Peace, Land, and Bread: Reimagining Lenin’s Slogan as a Foundation for Liberty
Peace, land, and bread — the three promises of the Bolshevik takeover of Russia in 1917. One need not agree with Lenin and his comrades to recognize the political wisdom of promising a harmonious existence, a slice of the Earth to call one’s own, and a full stomach to fuel enjoyment of such a life.
Although the Soviet project ultimately failed to deliver a socialist paradise as hoped, the fledgling government’s first decrees indeed focused on ending involvement in the First World War and dividing up seized estates for use by former peasants (albeit with little regard for the principles of private property). These early promises and initiatives proved crucial in establishing their foothold.
Our interest here, however, is not in the details of history of Soviet policies and their faults; instead, the lesson to be learned comes from understanding the appeal of “peace, land, and bread” in rallying popular support for a political movement, as well as establishing baselines for its principles and their intended effects.
Today, it is not revolutionary Marxists who stand to make best use of the tripartite slogan. Rather, champions of liberty have the best claim to promises of peace, land, and bread.
PEACE
The liberty movement as we now understand it is rooted, above all else, in non-aggression. The North Star of libertarian ethics, which guides most every political consideration, is, of course, the non-aggression principle (NAP).
The preference for peaceful resolution of conflicts over violent confrontation is at the core of our social dynamics. To engage at all in dialogue, even if to justify impending violence, is to tacitly express such a preference. All that is done as two instead of one is accomplished because of this tendency.
It should come as no surprise, then, that appealing to our desire for peace can be an incredibly effective tool of political persuasion. Although rallying the masses behind a common foe, making use of existing tensions and resentment, can likewise be an effective strategy, it is an appeal to peace that holds long-term stability and vision.
In the present day and age, as the prospect of large-scale conflict seems less and less distant, calling for peace is both brave and effective. The problem with attempting to utilize the dimension of fear and appealing to bloodlust is that movement becomes directionless upon either victory or defeat, even with an early surge of momentum. The vision of peace is perennial and ever-triumphant.
Calls for peace win you the support of the battle-hardened, who know the horrors and frequent pointlessness of war. Calls for war win you the support of the young and foolhardy, who land you in trouble and hold no real allegiance to your cause.
The liberty movement will gain ground not by sitting on the fence or appealing to the passing feelings of geopolitical tensions, but by standing firm on its vision for cooperation and non-interventionism.
LAND
Another core principle of the contemporary liberty movement, second only to non-aggression (and, in fact, stemming from it), is private property. In a departure from the Marxist originators of the slogan, the libertarian’s call for land should be rooted in widespread homeownership and productive use of property.
Liberty is not achieved in a pod; it is achieved in a home, with a family, within a community. Moreover, those living in a home are not entirely free unless they themselves take full ownership and make best use of the land. If residents do not truly own the soil beneath their feet, and are frequently prohibited from cultivating or otherwise making productive use of the land, then it could hardly be considered a state of liberty.
As such, it is essential that the liberty movement not only promise to protect private property rights, but also promote responsible and authentic use and ownership practices.
Ever more common in the liberty movement, even in its further-right elements, is a desire for conservation of the environment. The promise of a free existence, to be sure, must include a vision of the future in which land is not abused to the detriment of all, and in which private owners responsibly manage and collaborate to maintain the health of ecosystems that serve as the foundation for our communities.
Promising and promoting good stewardship of the land is as important as providing access to it. That access, too, is best assured by the principles of private property.
BREAD
Linked to widespread ownership, use and maintenance of land is the question of food. Indeed, even the most fruitful and stable societies are mere days away from chaos and collapse in the absence of food.
Bread is perhaps the most persuasive of the political promises, as a movement can only be as effective as its members’ morale; and nothing is more critical to morale than food. Winning requires a calorie surplus.
The liberty movement ought to promise bread for all, not as a consequence of collectivization and government bread lines, but as a result of widespread agricultural production and decentralized nutritional supply chains.
Liberty, at its best, localizes the logistics of life so as to make it as accessible and adaptable as possible. The effective libertarian does not offer year-round access to the exotic fruits of the world, but ready and consistent access to bread, meat, milk, eggs and other staples.
So to summarize, the libertarian’s call for “peace, land, and bread” is markedly different from Lenin’s. Nevertheless, it shares a common recognition of what foundational principles, promises and visions must be delivered for a political movement to find popular success.
The libertarian must present a future in which men are not sent to die for a cause not their own, where they are not burdened with the consequences of world policing; they must present a future in which land, a family and self-sufficiency are within reach and securable; and they must present a future in which food is not tied to the whims of the state, but the work and bonds of one’s own community.
Peace, land, and bread — the three promises of the libertarian revolution in 2023.
