1. “Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”
Though Reagan is remembered in modern times as a crusader in foreign policy, it was his friendship with Mikhail Gorbachev that successfully helped to “thaw” the Cold War. In this quote, Reagan decries those who would choose war over diplomacy when the latter is a possibility. It is not that non-interventionists (such as those within the libertarian movement) believe that there is not evil in the world; it is rather that we know that war must be used only as an absolute last resort.
2. “Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
In this quote from 1986, Reagan identifies the parasitic nature of government. The state does not create growth; it hinders success and places further obstacles for entrepreneurs to overcome. The government must seemingly always have a hand in the market. Whether taxing citizens in order to make them healthier or subsidizing certain industries so that they do not go out of business, meddlesome practices are always the norm when bureaucrats get involved in what should be private functions.
3. “People do not make wars; governments do.”
Reagan again reveals his inner peacenik and distrust toward government in this 1988 speech to Moscow State University. This exclamation accurately reflects the sentiment by libertarians that individuals have a general aversion toward conflict and are inclined to get along in a truly free market. It is only when state actors get involved that violence and tyranny become possibilities. Soon, in the true spirit of uniformity, citizens are taught to loathe those in countries which are at war with the citizens’ home country. Furthermore, during wartime, civil and economic liberties are more quickly eroded in the name of a national initiative.
4. “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
This quote from 1961, years before Reagan’s time in the political spotlight, is a call to action with which all libertarians can empathize. While our efforts may at times seem frivolous, we know that we must fight to protect the liberties and freedoms that have been guaranteed to us by our founding documents. When tyranny threatens our way of life, we must stand together firmly against such breaches upon our natural rights. Nothing should ever be taken for granted or thought of as an impossible inquisition of power when government is involved. The state will inevitably attempt to grow, and it is then up to us to defend those protections for ourselves and our fellow citizens.
5. “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’”
Government almost always does more harm than good when it attempts to resolve problems in society. For that reason, we libertarians are always skeptical when anyone from the state reaches out in an attempt to assist us. It is never the intention, but rather the latent effects that end up harming so many citizens. It seems to occur all too often that in nearly every area where government attempts to make improvements, new issues seemingly become worse than the original ones. While there are many liberals (and conservatives) who wish to do good with their expansions of government powers, their efforts are more than likely to be misguided.
6. “Man is not free unless government is limited.”
There is no better battle-cry for minarchists and libertarians than this quote from Reagan’s farewell address in 1989. While Reagan himself grew government quite significantly during his time in office, he at the very least reversed the trend of thinking that had prospered in much of America throughout the Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson eras, that being a school of thought that government was an institution which advanced freedom. During his 8 years in office, Reagan was able to promote a conception of government which was much more distrustful and cynical; a sentiment that can still be seen today.
7. “Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.”
It is not government, but private individuals which power the United States. Men and women like Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are responsible for more of the greatness that the US enjoys than any elected official that our country has ever seen. It is for this reason that we have an obligation to unshackle these creators and allow them to prosper and serve the populace with the creativity that they possess. While many in the liberal community wish to demonize “big business” and bemoan their “corporate greed,” we know that without these visionaries, our lives would be much more difficult.
8. “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So governments’ programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”
From his famous “Time for Choosing” speech on behalf of the Barry Goldwater campaign in 1964, this quote reflects much of the negativity that it is easy to have as a libertarian. It seems that as more special interests are pleased and more government programs are created, there is each time a strand of freedom which is nearly impossible to regain. One needs only to think of how much larger government has gotten in the window since this very quote! Government never willingly gives back power once it has been seized. It is for this reason that we must educate and mobilize to do everything in our power to restrain encroachments upon liberty any time that they present themselves.
9. “Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.”
In an era of imperial Presidents, this quote is refreshing. The checks and balances system created by the Constitution was designed as such specifically to prevent a central government similar to the one headed by the King of England. However, with every new Presidential Administration, it seems that executive power becomes greater, as the legislature and judiciary are given the option to either agree or be left behind. The slow pace at which our Republic functions is not a defect but a blessing. Any policy which wishes to be implemented should receive the highest scrutiny before it is to become law.
10. “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
From his first Inaugural Address, Reagan set the tone for what he believed to be the role of government. For so long, it had been expected that an active government should take control and “fix” the lives of Americans when tough times presented themselves. However, these kinds of thoughts were seriously challenged by the President for the first time in over a half-century when Reagan took the Presidential oath. While his Presidency had major defects and broken promises, and there were many of them, it cannot be questioned that Reagan changed the political discourse in America; instead of wondering what more government could do to improve their lives, Americans began pondering how much of government could be eliminated.