A false self-reliance

Republicans misunderstand America's tradition of individualism, leaving an opening for Democrats

Progressives now appear too willing to cede the mantle of individualism to conservatives. Candidates on the left should speak more forcefully about individual liberty. Why do Democrats aspire to strengthen the safety net, extend educational opportunity and provide health care to all? President Barack Obama's answer is at times anemic.

Mr. Obama recently described the American Dream as a "bargain": "If you work hard, your work should be rewarded; if you act responsibly and put in enough effort, you should be able to find a job that pays the bills, have a home you can call your own, count on health care when you get sick, put away enough to retire with dignity and respect, and, most of all, give your kids an education that allows them to dream even bigger than you did and do even better than you did."

The language here is about what a person deserves, not what he can accomplish. Better to emphasize potential. The progressive agenda should be motivated not by the desire to provide but by the desire to liberate that which remains tied down by injustice.

In defending their priorities, progressives can steal the Republicans' thunder and extol the individual's capacity for greatness; they represent not those in need of a handout but a people determined to free themselves from the unjust constraints of scarcity and the demeaning limits of markets.

Paul Jaskunas teaches in the Humanistic Studies Department at the Maryland Institute College of Art. His email is [e-mail].