Daily Articles

Book Review: Second Thoughts

by Richard M. Ebeling August 1, 1993

Second Thoughts: Myths and Morals of U.S. Economic History edited by Donald N. McCloskey (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993); 208 pages; $24.95. In his introduction to the 1954 book Capitalism and the Historians , Friedrich A. Hayek pointed out that "past experience is the foundation on which our beliefs about ...

Serfs on the Plantation, Part 2

by Jacob G. Hornberger July 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 In ancient Rome, the political authorities used three primary means to discourage or quell rebellions among the citizenry. First, they would give more welfare to the people, thereby making them more docile and content. Second, they would create foreign crises by which they could rally the ...

Living the Life of a Lie, Part 3

by Richard M. Ebeling July 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The greatest myth that has emerged out of the end of the Cold War is that a philosophy of freedom has triumphed over an ideology of totalitarianism. The post-World War II period was, in fact, merely a conflict between differing forms of the statist ideal. On both sides of the ...

The Population Problem That Isn’t

by Sheldon Richman July 1, 1993

It is an article of faith that the world suffers from overpopulation. This alleged problem surfaces in many contexts: poverty in the developing world, global warming, environmental degradation, and so on. It has been said over and over again: we won't ever get a handle on the myriad problems plaguing human society until we get control of population growth. ...

The Only Real Revolution

by Bryce Buchanan July 1, 1993

Happily for America, happily we trust for the whole human race, they pursued a new and more noble course. They accomplished a revolution that has no parallel in the annals of human society. . . . In Europe, charters of liberty have been granted by power. America has set the ...

The Power of an Idea

by Raymond Leslie Buell July 1, 1993

In spite of the popular belief that the world today is dominated by new and terrible problems, the fact is that the latter part of the eighteenth century bears certain similarities to the present time: The continent of Europe, as well as Britain, was then dominated by "mercantilism" — a form of "planned economy" arising out of feudalism. National ...

Conscience of the Majority

by Leonard Read July 1, 1993

The real American Revolution was not the armed conflict with King George III. That was a relatively unimportant incident. It was, instead, a concept which, when fully understood, is seen to be a fundamental principle. To fully appreciate the fundamental nature of this revolutionary principle, it is necessary to keep in mind that in other ...

Book Review: Prices & Knowledge

by Richard M. Ebeling July 1, 1993

Prices & Knowledge: A Market-Process Perspective by Esteban F. Thomsen (New York: Routledge, 1992); 150 pages. In spite of the repudiation of Soviet-style socialist central planning, the free market has not triumphed. A good part of the reason for this is the ideological prejudice of our times. The entire world in the 20th century has swallowed the socialist critique of capitalism. ...

Serfs on the Plantation, Part 1

by Jacob G. Hornberger June 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Bill Clinton wants Americans to sacrifice more. Larger "contributions" to the government will save the welfare state and the managed economy, Clinton tells the citizenry. Sacrifice more, and permanent prosperity will be just around the corner. Most Americans see through the sham and deceit of the term ...

Living the Life of the Lie, Part 2

by Richard M. Ebeling June 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 In 1949, John T. Flynn published a book entitled The Road Ahead: America's Creeping Revolution. In it he explained that "modern socialism means the assumption by the State of the responsibility and authority for the control of the entire economic system. This does not mean," Flynn pointed out, "that the ...

Licensed to Steal

by Jim Russell June 1, 1993

Question: What do architects, attorneys, dentists, dietitians, embalmers, funeral directors, innkeepers, nurses, optometrists, pharmacists, physicians, surveyors, and veterinarians have in common? Answer: They are all employed in occupations that are licensed or similarly regulated by the state. Question: What else do these occupations have in common? Answer: They are all under-represented by minority practitioners. Is there a relationship? You bet your state-board ...

The Hand in Your Pocket

by John T. Flynn June 1, 1993

Perhaps one of the most monumental frauds in our history is the politicians' trick of making the ordinary citizen believe that the income tax is a scheme to soak the rich. The harsh fact is that the so-called "little man" or "common man" on whom the politicians lavish so much affection, is the lad who pays the great mass ...