studies courses in Minnesota schools. While this may be bad policy, it is not an infringement on anyone's freedom.

The other forms of freedom that Democrats defend – quality education, public safety, etc. – are public goods and not true expressions of freedom.

But perhaps these untruths and misunderstandings do not matter: Democrats sense an opportunity as the Republican Party is now appearing more populist and placing less emphasis on freedom.

If the Democrats get away with their pseudo-libertarianism, it would be a remarkable triumph of the freedom to deceive.

Twitter: @RichLowry