"Anticommunism" versus Capitalism, by Ludwig von Mises, The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality, 1956
Excerpt from part V
"There exists today a sham anticommunist front. ... They make an illusory distinction between communism and socialism and — paradoxically enough — look for a support of their recommendation of noncommunist socialism to the document which its authors called The Communist Manifesto. They think that they have proved their case by employing such aliases for socialism as planning or the welfare state."
Articles
Imperial Chinese Welfare State, by Abbé Huc, The Chinese Empire, 1855
Related Topic: China
Recounts the socialist reforms of Wang Anshi in 11th century China, opposed by Sima Guang, and compares them to proposed socialist reforms in mid-19th century France
"According to Wang-ngan-ché, the carrying out of his scheme was to procure infallible happiness to the people in the development of the greatest possible material enjoyments for everyone. ... ' ... In order to prevent the oppression of man by man the State should ... take the entire management of commerce, industry, and agriculture into its own hands, with the view of succouring the working classes and preventing their being ground to the dust by the rich.'"
Related Topic: China
Recounts the socialist reforms of Wang Anshi in 11th century China, opposed by Sima Guang, and compares them to proposed socialist reforms in mid-19th century France
"According to Wang-ngan-ché, the carrying out of his scheme was to procure infallible happiness to the people in the development of the greatest possible material enjoyments for everyone. ... ' ... In order to prevent the oppression of man by man the State should ... take the entire management of commerce, industry, and agriculture into its own hands, with the view of succouring the working classes and preventing their being ground to the dust by the rich.'"
Inequality of Wealth and Incomes, by Ludwig von Mises, The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, May 1955
Related Topics: Capital Goods, The Free Market, Taxation
Describes how attempts to equalize incomes and wealth lead to lowered standard of living for the masses and eventually to socialism
"When Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto recommended 'a heavy progressive or graduated income tax' and 'abolition of all right of inheritance' ... They were fully aware of the inevitable consequences of these policies. They openly declared that these measures are 'economically untenable' and that they advocated them only ... as a means of bringing about socialism."
Related Topics: Capital Goods, The Free Market, Taxation
Describes how attempts to equalize incomes and wealth lead to lowered standard of living for the masses and eventually to socialism
"When Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto recommended 'a heavy progressive or graduated income tax' and 'abolition of all right of inheritance' ... They were fully aware of the inevitable consequences of these policies. They openly declared that these measures are 'economically untenable' and that they advocated them only ... as a means of bringing about socialism."
What Is the Enemy?, by Sheldon Richman, Freedom Daily, Apr 2006
Related Topic: Free Markets
"Which kind of state socialism is the greatest threat? ... the major receivers of largess, and the main proponents of government expansion, will be businessmen. In other words, the great threat to liberty is the corporate state, otherwise known as corporatism, state capitalism, and political capitalism."
Related Topic: Free Markets
"Which kind of state socialism is the greatest threat? ... the major receivers of largess, and the main proponents of government expansion, will be businessmen. In other words, the great threat to liberty is the corporate state, otherwise known as corporatism, state capitalism, and political capitalism."
"Wny, you'd take us back to the horse and buggy." [PDF], by Murray N. Rothbard, Clichés of Socialism, Number 7, 1962
Related Topics: Technology
Examines the common cliché that confuses technological advance with changes in morality or political principles
"The glib cliché tries to link liberty and limited government with the horse and buggy; socialism and the welfare state, it slyly implies, are tailored to the requirements of the jet and the TV set. But on the contrary, it is socialism and state planning that are many centuries old, from the savage Oriental despotisms of the ancient empires to the totalitarian regime of the Incas."
Related Topics: Technology
Examines the common cliché that confuses technological advance with changes in morality or political principles
"The glib cliché tries to link liberty and limited government with the horse and buggy; socialism and the welfare state, it slyly implies, are tailored to the requirements of the jet and the TV set. But on the contrary, it is socialism and state planning that are many centuries old, from the savage Oriental despotisms of the ancient empires to the totalitarian regime of the Incas."
