A Letter of Warning to America - The New Road to Serfdom

My expectations for a collapse of the global monetary fantasies makes this comparison of eurozone and American political thinking since the election of Obama good for a few bits of information that I might otherwise have not considered significant. Europe had a large number of baby Babylons that produced higher swindle fanatics based on local customs and thinking. The eurozone bureaucrats hate Israel because it has a national ideology that is the opposite of the kind of market thinking banks wish to promote through international cooperation. America was a special case as a generator of wealth and source of American dollars for a global reserve currency when China became the new destination for a financial bobsled that has made prosperity so fluid that ice might soon become a thing of the past.

America can live on borrowed time and borrowed money for as long as the choices remain limited to the kind of economic shares that are revealed in a chart which shows the decline of Western Europe and America as Asia increases to a significant portion of global domestic product. Involution, tipping points, dish cities, schizoid personality disorders, and the flip flops of the Scroobious Pip make as much sense as the kind of politics that expects everybody to think:

Chippetty tip. Chippety tip. It's only name is the Scroobious Pip. Edward Lear's the Scroobious Pip (A Harper trophy book)

Daniel Hannan, The New Road to Serfdom: A Letter or Warning to America. New York: HarperCollins, 2010. 200 pages, with index, $24.99. Reviewed by Douglas Groothuis.

Should Christians study and be involved in politics? Some claim that politics is dirty; Christians should be pure; therefore, Christians should not seek to understand or contribute to the world of elections, legislation, and public policy. However, this is deeply unbiblical. Christ is the Lord of the whole of life and has summed his born-again and Spirit-filled people to "disciple the nations" (Matthew 28:18-20). We live in a fallen world. Christian involvement in that world--at every level--means associating with sinners, sinful ideas, and sinful institutions. But God's mission as God is to draw people into his covenant, make them eternal citizens of his Kingdom, and empower them to reestablish the knowledge of God to the nations such that fallen mortals admit their state before God, appropriate his promises, and put them into action as they rely on the Spirit of Truth moment-by-moment. This cannot exclude the laws of nations--and neighborhoods.

Since God is Lord, and not the state, every political order is under the judgment of a higher Sovereign. For example, the Psalms says to God and us:

Can a corrupt throne be allied with you--
a throne that brings on misery by its decrees? (Psalm 94:20)

The Book of Acts reports God's impeachment of arrogant Herod.
On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.22 They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man."23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
But the word of God continued to spread and flourish (Acts 12:21-22).
Christians, as salt and light in society, should be deeply concerned about the moral and political direction of their nation (Matthew 5:13-16). Civil law substantially shapes the character and culture of a nation. Although no tyranny can ultimately stop the advancement of God's Kingdom, it can displease God and abuse people made in God's image and likeness. Isaiah knew this: "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees" (Isaiah 10:1). Jesus himself was not coved by political pressure, nor did he endorse unjust authority:
At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you."
He replied, "Go tell that fox, `I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day--for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! (Luke 13:31-33).
As Jeremiah said, God's people should seek the welfare of the city to which they are exiled (Jeremiah 29:7; see also 1 Peter 1). Although we are "exiles" on earth before God restores all things (Revelation 21-22), we are still called to cultivate and develop the creation (Genesis 1:26) in these terms:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

Part of the Christian's duty as both a citizen of heaven and of earth is to gain the best possible insights into the history, meaning, and possibilities for one's own nation. That is, being a wise agent of God means not only knowing the Word, but knowing God's world. This requires some knowledge of extra-biblical history, political philosophy, and economics. Christians ought not use the Bible as a shortcut to avoid these matters. In this endeavor, an Englishman, Daniel Hannan can help us immensely.

