About This Blog

Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) was the greatest economist of my time. His greatest works can be accessed here at no charge.

Mises believed that property, freedom and peace are and should be the hallmarks of a satisfying and prosperous society. I agree. Mises proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the prospect for general and individual prosperity is maximized, indeed, is only possible, if the principle of private property reigns supreme. What's yours is yours. What's mine is mine. When the line between yours and mine is smudged, the door to conflict opens. Without freedom (individual liberty of action) the principle of private property is neutered and the free market, which is the child of property and freedom and the mother of prosperity and satisfaction, cannot exist. Peace is the goal of a prosperous and satisfying society of free individuals, not peace which is purchased by submission to the enemies of property and freedom, but peace which results from the unyielding defense of these principles against all who challenge them.

In this blog I measure American society against the metrics of property, freedom and peace.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

A New Beginning...

This blog has been in stall mode for quite a while now. I've neglected it due to personal, family problems and a general disgust with all things political which, let's face it, comprise the subject matter of a large percentage of posts here and elsewhere on the internet.

There are two problems with politics in this country: first, they've become personal; and second, they've become factional. The two are related.

One cannot have a discussion about politics nowadays without being smeared as a worthless or evil sycophant of one faction or another. I've been guilty of this myself from time to time. No more. When I post again on this blog it will not be to politic for one party or another, or one candidate or another. Those interested in politics are capable of forming their own opinions and voting accordingly.

From now on I will write about ideas and only ideas. Yes, at times I will be inspired to write about an idea because it was uttered by a political personality in the news. But I will criticize and castigate the idea, not the individual who holds it. Readers can draw their own conclusions about the character of individuals who hold and believe in corrupt ideas.

As always, my bias will be on the side of property, freedom and peace. Why? Because I believe in a cooperative society, which means a society in which individuals voluntarily act in concert to attain mutual goals. In order for such a society to exist the members of such a society must follow and believe in two absolute moral laws: Thou shalt not kill, and Thou shalt not steal. These laws imply the rights of life and property. Living by these laws implies peace, a condition of mankind that I believe 99% of human beings desire and strive for.

Of course, and this goes almost without saying, my other biases are on the side of reality and logic. Reality, as they say, is a harsh mistress. The natural state of man is animalistic and savage. However, logic instructs us that individual human beings act with purpose and, by acting, human beings can do what lesser animals cannot: they can cooperate, and enjoy all the fruits that cooperation implies.  


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