Friedrich A. Hayek (1899-1992), by Peter J. Boettke, The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, Aug 1992
Related Topics: Friedrich A. Hayek
"The Road to Serfdom ... forced advocates of socialism to confront an additional problem, over and beyond the technical economic one. If socialism required the replacement of the market with a central plan, then, Hayek pointed out, an institution must be established that would be responsible for formulating this plan."
Related Topics: Friedrich A. Hayek
"The Road to Serfdom ... forced advocates of socialism to confront an additional problem, over and beyond the technical economic one. If socialism required the replacement of the market with a central plan, then, Hayek pointed out, an institution must be established that would be responsible for formulating this plan."
Ludwig von Mises: Scholar, Creator, Hero, by Murray N. Rothbard, 1988
Related Topics: Ludwig von Mises, Banking, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Mont Pelerin Society
"A crucial objective of socialism was for central planners to allocate resources to fulfill the planners' goals. But Mises showed that, even if we set aside the vexed question of whether the planners' goals coincide with the public good, socialism would not permit the planners to achieve their own goals rationally, let alone those of consumers or of the public interest."
Related Topics: Ludwig von Mises, Banking, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Mont Pelerin Society
"A crucial objective of socialism was for central planners to allocate resources to fulfill the planners' goals. But Mises showed that, even if we set aside the vexed question of whether the planners' goals coincide with the public good, socialism would not permit the planners to achieve their own goals rationally, let alone those of consumers or of the public interest."
Mises: Defender of Freedom, by George Reisman, Mises.org Daily Article, 29 Sep 2006
Related Topics: Ludwig von Mises, Capitalism, Law of Comparative Advantage, Farming
"... he showed ... that Nazism was actually a form of socialism. Any system characterized by price and wage controls, and thus by shortages and government controls over production and distribution, as was Nazism, is a system in which the government is the de facto owner of the means of production."
Related Topics: Ludwig von Mises, Capitalism, Law of Comparative Advantage, Farming
"... he showed ... that Nazism was actually a form of socialism. Any system characterized by price and wage controls, and thus by shortages and government controls over production and distribution, as was Nazism, is a system in which the government is the de facto owner of the means of production."
On Equality and Inequality, by Ludwig von Mises, Modern Age, 1961
Related Topics: Rights, Capitalism, Compulsory Education, Entrepreneurship, Government, Labor
"Under socialism the 'comrade' gets what 'big brother' deigns to give him and he is to be thankful for whatever he got. ... It is in our Western circuit that socialism makes the greatest strides. Every project to narrow down what is called the 'private sector' of the economic organization is considered as highly beneficial, as progress ..."
Related Topics: Rights, Capitalism, Compulsory Education, Entrepreneurship, Government, Labor
"Under socialism the 'comrade' gets what 'big brother' deigns to give him and he is to be thankful for whatever he got. ... It is in our Western circuit that socialism makes the greatest strides. Every project to narrow down what is called the 'private sector' of the economic organization is considered as highly beneficial, as progress ..."
Socialism and Medicine, Part 2, by William L. Anderson, Freedom Daily, Jun 2008
Related Topics: Health Care, Canada, Capitalism, The Free Market
Examines the economics of medical care in the United States, including the influence of third-party payers and comparisons to medical care in Canada
"... under a socialistic system, capital becomes a liability rather than an asset. The reason is that under a system of private profit, capital is used by its owners to provide an income; in socialism, capital does not provide an income to anyone. Rather, it is an expense item and nothing else."
Related Topics: Health Care, Canada, Capitalism, The Free Market
Examines the economics of medical care in the United States, including the influence of third-party payers and comparisons to medical care in Canada
"... under a socialistic system, capital becomes a liability rather than an asset. The reason is that under a system of private profit, capital is used by its owners to provide an income; in socialism, capital does not provide an income to anyone. Rather, it is an expense item and nothing else."
