More Powerful Than Armies
Mises often said that ideas are more powerful than armies. In the midst of war — and all governments are, to some extent, at war with their own people — it can take a leap of faith to agree.
Book Review: The Invisible Heart
The Invisible Heart: An Economics Romance will no doubt be disappointing for those who like their romance novels with Fabio flexing on the cover, damsel in his arms, his hair blowing in the breeze, but it might reach a few romance novel readers and help expose those in the dating pool to the free-market message.
“Free Speech” Doesn’t Mean “Trespass”
The ACLU constantly files lawsuits against property owners who attempt to protect their property rights. Many of these lawsuits are supposedly to protect free speech rights. But can there be a right to freedom of speech unless that right is firmly based on property rights?
Austrian Paper Money: 1700 and Following
[Excerpted from chapter 3 of A History of American Currency. This chapter was originally published as an article in the Financier on October 25, 1873.]
One Hundred Years of Medical Fascism
[Originally published April 2010.]
Some Social Aspects of Medical Socialism
[Excerpted from Compulsory Medical Care and the Welfare State]
“Utopias are realizable. Life marches toward the Utopias. And perhaps a new century begins, a century in which the intellectuals and the cultured class will dream of means to escape the Utopias and to return to a non-Utopian society less ‘perfect’ and freer.” — Nicolas Berdjaev.
Jefferson Contra Hamilton: Too Tame, Too Late
Jefferson knew economics. He stood by the bedside of its birth in Paris; he knew its parents and godparents, both personally and by their writings. Yet he did not know what manner of child had been brought forth.
Ferdinando Galiani, an Italian Precursor to the Austrians
The Italian economist who had perhaps the most influence on the Austrian School was Ferdinando Galiani (1728–1787). Born in Chieti, he became a leader of the Italian Neopolitan School.
A Library Without Books
The other day I ran across Jeff Tucker’s 2005 article The Myth of Cell Phone Addiction, and re-read it. It’s a really great piece. What I like about it is its optimism about technology; the spirit of embracing it rather than grumbling and griping about change, like some Luddite conservative stuck in the ways of immediate past. Many things in life can be abused, and technology is no exception. But we do not need, Marxist-like, to view modern technology as “alienating.”
Profiling Tea Partiers
The New York Times says they’re wealthy and more educated than average folks. Members of the Tea Set are angry about government taking over healthcare and all that. But they think Social Security and Medicare are Oaky Doaky.
