the fact is that many austrians understand the issue very clearly. i remember block talking about the marxist dude who researched and found out that most regulation was made in the favor of big business. in my opinion, regulation doesnt really curb evil businessmen, it is made up by groups of businessmen with connections and very deep pockets to gain monopoly advantage over others.
I have a question. In discussions with friends I often get alot of criticism of the free market. They say that regulation must exist at some level especially in developing nations and economies where the government must nationalize industries and foster development. Is there merit to this? Should smaller and less developed countries that lack natural resources embrace nationalization of industry? I apologize if this question is not in the appropriate thread.
Solid_Choke:What is the biggest methodological or theoretical shortcoming of Austrian economics? Also, what should be done to address it?
I think its major shortcomings are its lack of rigor, formalness, and precision. The economic theory that Mises, Rothbard, etc. have developed is, I think most of us would agree, correct, but I remember when I first started reading this stuff that I always wondered where the precise unraveling of the implications of human action actually took place. You always here that "based on the axiom of human action we can logically deduce its many implications and therefore arrive at an aprioristic body of economic theory".
Although most of what's necessary for a really rigorous economics theory text is present in MES and HA, they don't read anything like I think a logical step by step unraveling of a theory of economics book should read. Granted that makes them easier and more enjoyable but I think it would beneficial to have something more concise.
Just to give an idea of how it would go:
Provide a precise definition of, e.g., human action (probably similar to Mises).
State the theorem - e.g. all human actors regard time as scarce
Proof:
Show by contradiction - Suppose a human acts but that he does not regard time as scarce
Then if time is not scare all ends can be met simultaneously.
If all ends can be met simultaneously than there is no need to choose - i.e. humans do not act.
Contradiction - actors regard time as scarce.
And the book would go from one theorem to the next looking at specific areas, e.g. interpersonal exchange, etc. and prove each of the theorems.
It would be like a mathematical analysis book but it would make use of the language already used by Austrians.
Sorry for the long post. I just wish someone would do this. It could provide new insights, be refined, show whats apodictic and what's not, etc. And pretty much every thing needed is already in HA and MES it would just need to be shortened and made formal.
Why don't you attempt it then? I see this suggestion a lot and I agree with it (as I said earlier on), but it puzzles me why the proponents of the idea don't get underway with it.
To darkness I condemn you...
Alright, fine, but it's going to take me two years before I feel confident in what I'm doing is correct.
Mentioned this before, and there should be a link to a prior attempt of mine to do this on there: http://mises.org/Community/forums/p/3192/44247.aspx#44247
"Keynesianomics is a Ponzi scheme."
"You are correct in that Capitalism does not help with poverty, because it eliminates poverty altogether..."
"That wonderful strawman: greed."
Inequality bad.
SkepticalInquirer: Is there merit to this? Should smaller and less developed countries that lack natural resources embrace nationalization of industry?
Is there merit to this? Should smaller and less developed countries that lack natural resources embrace nationalization of industry?
No.
Start a thread and we can talk specifics, I can't really refute them without knowing more about their claims.
I think that arragance in presentation has pushed many away from Austrian theory and libertarianism.
Time is no constraint in academia.
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