Op-Ed: Fundamental Ideas are the Wellsprings of Liberty and Tyranny

Shame on us. In our political discourse, we throw the “isms” around willy-nilly, without really discussing—or understanding—what they actually mean. Liberalism, socialism, Marxism, fascism, conservatism, libertarianism… At election time, we employ these labels to blast or to boast about a given candidate.

But words have meaning beyond being political hand grenades. Fundamental philosophies of government pace the course of human history and cast the die of our destiny, for good or evil. We fight over government policies and practices, and that’s important. But even more important is understandi...