Here, Freedom Works

This year we celebrate the 220th anniversary of the signing of our Constitution. A work that a 19th-century British prime minister, William Gladstone, described as "the greatest work that was ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man."

High praise for a set of rules, and here's why. Our Constitution is unique in that it limits the power of the government to infringe on individual liberties while at the same time charges that same government with the responsibility of keeping our freedoms secure.

Our charter provided us with the foundation to evolve into a union strong enough to secure our freedoms from threats both here and abroad as well as to fend off most of our own government's attempts to restrict our freedom. And as we encourage Iraqi policy-makers to "get the lead out," we should remind ourselves that this truly remarkable document, our U.S. Constitution, is actually a do-over.

Our first attempt at constitution writing, the Articles of Confederation, failed because the product did not provide the fundamentals for either guaranteeing or securing individual freedom. The document speaks to the relationship between the federal government and the states; there was no recognition of individuals. Under the Articles, the states were the "citizens."

It took two tries, but we got it right - a social contract that bound us in union for the purpose of enjoying the individual freedom to pursue happiness. And for nearly two and a quarter centuries our society has institutionalized the enjoyment of individual liberties, although, regrettably, not always on an equal opportunity basis.

So, given a great set of rules left to be implemented by less-than-perfect human beings, what kind of grade does our society deserve on the 220th anniversary of the signing of our Constitution?

If our test is graded on a percentage scale in which 100 (heaven) is perfect, doubtless we deserve nothing better than a D because there are still far too many Americans who do not, yet, benefit from freedom's blessings.

However, if we are graded on a "curve," we should receive an A. The freedom to pursue individual self-interest and be rewarded for successful outcomes has resulted in a steady flow of inventions and innovations, which in turn have led to products, services and jobs for millions of individuals pursuing their own happiness.

Bumps along the way? Big ones. The unimaginable injustice of slavery, which took a war to eliminate, is only our worst violation of our own fundamental principle of individual liberty. "Jim Crow" laws, Americans with a Japanese heritage forcibly interred in camps, and unfair treatment of Native Americans are only three other examples of how fear and prejudice have tainted our society's success.

Still, what set of society rules anytime, anywhere have worked as well, for so many, as ours?

And specifically, what about those society plans whose basic principle is the very antithesis of our personal freedom model? Societies in which the individual exists and labors for the betterment of society - and terms like self-interest, capitalism and liberty are considered epithets.

They don't work well.

In spite of what many consider to be a very noble purpose, all of these societies stagnate or fail because their uniting principle is flawed. Self-interest is ignored; more than that, it is damned.

Self-interest may not be as noble as "other" interest, but it works because it is natural to work harder for you and yours than for them and theirs. Societies who reward workers the same regardless of output de facto discourage individuals from being inventive and innovative because there is no reason for a person to lie awake at night thinking of a way to do something better or faster.

Here, in the United States of America, freedom works. Certainly not for everybody all the time, and not - yet - for some people any of the time, but for most people most of the time.