While on the floor of the European Parliament in 2009, Hannan eloquently denounced British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's policies. A video of his performance went viral on the Internet, thus acquainting millions of Americans to a principled, articulate, and courageous politically conservative voice from England. Although Hannan does not wax very theological in this short, crisp, clever, and insightful book, his warning to America is deeply rooted in the Judeo Christian tradition. Perhaps the most telling theological comments Hannan makes sums up the genius of this tradition: "it needs to be remembered that Man is fallen" (10). Knowledge of this truth protects civil governments from utopian aspirations and the superstition that human nature can be regenerated by political effort.
Hannan's thesis is that America has moved radically toward European political ideals and, therefore, away from its founding heritage of limited civil government. He does not want America to become a nation of serfs. Hence his title, which calls to mind Friedrich Hayek's classic work, The Road to Serfdom. Hannan warns that "The United States is Europeanizing its health care system, its tax rates, its day care, its welfare rules, its approach to global warming, its foreign policy, its federal structure, its unemployment rate" (xvi). As such, we are risking the integrity of our unique identity in the world. "Europeanization is incompatible with the vision of the founders and the spirit of the republic. Americans are embracing all the things their ancestors were so keen to get away from: high taxes, unelected bureaucrats, pettifogging rules" (118).

Hannan, though a loyal citizen of the nation that America opposed in the War of Independence, affirms American exceptionalism. This claim has taken many forms--some more merely nationalistic, others more nuanced and historically-informed. Basically stated, American exceptionalism does not deem America a new chosen nation, nor does it except America from transcendent moral standards. As Jesus said:

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:28)

Rather, it argues that the principles of America's founding (articulated in The Federalist Papers, The Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights) are exceptional in world history. America was deliberately founded by well-educated, deep-thinking and far-thinking, intellectuals who held a Judeo-Christian view of human nature as neither angelic nor demonic, but constrained by finitude and sin. Therefore, the power of the state should be limited and the federal government should be separated into three powers, each with its own jurisdiction: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. To many, this arrangement merely a social construction with no intrinsic and abiding value, as claims progressivism. On the contrary, it captures many essentials truths of the human condition and what it means live under ordered liberty

Like many British writers, Hannan possesses an urbane wit and an astute sense for history. He convincingly argues that America's founding ideals were largely borrowed England, the very nation America revolted against in 1776. Many Englishmen did not support the war against the colonies, and it was not fought with great determination. Further, England generally embraced America after the war. The United States and England have been strong military allies through many years, especially in World War II. For these reasons, Hannan feels a keen kinship with America, and desires that it stay true to its founding principles. He believes that America at its best is, in many ways and despite is foibles, a light to world. He does not want to see that light flicker and eventually go out. The darkness would extend beyond our shores and throughout God's world. America's greatness should matter to everyone, argues Hannan, since "the promise of the U.S. Constitution didn't simply serve to make Americans free. It also drove your fathers to carry liberty to other continents" (118).

Hannan has in-depth experience with both British politics and that of the European Union, a multi-national bureaucracy that has little respect for the popular will of the citizens of its constitutive states. It favors a socialist welfare state over personal liberty, prosperity, and opportunity; it mandates "global governance" and supra-nationalism over the sovereignty of individual nations (see Genesis 11 for the original source of this error.) In a particularly profound chapter called, "Don't Copy Europe," Hannan cautions that we should not copy Europe's model of a centralized, command (top-down) economy, given its excessive and debilitating regulations, inability to motivate workers and generate new jobs. Nor should we ape Europeanize health care. As an example, Hannan explains the abysmal record of England's inefficient and bureaucratically sclerotic socialized system.

We should avoid the European model of welfare as well, since it makes no distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor, undercuts individual responsibility, and engenders resentment between people. Our sense of society should not be inspired by Europe, because "as the state has expanded, society has dwindled" (100). Or, as talk radio host and author Dennis Prager says, "The larger the state, the smaller the citizen." Social functions traditionally given to families--such as health, education, day care, and the provision for the elderly--are taken over by the state. "So, it is perhaps no surprise that the family itself, in Europe, in is decline" (101). Hannon argues that Europe's recent record on immigration and its abandonment of federalism is equally undeserving of our imitation.

Americans should aspire to something far better than serfdom. Daniel Hannan can help teach us how. I hope that Christians listen, learn, and act accordingly, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit of Truth.

In his letter to America, Hannan reminds Americans not to abandon the principles which made this country great. Many times we here our own politicians make similar statements and quickly discount them as part of the political fervor of elections. Hearing a Brit make these same pleas brings a new tone to the call to return to these founding principles. In his book, Hannan points out that the EU is not the magnanimous body most Americans believe it to be, but rather, a body that is slowly eroding the ability of individuals within individual states such as France and Britain to govern their own lives. I highly recommend this book for those concerned with the centralization of power in the US.

