The rise of government prosecutors in the US and Britain since the nineteenth century has led to many new forms of prosecutorial abuse and expansive government power. The older tradition of privately-initiated prosecution and restitution may offer a way out.
Many poverty relief laws and policies are premised on the assumption that only "the rich" will bear the costs. In fact, the incomes and well-being of many low-income individuals are taxed and diminished to benefit a nebulous group known as "the poor."
What if the government ran hair salons and the private sector provided auto registrations? Needless to say, getting a haircut would be a harrowing and soul-crushing experience. Meanwhile, registering your automobile would be another matter entirely.
The F.A. Hayek Lecture, sponsored by Dr. Rafael Perez-Mera.
Recorded at the Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, on 10 April 2014. Includes an introduction by Mark Thornton.
