We don’t have a holiday for the celebration of the ideas of classical liberalism. Perhaps LvMI could lead the way toward the establishment of such a day. Of course, this may be of dubious real value in furthering the cause of liberalism but I wanted to propose the calendar day on which to place “International Freedom Day” (ideas for a better name?) were such a day to be established.
I think the perfect day on which to celebrate freedom would be October 31st - during the day. The evening of the 31st is, of course, All Hallowed Evening or Halloween in the US, the evening prior to All Saints Day in the Roman Catholic calendar. Although IFD would be on the same calendar day, this is not a problem since the primary celebratory activities of Halloween occur in the evening and IFD could be celebrated during the day, parasitically feeding off the ongoing Halloween festivities. No need to wear Guy Fawkes masks… any mask or costume which conceals one’s identity will do.
Here are a few of the reasons I think Halloween day would be a great day on which to celebrate freedom and liberalism:
- I was inspired by the closing scene of the movie V for Vendetta with its depiction of a tsunami of masked anarchists overwhelming the bewildered ranks of jackbooted state thugs (cf Boetie’s Politics of Obedience). It got me to thinking that there is nothing the state fears more than the anonymous masses. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a day where people celebrated freedom and liberalism while all wearing masks? The state cannot reason with the masses if they are masked. The state cannot use reprisal against the leaders, organizers and individuals to snuff the unrest at its root before it can gain steam. In short, the state is at its weakest when we are all anonymous.
Following the theme of V for Vendetta, placing a celebration of freedom and liberalism on Guy Fawkes Day (Nov. 5th) could be a good idea*,* but people will already have had their fix of wearing masks and costumes for the year just 6 days earlier. Outside of Britain, this is not likely to gain much steam. So, that leads me back to October 31st, a day on which people are already wearing masks and costumes for sheer fun. Because of the depth of its cultural roots in countries where Halloween is celebrated, the state would be hard-pressed to ban or regulate it in any meaningful way. I know that, in the US, Halloween is the second most popular holiday and it is rapidly gaining ground against Christmas for most popular.
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I have been to several Halloween parties with people from East Indian, Asian, European, African etc. cultures and have noted that every ethnicity seems to be able to enjoy Halloween. Most South American countries celebrate the Dia de los Muertos, which is a lot like Halloween. This indicates to me that a “masked/costumed celebration of freedom and liberalism” occurring on that day could be culturally universal.
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This is the day on which Martin Luther is reputed to have posted the 95 theses which are seen as the spark that set off the Protestant Reformation. This was a blow against tyranny through the auspices of the faith. (Full disclosure: I am Protestant but have a deep and abiding respect for the Church… but I don’t think even Catholics can dismiss or excuse the abuses of Church authority which Luther stood up against.) In fact, I believe what we need today is an equivalent to Martin Luther in the realm of the state to ignite a firestorm of anger and moral outrage at the blatant abuses of power in which the state is indulging itself.
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The imagery of Halloween - ghouls, ghosts, goblins, devils, monsters, undead zombies, etc. are all very anarchic. This imagery is naturally the polar opposite of the fascist regimentation to which the state would like to submit us.
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As a corollary, Halloween costumes are individualistic and are typically seen as an expression of one’s personality or individuality in a caricatured fashion. Weirdness, quirkiness, political incorrectness are all good in one’s choice of Halloween costume.
So, I think a V for Vendetta-style masked/costumed celebration of freedom and classical liberalism occurring during the day of Halloween would be a great way to memorialize the slow awakening of mankind from the slumber of slavery to the state.
Thoughts?
Clayton -