Brilliant little book, but the author showed himself to be a hypocrite in that he is against Scottish secession, Sept.2014 !!! I awoke this morning to see if Scotland succeeded in seceding, and what do I see to my surprise, but an article by Mr. Hannan, applauding the No vote victory! I loved this book, and totally agree that decentralized power is the key to freedom and prosperity. Does Mr. Hannan now believe that his own premise does not apply to real life? http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100286852/thank-god-my-country-is-still-intact/

How refreshing to read an affirmation of the principles on which our nation was founded! And that it comes from a British political thinker gives it even more credibility, since he has no partisan ax to grind. It is sobering to have this warning coming from a credible outside observer. We would do well to heed it.

Hannon does a great job of pointing out the great things in American politics that Americans don't really see. His glimpses into the inner workings of the EU (he was a Member of the European Parliament) and his comparisons between the US and Europe are clear and passionate. If you want to know what to celebrate and what to oppose in the US, read this book!

As an EU parliamentarian and a British subject I did not expect such a candid, transparent and super-informed view of our nation's history and current politics. Not only does Mr. Hannan have a unique view of the US but he has the historical acumen and empathy to see it accurately and with humility. What a refreshing view from the outside. Our thanks to Mr. Hannan.

Excellent book. Short, but right to the point. Very helpful to me as I know little about how other countries are governed, so a comparison of our system to others gives good perspective. I found it to be a positive book overall, with the emphasis on the strong points of our U.S. system and why we should preserve the guarantees of liberty we now have, but could lose.

Hannan gives readers the inside look at the present economic conditions of Europe and the steps that were made to get there. As a member of the British Parliament himself, his insight on laws and regulations enacted are second-to-none. He is able to tie the basis of the laws to the collapse of the Euro zone. He is also very detailed on how and why America is headed straight towards the same fate. Hannan sends out the warning to America straight from experience. Highly recommend this book, especially if you have read Hayek's original masterpiece.

British conservative Daniel Hannan warns Americans not to pursue the failed policies of the European Union. He warns us not to Europeanize the economy, health care, welfare, society, and immigration. He warns that socialism is coming and Americans must fight it in order to save our freedom.

Anything Hannan says is outstanding. He has appeared numerous times on Fox, for his incite. However, what he says is very depressing, namely that we are headed down a very bad road that europe took. He knows. He saw it happen in his native England. I wish there were many more like him.

The biggest problem with The New Road to Serfdom is how it is coming true at a faster and faster pace. The ONLY way to reverse America's decline is to learn where we've been and what exactly is happening right now. Here is the prescription for that!

Daniel Hannan provides a dim future if we continue down this path of Democrat Socialism and Republican Big Government. We need to steer back to the basics that our founders put for us and work off of freedom, hard work, and liberty. The rest will fall into place.

Just finished this book.A page turner. If I could vote 10 stars I would. I am a Canadian and found this book absolutely mesmerizing. My thoughts when I turned the last page was, "If only it could be mandatory that every American (and Canadian)read this book. I know, I know, that is "big brother" talking(and would never happen, and I'm against big government) but the "sleeping" people have to be forced at times to examine what is going on in the real world, then make up their minds. America is slowly awakening, thank heavens, just hope it is in time.

Americans have suffered the worst consequences of capitalism because they are systematically deprived of alternatives and informaation about them. Thus this book is typical of the propaganda rushed into service when the reigning paradigm starts to look to a bit thin. Any sensible student of American confusions would do well to read a book like Hill's The European Promise to see the reality this book is desperate to cover up: that Europe has found a more intelligent way to mix capitalism and Social Democracy, which is not the same as socialism.
You have to wonder if this book is even on the level. The ridiculous echo of Hayek's ridiculous scare mongering in The Road To Serfdom hides the reality that the American system has nearly destroyed its historic middle class, and yet the Wall Street hyeanas are still not satisfied, perhaps they really intend a new serfdom!
Market mania stupidity has nearly destroyed the great American experiment, even as this confused (or not so confused propagandist), author evidently aware of the Tea Party market on the shelves of rural Borders next to the Glenn Beck selections hopes to rack in the profits from the American stupidoes in the working class susceptible to the upside down tricks of the Wall street gangster circuit, and its alternate branch in the thieves den of the City of London.
Check out:
Europe's Promise: Why the European Way Is the Best Hope in an Insecure Age