For those of us who have loved as well as revered Ludwig von Mises, words cannot express our great sense of loss: of this gracious, brilliant and wonderful man; this man of unblemished integrity; this courageous and lifelong fighter for human freedom; this all-encompassing scholar; this noble inspiration to us all. And above all this […]
By: Gary D. Barnett “The ostensible supporters of the Constitution, like the ostensible supporters of most other governments, are made up of three classes, viz.: 1. Knaves, a numerous and active class, who see in the government an instrument which they can use for their own aggrandizement or wealth. 2. Dupes – a large class, […]
By: Gary D. Barnett “The greatest menace to the world today is growing, exploiting, irresponsible imperialism.” Mahatma Gandhi (1949) “Communal Unity” Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and supremacy by direct territorial acquisition, or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing brutal and violent power, especially […]
By: Gary D. Barnett “Interventionism inevitably leads to socialism, central banking inevitably leads to hyperinflation, total cashlessness inevitably leads to total surveillance, and “guaranteed income” inevitably leads to guaranteed enslavement. A deadly poison remains a deadly poison even when ingested in a gradual manner.” ~ Jakub Boydar Winiewski The inflationary game being played by the […]
Gary D. Barnett “I don’t give a damn what other people think. It’s entirely their own business. I’m not writing for other people.” ~ Harold Pinter, Mel Gussow (1996). “Conversations with Pinter”, p.20, Grove Press Now that we understand one another, it is time to clear the air on a few matters. If my comments […]
By: Gary D. Barnett “Millions of people never analyze themselves. Mentally they are mechanical products of the factory of their environment, preoccupied with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, working and sleeping, and going here and there to be entertained. They don’t know what or why they are seeking, nor why they never realize complete happiness and […]
[William Peterson was the 2006 Schlarbaum laureate, and here is his acceptance speech, delivered October 8, 2005.] Gary Schlarbaum, I thank you for this award and high honor from your grand legacy in loving memory of a genius in our time, Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973). But let me say up front, fellow Miseseans, meet me, […]
How does one make an economic decision when the price of a good is not evident? To any adherent of the Austrian school, this of course is impossible. There is no way to decide whether to purchase something if the only way of knowing the price is after committing. For example, who would fill up […]
Describing lawyer Clarence Darrow, the terrific H.L. Mencken wrote, “The marks of battle are all over his face. He has actually been through more wars than an entire routine of Pershings. And the majority of them have been battles to the death, without codes or quarter.” Darrow is mostly a forgotten libertarian, unidentified to the […]
Individualism, and its economic corollary, laissez-faire liberalism, has not constantly taken on a conservative hue, has not always functioned, as it often does today, as an apologist for the status quo. On the contrary, the transformation of modern-day times was initially, and continued for a long period of time to be, laissez-faire individualist. Its purpose […]
