Liberty and Security

David Green, 10 January 2015

The leader of the party whose name embodies liberalism does not seem to understand what liberty is. In an article in the Daily Telegraph, Nick Clegg, argued that we will win the struggle against terrorism “not by increasing our security but by protecting our liberty”. But surely the murder of the journalists at Charlie Hebdo shows that liberty depends on security? The freedom of its journalists to speak out depended on police protection. They were murdered because the protection proved inadequate and two police officers lost their lives. If security at the Charlie Hebdo office had been increased, it would have enhanced the liberty of the journalists.

The same is true of the UK. In order to protect our freedom, we should increase police action against terrorist suspects. Freedom depends on the use of force against its enemies. The first and paramount duty of any government is to protect the lives of its citizens. Sometimes governments go too far, and if Mr Clegg had said we should beware of overreaction, he would have had a valid point. Instead, he treated liberty and security as mutually exclusive alternatives. To be free entails being able to speak your mind without fear. In an age of heightened terrorism liberty depends on increased security.