“What the incompatibility of war and capitalism means is that war and high civilization are incompatible.”
—Ludwig von Mises, Human Action
This week the Mises Institute is conducting our annual Fall Campaign. If you are receiving this email, you probably need no introduction to the importance of Mises and his legacy. If you have supported our efforts in the past, you have our sincere gratitude.
We do, however, ask for your continuing support.
America is as polarized today as it has ever been. And the political system is as dysfunctional as it has ever been. Our debt-addicted federal government, enabled by the Federal Reserve, is pillaging Americans—particularly the younger generations—with grave economic and cultural consequences. Promises to “drain the swamp” and “end foreign wars” have led to more spending than ever before and a new foreign conflict with no end in sight.
As a result, cynicism and nihilism are growing, especially in Gen Z and the youngest generations. Socialist politicians are on the rise, and few political leaders dare to pay lip service to free markets, sound money, and peace.
The political system is beyond repair. Superficial noise dominates social media algorithms. Anger and emotion choke out reason and wisdom. It is easy to feel lost.
These dynamics are exactly why Lew Rockwell founded the Mises Institute in 1982. Please consider donating or renewing your Membership today.
Like today, in the 1980s many Americans naïvely put their faith in a political system that offered a return to America’s founding principles of limited government and financial responsibility. Neither happened, and Washington continues unabated to use cheap rhetoric to cloak massive federal spending and government expansion.
Lew knew then, as we know now, that our civilizational challenges are not resolved by empty promises and rationalizing the status quo. Resolution comes from a bold, uncompromising defense of liberty and the intellectual armament of those who care about their nation’s future.
For almost 45 years, the Mises Institute has stayed true to that mission. It is the cause that motivates every effort we make: to produce publications and podcasts, to expand our live and virtual student programs, and to host events around the country. It is in service of that cause that we ask for your support.
With your donation of $5 or more, you will receive a free copy of our newest booklet, Murray N. Rothbard’s War, Peace, and the State, a powerful condemnation of the warfare state, illuminating the disastrous consequences of its policies for civilized society. Unfortunately, this work is every bit as accurate in 2026 as it was in 1963.
Ludwig von Mises dedicated his life to defending the foundations of a free society. He personally experienced war, economic ruin, and assassination attempts from totalitarian governments that wanted his voice eliminated. When he made it to FDR’s America, the university system refused to offer him a salary.
But Mises never gave up the battle. He knew what was at stake. He relied on the financial support of those who believed in his cause, and now his works are more widely read today than they were during his lifetime.
