An underlying, or sometimes not so underlying, theme behind my posts is that people should be free. Liberty should not be compromised. I focus on economic freedom because, as I illustrated in a previous post (see Theory of Rights), without property rights there are no rights.
But what do I mean when I use the terms freedom or liberty?
First, you must understand what these words should not be taken to mean. By freedom, I do not mean freedom from having to make choices on your own. I do not mean freedom from consequences of your decisions. I do not mean freedom from the demands of nature. I do not mean freedom from your unfortunate circumstances. I do not mean freedom from responsibility.
By freedom, I mean the ability to do as one chooses as long as he is not forcefully violating the rights of another. This preclusion from initiation of force and violating others' rights is not a limitation on freedom, but a logical precondition to having freedom oneself. By freedom, I mean the freedom from initiation of force, freedom from coercion, freedom from any violation of rights.
Freedom does not mean having everything you need handed to you; it is having what is rightfully yours not forcefully taken away. It does not mean having every choice made available to you; it is having the choices available to you not forcefully taken away.
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