Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

"VindicatorOnlyofHerOwn" 179

ingvisionofthatRevolution,theyareconstantlyinvolvedinabitter
struggleagainstcounterrevolutionaries,thosewhowoulddenytherights
promisedintheDeclarationofIndependenceorinfringeontheliberties
guaranteedbytheBillofRights.Bya logicalprocessobviousandclear
tothemselves,thoughsometimesdifficultforotherstofollow,Jeffersoni-
anshaveconvincedthemselvesthattherightofexoticdancerstobare
theirbreastsinbarsisguaranteedbytheConstitution,asaretherights
bothtoproduceandtoconsumepornography.Thetempleoflibertyis
alwaysundersiege.Herea Mississippischoolboardwantschildrento
recitetheLord'sPrayeratthestartoftheschoolday;therea prosecutor
wantstointroduceimproperlyobtainedevidenceintoa criminaltrial.
Overtherea universityboardoftrusteesistryingtofirea professorfor
expoundingquestionableideas,anda policechiefisrefusinga marching
permittoagroupofAmericanNaziswhowanttocommemorateHitler's
birthdaybymarchingthrougha neighborhoodpopulatedbyHolocaust
survivors.InallthesecasesJeffersonianswillbefound(notalwaysenthu-
siastically)atwhattheytaketobethebarricadesoffreedom.
Government is notthe onlyforce from whichthe Revolutionary
legacymustbedefended.SinceJeffersontriedtopersuadeWashington
tovetotheactestablishinga charterfortheFirstBankoftheUnited
States,Jeffersonianshaveworriedabouttheabilityoflargeeconomic
concentrationstoinfringeonpopularliberty.Activeintheresistance
tothewaveofcorporatemergerstowardtheendofthenineteenthcen-
tury,Jeffersoniansovercame theirsuspicion offederal powertosup-
portantitrustlegislation.InthecontemporaryworldJeffersonianslike
RalphNadercontinuetoseeklimitsonthepoliticalpowerofeconomic
concentrations.
Although the 1960s and 1970S left many Americans with the
impressionthatthecivillibertiesmovementwasprimarilyanaspectof
theLeft,Jeffersonianism(likemostAmericanpoliticalmovements)can-
notsoeasilybefittedintocategoriesdrawnfromEuropeanpoliticalbat-
tles.ThelibertarianmovementisanexpressionofJeffersonianthought.
OrganizationslikethelibertarianCatoInstituteadvocatelimitedgov-
ernmentandindividualcivilliberties,andattackthenexusofcloserela-
tionships and mutual support between large corporations and big
governmentinbothforeignanddomesticpolicy.Oneofthemostimpor-
tantdevelopmentsinAmericansocietysincetheendoftheColdWarhas
beentheprogressiverebirthofJeffersonianactivismamonglegalcircles
ontheRight,withmovementsgrowingtostrengthentherightsofpri-
vatepropertyagainstgovernmentregulation,andtorevivethelimitson