Socialized Medicine in a Wealthy Country, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Mises.org Daily Article, 2 Dec 2006
Related Topics: Health Care, Capitalism, Government, Life Extension
"... the socialist is not persuaded by the argument that the poor will be richer under capitalism because they are aware that inequality will continue to exist under capitalism. It is more important to them to reduce the well-being of the rich than it is to improve the lot of the poor, so long as the poor still constitute an identifiable class within the population."
Related Topics: Health Care, Capitalism, Government, Life Extension
"... the socialist is not persuaded by the argument that the poor will be richer under capitalism because they are aware that inequality will continue to exist under capitalism. It is more important to them to reduce the well-being of the rich than it is to improve the lot of the poor, so long as the poor still constitute an identifiable class within the population."
The "Value" of Public Schooling, by Jacob G. Hornberger, Freedom Daily, Nov 2006
Related Topics: Compulsory Education, Educational Freedom, Militarism
"... most Cubans know that public schooling and government-provided health care constitute socialism, and they are very proud of their educational and health-care systems. They would not want to see them abolished. ... most Americans honestly believe that public schooling and Medicare and Medicaid constitute 'free enterprise' ..."
Related Topics: Compulsory Education, Educational Freedom, Militarism
"... most Cubans know that public schooling and government-provided health care constitute socialism, and they are very proud of their educational and health-care systems. They would not want to see them abolished. ... most Americans honestly believe that public schooling and Medicare and Medicaid constitute 'free enterprise' ..."
The Democrats Are Doomed, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 9 Feb 2007
Related Topics: Democratic Party, Government
"... the root of the problem is not the individuals in question but the ideology that underlies the raison d'être of the modern Democratic Party, at least at the national level. That ideology is socialism. ... there is no economic activity that these people don't favor regulating to the nth degree."
Related Topics: Democratic Party, Government
"... the root of the problem is not the individuals in question but the ideology that underlies the raison d'être of the modern Democratic Party, at least at the national level. That ideology is socialism. ... there is no economic activity that these people don't favor regulating to the nth degree."
The Idea of Liberty is Western, by Ludwig von Mises, American Affairs, Oct 1950
Related Topics: Liberty, Capitalism, Greece
Excerpted from chapter 21 of Money, Method, and the Market Process
"Socialism is unrealizable as an economic system because a socialist society would not have any possibility of resorting to economic calculation. This is why it cannot be considered as a system of society's economic organization. It is a means to disintegrate social cooperation and to bring about poverty and chaos."
Related Topics: Liberty, Capitalism, Greece
Excerpted from chapter 21 of Money, Method, and the Market Process
"Socialism is unrealizable as an economic system because a socialist society would not have any possibility of resorting to economic calculation. This is why it cannot be considered as a system of society's economic organization. It is a means to disintegrate social cooperation and to bring about poverty and chaos."
The War the Government Cannot Win, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 1 May 2007
Related Topics: Terrorism, Iraq, Iraq War (2003), The State, United States
Discusses how government cannnot win the war on terror because economic law is more powerful than the state
"It is precisely this rationale that led socialism in Russia to last 70 years and drive the entire country into the ground. ... Can't the government ... see that while their people were lining up blocks for a scrap of bread and dying at the age of 60, ours were shopping in massive department stores and living to 70 and 75? Why isn't it obvious what a failure socialism has been?"
Related Topics: Terrorism, Iraq, Iraq War (2003), The State, United States
Discusses how government cannnot win the war on terror because economic law is more powerful than the state
"It is precisely this rationale that led socialism in Russia to last 70 years and drive the entire country into the ground. ... Can't the government ... see that while their people were lining up blocks for a scrap of bread and dying at the age of 60, ours were shopping in massive department stores and living to 70 and 75? Why isn't it obvious what a failure socialism has been?"
U.S. Hypocrisy in Cuba, by Jacob G. Hornberger, 26 May 2006
Related Topics: Cuba
"Every Cuban fully understands that such things as public schooling, national health care, social security, welfare, income taxation, and coercive redistribution of wealth are socialism. Castro and his minions have long been honest ... Yet here in the United States, nearly every ... official ... proudly (and incorrectly) teaches Americans that the same programs here ... are 'free enterprise.'"
