The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1953-12-24
Trimming Dorm The "Wasteline''

more economical freedoms than
social freedoms.
We say that freedom is midi
visible, which is true in the sense
that as the inalienable right of all
citizens, freedom cannot be divided
and equally or unequally distrib-
uted among the people. But as a
bundle of the different kinds of
freedom making up the whole Of
! our birthright, it is highly Invisible.
And, like any bundle, the removal
of one or two of the constituent
parts makes the whole bundle
weak and in danger of falling
! apart
1t is hardly surprising, in light Of
these circumstances, that our eco
monte freedoms, much more than
our vigilantly guarded freedoms of
religion, press and the like, have
! become the prime targets of those
who would employ ignorance and
confusion to weaken our whole way
of life. 1t is equally significant and
understandable that the cold war
of ideas should be principally a
war of economic ideas and beliefs.
And, such an understanding of
our vulnerability to economic sub
version sheds light on two other
vital factors. 1t makes clear the eX-
IRENE hazard of the communists
declared intention to overcome us
ultimately by economic, rather than
military, pressure. 1t also explains
and warns Of the potential effec-
tiveness of inducing US throufh ig-
norance of our economic freedoms
and their application in our system
Of free enterprise actually to aid
in the process of our own destruc-
ton.
Recognition of this sinister
strategy is the first step to COM
batting it. Such recognition will
correct our perspective, our atti-
tudes and sense of values about
the vital Importance of many seem
ingly casual aspects of our current
affairs. And not the least of these
is the almost naive, and certainly
dangerous, assumption that every
body understands, appreciates and
is therefore vigilant about our
whole bundle of freedoms"
Undoubtedly the prime target Of
the calculated campaign of con-
fusion, which is aided and allotted
by ignorance of our economic free
doms is the economic system made
possible by those freedoms. While
the system itself is at least tangi-
bic as expressed in our business
enterprises, it is not necessarily
any better understood than the
rights, principles and theories that
make it possible. In many ways it
is even more vulnerable to attack.
J To expedite the attack the no
ton is steadily fostered that free
enterprise is a thing apart from
our free society, and that the
recognized social freedoms of the
i latter have little to do with the
economic freedoms of the former.
This distinction in itself is trick
based on the old divide and con-
quer principle.
In short, if our people can be
persuaded that economic freedoms
are only of concern to the selfish
interests" of business, new
means is devised for lessening the
concern and vigilance of the in
dividual over these parts of what
is, of course, his bundle of free
doms.
AS another trick, also aimed to-
ward the same Interior detectives,
the notion is fostered that prop
erty" rights are of lesser impor-
lance than personal rights, and
again this attempt to divide and
subvert our concepts of freedom
is made easier by the lesser knowl-
edge we have of our economic or
property freedoms as compared to
our social or personal freedoms.
Property rights would be hollow
indeed, as they are in a Dictator
ship, without personal freedoms
To exercisn than and nersonal