When the American colonies declared their independence from Britain in 1776, the fundamental principle underlying the new government they created was the principle of liberty. To the Founders, liberty meant freedom from government oppression, because at that time, government was the primary threat to the liberty of individuals. The Declaration of
In the 1940s, economist Friedrich Hayek said in his book, “The Road to Serfdom,” that the road to serfdom was socialism. Economist Joseph Schumpeter, in “Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy,” feared that socialism would displace capitalism even though capitalism was a better system. In the 21st century, self-proclaimed socialists like Sen. Bernie
At the beginning of the twentieth century, President Teddy Roosevelt’s foreign policy was, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” At the beginning of the twenty-first, President Obama’s policy appears to the the opposite: “Speak loudly and carry a small stick.” President Obama threatened Syria not to step over a “red line” by using chemical weapons
Supporters of the welfare state might see it as a mechanism for transferring income from rich to poor with the idea of helping those at the bottom end of the income distribution, but in the United States, the welfare state is increasingly transferring income from the young to the old, regardless of the wealth or income of the transfer recipients.
I often find myself disagreeing with Cynthia Tucker, the Progressive journalist and professor , so I was happy to read a recent column of hers , on the farm bill that just passed the House, and find that she and I share some common ground on our views toward government. She considers the bill an example of congressional priorities that “protect
by Chris Rossini Hjalmar Schacht was Hitler’s economic guy. According to Wikipedia , Schacht: ”became a supporter of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, and served in Hitler’s government as President of the Reichsbank and Minister of Economics. As such, Schacht played a key role in implementing the policies attributed to Hitler.” Now, we all know
by Ira Katz As 2014 begins I, like all sensible people, ponder how long the dollar can last, for both my personal financial decisions and as a world event of the greatest importance. Empires can be sustained only as long as they can be economically sustained. The Soviet withdraw from Afghanistan was certainly not for any normal human or moral
I have often thought that the best way to run a political campaign and gain popular support is to run against the status quo, rather than in favor of policies to replace it. That’s why politicians run on slogans like “It’s Morning in America” or “ Hope and Change ” rather than offering real policy alternatives. More people will agree with the
After the Obama administration bailed out General Motors by purchasing a 60.8% ownership share in the company for $49.5 billion, President Obama said, “We expect taxpayers will get back all the money my administration has invested in GM.” (I do like the way the president takes responsibility for the investment.) Now, the president’s administration
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.
