Daily Articles

Book Review: Death by Government

by Richard M. Ebeling October 1, 1994

Death by Government by R. J. Rummel (New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1994) 496 pages, $49.95. In 1900, when the 20th century was about to begin, practically all political commentators, social analysts, and newspaper editorialists were sure that the new century would bring greater economic prosperity, more personal liberty and human freedom, and fewer wars and conflicts around the world. Democratic ...

The Nazi Mind-Set in America, Part 2

by Jacob G. Hornberger September 1, 1994

Part 1 | Part 2 Political killings of innocent people could never happen in America, our fellow citizens tell us. America is a democracy. But so was Nazi Germany. Hitler was popularly elected, and his economic policies were widely favored and acclaimed (by Germans and Americans!). But there is another basic problem with that assertion: it is happening ...

Social Conflict, Self-Determination, and the Boundaries of the State

by Richard M. Ebeling September 1, 1994

For the advocate of classical or market liberalism, the depoliticization of economic life is considered the primary avenue for the diminishment of social and cultural tensions in society. The removal of the state from all involvement in market activities, other than as protector of life and property and legal ...

The Immorality of Protectionism

by James Bovard September 1, 1994

The tariff is the protection the wolf gave the lamb. —Rep. James Beck, 1882 Protectionism produces political corruption, economic stagnation, and international conflict. Yet, many people will insist that even though protectionism hinders a nation's ability to feed, clothe, and house itself, the moral gains from protectionism are greater than the economic losses. But what is the moral core ...

Trade and Immigration Controls Assault the Right to Life

by Sheldon Richman September 1, 1994

Ask Americans if they believe in the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and they will say yes. But ask if they believe people should be allowed to buy all the imported products they wish without tariffs or other restrictions, and they will say no. Ask if citizens ...

Book Review: Hayek on Hayek

by Richard M. Ebeling September 1, 1994

Hayek on Hayek: An Autobiographical Dialogue by F. A. Hayek, edited by Stephen Kresge and Leif Wenar (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994) $27.95; 170 pages. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Friedrich A. Hayek's classic volume, The Road to Serfdom. Appearing towards the end of the Second World War, it challenged many ...

The Nazi Mind-Set in America, Part 1

by Jacob G. Hornberger August 1, 1994

Part 1 | Part 2 Before the end of World War II, in 1944, Friedrich A. Hayek, who was later to win the Nobel memorial prize in economic science, startled the Western world with a book entitled The Road to Serfdom . Hayek argued that despite the war against Nazi Germany, the economic ...

Political Evils and Utopian Seductions

by Richard M. Ebeling August 1, 1994

Without question, one of the most moving and disturbing movies of the last several years has been Steven Spielberg's film, Schindler's List. Wrapped in a fascinating story about one German businessman's successful attempt to save 1,100 Jews from the Nazi extermination machine is a visual style that captures more clearly the cold ...

Will You Be Safer If Guns Are Banned? Part 2

by Jarret B. Wollstein August 1, 1994

Part 1 | Part 2 Gun prohibition threatens your safety and your life. Prohibition will make it much more difficult for you to defend yourself and your family from predators. Prohibition will create a violent black market dominated by criminal gangs. And prohibition will result in many police assaults and murders of innocent Americans. Gun-control laws will make our streets ...

Citizen Exploitation Isn’t New

by John L. Egolf Jr. August 1, 1994

Recent news that the U.S. government subjected as many as 800 people to radiation as part of an experimental program during the Cold War era, and Energy Secretary Hazel R. O'Leary's acknowledgment and recommendation of compensation for the victims is cause for deep concern and is also a symptom of a far wider and deeper sickness infesting the U.S. ...

Gun-Control Group Fears Us Most

by Ken Grissom August 1, 1994

I wish people would stop dragging hunters into this gun control argument. And if I was in the Mafia, or even a halfway active street gang, I'd probably feel the same way about the constant references to criminals, criminals, criminals. Gun control has nothing to do with hunters or criminals, at least not professional criminals. Look, the Second Amendment is real short. ...

The Lessons of Yeltsen’s Show of Force

by Alan W. Bock August 1, 1994

The standoff at the Russian White House, eventually won (for the time being) by forces loyal to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, demonstrates once again the truth that most holders and defenders of political power prefer to keep under wraps: that political power is ultimately the result of the use of force, and depends for its continuance on the willingness ...