Sometime in the 18th century, the word equality gained ground as a political ideal, but the idea was always vague. In this treatise, Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn argues that it reduced to one simple and very dangerous idea: equality of political power as embodied in democracy. He marshals the strongest possible case that democratic equality is the very basis not of liberty, as is commonly believed, but the total state.
He uses national socialism as his prime example. He further argues the old notion of government by law is upheld in old monarchies, restrained by a noble elite. Aristocracy, not democracy, gave us liberty. On his side in this argument, he includes the whole of the old liberal tradition, and offers overwhelming evidence for his case. In our times, war and totalitarianism do indeed sail under the democratic flag. This book, capable of overturning most of what you thought you knew about political systems, was first published in 1952. 403 pages.
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I didn’t see Kuehnelt-Leddihn’s painting of Procrustes, which appeared at the beginning of the Christendom Press edition. It’s pretty crude but I like it anyway.
I tried to include an image tag but the forum software stripped it. Let’s try a link instead…
http://img11.imagepile.net/img11/89777procrustes.jpg
BTW, including an image tag directly worked fine when I previewed the first post.
I’ve been trying to obtain a physical copy of the book for quite some time. I’m expecting a more elegant version of Hoppe’s “Democracy: The God That Failed”.
Thanks
Its a great book… the author writes with a bit of a “cocky” air, showing off his considerable intellectual powers with throwaway references and footnotes of the most diverse kind. His knowledge of the subject is encyclopedic and reading the book is great fun (as opposed to other authors that may write equally important books but are far more laborious to read… Hayek anyone?). I would give anything to go back in time and talk with EKL over dinner; he must have been quite the conversationalist (in more than one tounge!)
I also strongly recommend Leftism Revisited, which along with Hoppe’s Democracy: The God that Failed, have most helped me define my political outlook… I suppose they can best be described as the the “core” of right-wing anarcho-capitalism, even if EKL best categorized himself as “extreme conservative arch liberal.”
After the intelligent observations in the post, one intelligent thing left to say would be:
Richelieu started the war on liberty, among other things by starting the lettres de cachet and the best-known use of La Bastille.
Louis XVI abandoned it, among other things by authorising the erasure of La Bastille 17 July 1789.
Jacobins carried it on, among other things by the war in Vendee.
Moderns carry it on, among other things by one thousand bastilles.
But all that might already have been stated by the author.
There, was that civil too?
London Punch’s version of a suitable visual, as editorial cartoon lampooning labor legislation:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13961/13961-h/13961-h.htm
(search for or scroll down to [pg 139])
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