Politics

Individualism and the Free Society, Part 1

by Nathaniel Branden November 1, 1994

Part 1 | Part 2 A political system is the expression of a code of ethics. Just as some form of statism or collectivism is the expression of the ethics of altruism, so individualism — as represented by laissez-faire capitalism — is the expression of the ethics of rational self-interest. In this chapter I propose to show why this is ...

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 ...

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 ...

New Element Discovered

by Anonymous April 1, 1994

The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by university physicists. The element, tentatively named "Bureaucrastratium," has no protons or electrons and thus has an atomic weight of zero. However, it does have one neutron, 70 assistant neutrons, and 161 sub-assistant neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 232. These 232 particles are held together in a ...

Clinton’s Health-Care Plan for You: Cradle-to-Grave Slavery, Part 2

by Jarret B. Wollstein February 1, 1994

Part 1 | Part 2 Under President Clinton's health-care plan, every person in America will be registered by the federal government and issued a red, white and blue "Health Security Card." This includes independent contractors, the self-employed, the homeless, and illegal immigrants who have regular jobs. Babies will be registered at birth. As The Clinton Blueprint: The President's Health Security ...

The Case against Medical Licensing

by Lawrence D. Wilson January 1, 1994

For the first 120 years of our history, America had, essentially, a free-market health-care system. There were few licensing laws or other barriers to entry into the healing arts. A variety of practitioners offered services, including herbalists, nature-care therapists, hydrotherapists, osteopaths, allopaths and homeopaths. There was a variety of healing schools and clinics. During this time, America was among ...

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 ...

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 ...

A Practical Way to Advance Freedom

by Jacob G. Hornberger June 1, 1993

Ideas matter. They have consequences. Thus, essays on liberty are vitally important in moving us toward our goal of achieving liberty. However, is there a practical way to advance liberty? Is there a method by which people in their respective communities can move our nation toward freedom? Yes. A practical way to advance liberty at ...

Living a Life of the Lie, Part 1

by Richard M. Ebeling May 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 In 1979, the Czech playwright and dissident Vaclav Havel illegally published his famous essay, "The Power of the Powerless." He analyzed the nature of the totalitarian system and the role of the individual in it, both as victim and supporter. That the Marxian and socialist promises and prophesies were unfilled ...

Highway to Collapse: Spending on Infrastructure

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 1, 1993

Bill Clinton believes that spending on infrastructure will bring jobs and prosperity to America — and, in the process, finally prove, after sixty years of failure, that the welfare-state, managed-economy way of life can be a success after all. But spending on infrastructure is just another highway to collapse. It will only result in higher taxes, more impoverishment, and ...

The Importance of Tools

by Karl Hess April 1, 1993

It is the pompous delusion of politicians that they significantly improve the way the world works. Nonsense. Through taxation, rules, regulations, and war, politicians historically have destroyed people's lives and obstructed their economic progress. The real work of the world — the way we live our daily lives — ...