I won?t profess to agree with everything James Kalb writes in The Tyranny of Liberalism, a recent book that explains its purpose with the subtitle: ?Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality By Command.?

Kalb argues that liberalism in any form ? even the classical liberalism that motivated the American Founders ? will yield inexorably to the tyranny of government-mandated and -enforced equality of outcome. He skewers most American conservatives, as well, arguing that their brand of conservatism is weakened by fundamental acceptance of many destructive liberal principles.

Whether Kalb goes overboard or not, he makes some interesting points. One item that struck me as particularly useful was a list of questions (he calls them talking points) ?traditionalists? should employ in their conversations with self-professed liberals:

  • If liberalism is tolerant, why all the propaganda and reeducation programs?
  • If it is based on consent, why the emphasis on judges, experts, bureaucrats, and theorists?
  • If it is skeptical and empirical, why the demand for radical transformation of all social arrangements everywhere?
  • If liberalism emphasizes the individual and unleashes creativity, why does it make everyone and everything the same?

Kalb lists another 10 questions, but you get the idea.