Related Topics: Cuba
"Every Cuban fully understands that such things as public schooling, national health care, social security, welfare, income taxation, and coercive redistribution of wealth are socialism. Castro and his minions have long been honest ... Yet here in the United States, nearly every ... official ... proudly (and incorrectly) teaches Americans that the same programs here ... are 'free enterprise.'"
What Is the Free Market?, by Murray N. Rothbard, The Fortune Encyclopedia of Economics, 1993
Related Topics: The Free Market
"The ultimate in government coercion is socialism. Under socialist central planning the socialist planning board lacks a price system for land or capital goods. ... the socialist planning board therefore has no way to calculate prices or costs or to invest capital so that the latticework of production meshes and clears."
Related Topics: The Free Market
"The ultimate in government coercion is socialism. Under socialist central planning the socialist planning board lacks a price system for land or capital goods. ... the socialist planning board therefore has no way to calculate prices or costs or to invest capital so that the latticework of production meshes and clears."
Winning the Battle for Freedom and Prosperity, by John Mackey, Liberty, Jun 2006
Related Topics: Business, Educational Freedom, Free Markets, Health, Health Care, Life Extension, Personal Responsibility
Updated from speech given at FreedomFest 2004
"Socialism doesn't work. This was proven beyond a doubt in the 20th century. Nation after nation tried to replace capitalism with socialism and without exception their efforts to improve the quality of their citizens' lives failed. Most Americans know that socialism doesn't work as an economic system."
Related Topics: Business, Educational Freedom, Free Markets, Health, Health Care, Life Extension, Personal Responsibility
Updated from speech given at FreedomFest 2004
"Socialism doesn't work. This was proven beyond a doubt in the 20th century. Nation after nation tried to replace capitalism with socialism and without exception their efforts to improve the quality of their citizens' lives failed. Most Americans know that socialism doesn't work as an economic system."
Cartoons
Socialist Utopia, by Chuck Asay, Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, 25 Dec 2006
Books
Calculation and Coordination: Essays on Socialism and Transitional Political Economy
by Peter J. Boettke, 2001
by Peter J. Boettke, 2001
- ISBN 0415238137: Hardcover, Routledge, 1st edition, 2001
- ISBN 0415771099: Paperback, Taylor & Francis, 2006
Planned Chaos
by Ludwig von Mises, 1947
by Ludwig von Mises, 1947
- ISBN 0910614008: Paperback, Foundation for Econ Education, 1981
Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis
by Ludwig von Mises, 1922
by Ludwig von Mises, 1922
- ISBN 0224607421: Hardcover, J. Cape, New edition, 1951
- ISBN 0913966622: Hardcover, Liberty Fund, 2nd edition, 1981
- ISBN 0913966630: Paperback, Liberty Fund, 1981
The Political Economy of Soviet Socialism: The Formative Years, 1918-1928
by Peter J. Boettke, 1990
by Peter J. Boettke, 1990
- ISBN 0792391004: Hardcover, Springer, 1990
The Road to Serfdom
by Friedrich A. Hayek, 1944
by Friedrich A. Hayek, 1944
- ISBN 0786100508: Audio cassette, Blackstone Audiobooks, 1997
- ISBN 0226320596: Hardcover, University Of Chicago Press, 50th anniv edition, 1994
- ISBN 0226320618: Paperback, University Of Chicago Press, 50th anniv edition, 1994
- ISBN 0415253896: Paperback, Routledge , 2006
Why Perestroika Failed: The Politics and Economics of Socialist Transformation
by Peter J. Boettke, 1993
by Peter J. Boettke, 1993
- ISBN 0415085144: Hardcover, Routledge, 1993
Videos
Jim Rogers: Socialism for the Rich, by Jim Rogers, Squawk Box Europe, 8 Sep 2008
Jim discusses the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac