Omni-liberalism: Why you should hold this framework in politics – FSView & Florida Flambeau
The term “omni-liberalism” does not have a formal definition, nor can it be found represented in any academic literature. The term was coined by online political commentator Steven “Destiny” Bonnell II to describe a belief system that doesn’t adhere to any camp of beliefs but rather takes the core principles of classical liberalism and extends it into policy positions without ideological bias.
Coming to hold a belief based on evidence is something that sounds obvious in theory, but not something often adopted. Due to the fact that people tend to stick with their core values, they often ignore pragmatic solutions and empirical data in favor of a theoretical outcome that allows them to feel morally virtuous.
To an omni-liberal, these core values are instrumental, stating that they’re a means to an end. It would be ideal, for example, to see a single democratic state between Israel and Palestine, but empirical data suggests that proponents of such a belief are unable to see past the curtains of their utopian dream, and tend to ignore the important state of affairs in front of them.
It is because of pragmatism, and the importance of understanding meaningful policy solutions to complex problems, that everyone ought to adopt an omni-liberalist view of politics, even if they do not adopt the policy positions the viewpoint attempts to promote.
The word “liberal,” as most Americans understand it, is different from the term “classical liberal.” Contemporary liberalism is derived from the 21st-century culture war between the American left-wing and right-wing population, where individual proponents of the American left-wing ideology are labeled as liberals in contrast to right-wing conservatives.
The phrase “classical liberalism,” on the other hand, references the 18th-century political philosophy strongly associated with John Locke. This ideology argues for the promotion of individual rights, equality under the law, consent of the governed, tolerance of all people, and the right to private property.
Under the classical view of liberalism, it would be fair to say most modern American conservatives identify as classical liberals, and classical liberals do not need to be modern liberals, though many are.
Explaining why people ought to have equal rights and individual liberties is not an easy task. The most obvious facts rely on assumptions that become harder to explain the more foundational they get. To truly explain the importance, the key is to understand the proper approach.
When attempting to persuade someone about classical liberalism, appealing to an individual’s moral righteousness and desire for social flourishing is a form of internal justification. There is no need for someone to prove that equal rights are important when, through examples and case studies, it becomes obvious that the person questioning it would also be forced to accept that they value equal rights.
Most people would agree it is trivially the case that any form of racial discrimination that punishes a group of people based on an innate characteristic is not something society should participate in. If you ask someone if they would want to live in a society where this happens, such as a region that had Jim Crow laws, the answer is always no, because they understand that types of discrimination like this are harmful.
When someone’s assumptions follow the same principles as classical liberalism, it becomes clear that they do not need it to be justified because they unknowingly adopted the same principles that they were unsure they wanted to believe in.
As mentioned before, classical liberalism alone does not determine whether someone should support conservative or progressive policies, as a classical liberal can fall on either side of the political spectrum. The more important question if one adopts classical liberalism is: Which side enacts policy that best promotes these classical values?
Omni-liberalism argues that the answer is left-wing progressive policy. This becomes clear through an examination of both sides’ viewpoints. Left-wing policy strongly promotes extending marriage rights under the law, secular government, robust forms of welfare that increase access to resources for the underprivileged, and a general preference toward diversity and inclusion.
This is not to say that these policy positions are inherently good, or to say that a society is obligated to engage with them. However, what it does say is that if someone is to accept that they value the classical liberal paradigm, it would make the most sense to adopt a modern liberal policy platform, too.
At this point, omni-liberalism just sounds like modern liberalism with some pragmatism mixed in, but omni-liberalism is not strictly left-wing in its policy. The two biggest differences between an American liberal and an omni-liberal are that an omni-liberal supports gun rights, as well as supporting the state of Israel to exist. While gun rights are the less controversial of the two predominantly right-wing beliefs, both tend to sway general liberals away from the omni-liberal viewpoint.
Despite the nature of this worldview being rather enticing, there is no real value to the ideology of omni-liberalism outside of personal representation. At best, it’s an extremely niche term that can be summarized as a belief in American left-wing policy with practical caveats that lean more right-wing at specific times.
Instead, it’s most important not to be an omni-liberal, but to think like an omni-liberal. Do not look at a position that aligns with what you want to see happen, but one that is most likely to get closer to that goal within reasonable means. Always look for a practical solution within a real-world context and understand that there will always be trade-offs in policy.
Even if you disagree with left-wing liberalism, there are ways of enacting conservative policy that work in practical effect. It can be necessary to take that approach to see any progress in the values that any individual is attempting to promote. In short, although Omni-liberalism isn’t a revolutionary worldview, it does use a framework that everyone, no matter their political ideology, should utilize in order to have the best chance at real-world policy solutions in an ideologically dominant climate.
Logan Walters is a Management Information Systems major at Florida State University and a Staff Writer for the Views section of the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU and Tallahassee communities. Email our staff atcontact@fsview.com.
