Simple Non-Statist Test

Every Sunday at my church, we recite the Nicene Creed.  It is a simple statement of our beliefs, but one that embodies the very foundation of Christianity.  It declares everything about the Christian faith and what one must do to become saved.  While I don’t mind disagreements among Christians about the nature of God or various other things, it is this fundamental statement, brought to us by heavily persecuted church members, that I use as a test to see if someone is preaching the correct doctrine.
With conservatives and libertarians, it isn’t so easy.  We generally don’t have a concrete statement of our ideals and many people tend to take on the libertarian or conservative mantle when in reality they are either anarchists, Statist, or just plain potheads.  With so many people rising up and claiming the mantle of conservatism (and some the mantle of libertarianism), I think it is high time we test these out and call these jerks on it if they don’t meet the following minimum requirements:

1. A non-Statist must believe that the individual, not the government, is the solution for social and economic problems.  It is the individual who starts a small business, teaches moral values to his or her children, and protects his or her property.  Morality starts within the home, not within a public school or within a church building, but with a parent.  Likewise, an individual is the center of the economy.  What an individual does with his or her money, provided it doesn’t infringe on another’s life, liberty, or property, is not the business of the government.
2. A non-Statist recognizes that without economic freedom, there is no real freedom to be had.  When the government steps in and regulates or takes over any industry, it eliminates choices.  As such, non-Statists know that the free market will regulate itself better than some bureaucrat can.
3. An American non-Statist recognizes that anything the Federal government does that is not in the United States Constitution is, well, unconstitutional.  The United States Constitution is a very simple document with very specific powers listed.  Anything that is outside the scope of those powers is unconstitutional.  I know this is black and white thinking, but there’s never been anything wrong with that when it comes to your core principles.
4. A non-Statist looks to reducing the size and scope of government.  You cannot simply just cut taxes, because even Statists will cut taxes in order to raise the government tax revenue.  Instead, the focus must be on dismantling old laws and outdated agencies and getting rid of the ones that do more harm to the nation’s wealth and economy rather than any good.
5. A non-Statist knows that people are not perfect and that people in power are even less so.  As such, a politician, no matter how much you may agree with him or her, is ultimately not to be trusted while in power.  The longer a politician remains in power, the more likely he or she is to support and enact laws of tyranny.  Would you trust your next door neighbor with the safety of your children?  Very few people could answer in the affirmative I suspect.  Now think of that neighbor in high office with command over the military’s budget.

I think those five points about sum it up what we generally need to look for when people claim to be conservative or libertarian.  I didn’t touch any real specific issues because I do firmly believe that you can have those differences and still believe in the principles of smaller government, liberty, and the individual over the state.  Unfortunately, there are so many fakers out there that the terms get confused, either purposely or inadvertently, that people will adhere to single issues or other issues and claim this or that about non-Statist ideology.
But let’s be clear that these are probably the fundamental beliefs that drive our ideology.  Let’s work together using these standards to defeat the Statist and ensure that the message of freedom spreads within our own country.  I am more than willing to compromise on the other things provided we focus on getting smaller government.  I hope you are too.