Election Guide 2002 - Sweden.se

liberty and opportunity to try to make our dreams of
the good life come true. We believe in people’s common
sense and conscience. Politics must demolish barriers and
create opportunities, as opposed to controlling our lives.
Political decision-making can never replace personal
responsibility.
The classical liberal reforms, such as universal suffrage,
elementary schooling for all, the rule of law, freedom of
enterprise and basic pensions, can all be viewed in this
perspective. Politics must create opportunities, not
obstacles.
Liberalism means belief in a free economy, knowledge
and education, guaranteed public health service for all,
respect for the individual and internationalism.
This means, for example, that as liberals we:
v reject racism, prejudice, dictatorship,
v defend people’s right to choose their lifestyle, e.g.
to live with same sex partners,
v defend our liberty as citizens to choose, for example,
schools, doctors and day nurseries: those choices
are not to be made for us by the state.
The importance of education is another vital component
of the liberal ideology. This means, for example, that
liberals:
v regard universal education and knowledge as the
road to an equal society.
Internationalism is another of the basic liberal values.
This means, for example, that as liberals we:
v prefer free trade to trade barriers,
v advocate international co-operation and foreign aid
to poor countries.
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