President's Council on Sustainable Freedom

By Henry Lamb
Web posted February 9, 2004 

Perhaps the best thing that George W. Bush can do for the
country, and for his presidency, is to take a leaf from Bill
Clinton's playbook, and issue an executive order to create the
President's Council on Sustainable Freedom.

Bill Clinton created a President's Council on Sustainable
Development, which operated from 1993 to 1999. Its influence
continues to permeate virtually every agency of government at
every level. The purpose of Clinton's Council was to analyze
existing legislation and regulations to find ways to implement the
recommendations contained in the U.N.'s Agenda 21.

The purpose of George Bush's Council on Sustainable Freedom
should be to analyze existing legislation and regulations to find
ways to implement the principles of freedom set forth in the U.S.
Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

Clinton appointed Cabinet Secretaries, chief executives from
environmental organizations, and a handful of executives of
industry (but only friendly executives, such as Ken Lay from
ENRON). George Bush should appoint Cabinet Secretaries,
chief executives from property rights and resource use
organizations, elected officials from state and local government,
and ordinary business people.

Clinton's Council was financed by donations from huge
foundations, supplemented by staff from the various agencies.
Bush's Council should welcome private donations, supplemented
by staff from the various agencies. Clinton's Council operated for
seven years; Bush's Council should sunset after five years.

Environmental organizations and Democrats would howl and
scream, claiming that the project is unnecessary, and caters to
right-wing extremists. Bush should ignore the noise, just as Bill
Clinton ignored the protests from property rights and resource
use advocates in 1993.

No one can deny that America's freedoms have been
systematically eroded by government, in recent years. Since the
first purpose of government is to protect America's freedom, it is
a perfectly legitimate function of government to analyze, and to
correct the laws and regulations that are eroding those freedoms.

Many of the laws and regulations that have been enacted were
designed to benefit society, in one way or another, with little or
no thought about the possible negative impact on fundamental
freedom guaranteed to every American by the Constitution. The
Endangered Species Act, for example, was designed to benefit
society by protecting the Bald Eagle, and a few other species
thought to be on the brink of extinction.

Over the years, however, this law, and its attendant regulations,
has elevated the status of nearly 2000 species of weeds and
bugs, above the right of a land owner to plant a crop. Laws
written to confiscate the assets of criminals, are now being used
to confiscate property of un-convicted suspects, and sold to
finance law enforcement agencies.

Congress has been unable, or unwilling, to stop the proliferation
of these laws and regulations, and there is little evidence of
sensitivity to the growing problem, except by a handful of
legislators.

Much, if not most, of the problem arises from the rules
promulgated to implement the laws adopted by Congress. At a
meeting of the President's Council on Sustainable Development,
the Secretary of Commerce reported the he could implement 67
of the Agenda 21 recommendations by changing the rules of
existing legislation.

An honest analysis, aided by independent individuals who are
affected by the rules and regulations, would likely reveal that the
principles of freedom could be advanced by changes in the rules
of implementation. Honest analysis, and an effective response,
cannot occur without strong leadership. Bill Clinton provided that
leadership for those whose goal was to advance Agenda 21 in
American policy. George Bush can provide the leadership, and
the opportunity, for those who wish to advance the principles of
freedom.

Unless some dramatic action is taken to preserve and apply the
principles of freedom in public policy, freedom cannot be
sustained. Individual freedom is the defining characteristic of
America, and the power that made the nation great. Without that
freedom, America will continue to drift toward the socialist goals
of Agenda 21, and to the ultimate goal of a world governed by
the consensus of international socialists who believe that
government, not God, is the grantor of human rights and
freedoms.

George Bush would do well to create a President's Council on
Sustainable Freedom, and thereby declare his commitment to
advancing the principles of freedom at home, as well as around
the world.

Henry Lamb is the executive vice president of the Environmental
Conservation Organization (ECO), and chairman of Sovereignty
International.

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