Freedom
We believe that the freedom that the state should protect is the freedom from coercion by others, including the minimum of coercion by the state.
The coercive acts which it is appropriate for the state to carry out are those that are necessary in order to prevent the infringement of one person's freedom by another. This includes the raising of funds needed for the state to carry out its limited roles.
✘ Freedom from obstacles and disadvantage
The limited role of the state in the promotion of freedom does not include trying to give people the means to do what they want. We must try to achieve our desires through our own efforts, and not through government redistribution. The government may provide a social safety net as a democratically-mandated means of providing the mutual, compassionate care for those in difficulty, which reflects our humanity, strengthens our society, and frees people to take the risks that are necessary for our economy to advance. But it must be a safety-net, not a ladder. For government to involve itself in moving some people up the ladder of prosperity is to reduce our individual responsibility and incentives for self-improvement.
✘Freedom from distress
The freedom which the state protects also does not include freedom from outrage, disgust or any other psychological response provoked by other peoples' acts. The state should be concerned only with infringement of our material freedom. The state cannot regulate our attitudes to other peoples' preferences and lifestyles. It is the responsibility of the individual to get along with other individuals, and accept their differences, so long as those differences do not result in material intrusion.
✔Freedom to create and compete
The freedom from coercion by others includes the freedom of individuals and organizations to compete freely in any market they choose to enter - the vital component of innovation and prosperity. That freedom requires strong protection of competitive markets, both from intrusion by the state (which always enjoys a dominant position by its very nature) and from abuse by dominant players of their monopolistic or oligopolistic positions. That protection should consist only of avoiding the creation of competitive privilege through government intervention, and preventing the attainment of dominant positions, or dismantling the dominant position if it is not prevented. It should not include regulating businesses' performance or trying to correct for natural competitive advantage or disadvantage.
