Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Works of Murray N. Rothbard, Part II

PROLOGUE

Before I begin, I need to pass along to you some wonderful news from the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Most of the books and seminars offered by the Institute are now available online for your education and enjoyment free of charge. Please see http://www.mises.org.

Last year's (2008) essay left off with Man, Economy and State, so this year I will begin with its sequel, Power and Market.

In Man, Economy and State, Dr. Rothbard said a few things about interest rates. I believe what he said was key. Since my essay was posted, we did indeed enter a major recession. You have seen some major spectacles on TV. People are out of work. People are losing their homes. We are in a terrible way now, in late November, 2008, as I begin writing this (and still are in spring, 2009. Ed).

All kinds of reasons are being given for the problems. Ron Paul is the only one who is making sense, but nobody is listening to him (1). All the talking heads are discussing is “corporate greed.”

The government is throwing out money by the bushel basket, mostly in the direction of the bankers and big corporations, the same people who are being raked over the coals for being greedy and messing up the entire economy.

My own opinion is that artificially low interest rates set by the Federal Reserve are the main culprit. When interest rates are lowered, the money supply is increased, or inflated, resulting in higher prices. Lower interest rates also encourage borrowing. The Clinton administration imposed regulations that forced banks to lend to people who might not really have been qualified to borrow. According to some news reports, on average today people are thousands of dollars in debt. People embarked on projects the consuming public did not really want. That is, people were embarking on business ventures that the bad market signals had indicated were wanted by the consuming public, but actually were not wanted. Businesspeople were getting wrong signals. Now their chickens have come home to roost and businesses are having to close their doors, throwing people out of work. You see TV news stories about plants closing and you see the suffering of laid-off employees who find themselves looking for jobs that simply are not there.

Everybody feels their pain and wants to help. People are generous but people who need help themselves cannot help others.

Since I can, I am determined to take food to the food banks and increase my donations to the church which is reaching out to feed, clothe, and shelter the homeless, the numbers of whom are increasing. I hope you can give too, since this government of ours seems determined to make things worse.

Actually, this is really what the establishment has been waiting for. More centralization of wealth and power leading to world government is the New World Order they have dreamed of. Another benefit to the powers-that-be is that, as the economy gets worse, recruitment to the armed forces might grow.

President Obama seems determined to out-Bush Bush, even to be freedom-enemy FDR all over again.

Ron Paul is ballistic, as is everyone who understands economics. The wise are stocking up on non-perishable food, guns, ammunition, and gold.

So, once I finish Power and Market (this is really to finish the work I started last winter), I will turn to some of Murray Rothbard's works on monetary economics and the Great Depression, which seems about to be re-run.

(1)http://www.mises.org/literature.aspx?action=author&id=392, Paul, Dr. Ron, “Mises and Austrian Economics: A Personal View” and other works.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, there's a lot of work here.
Thanks for the intro, Alice, and for the information that we can find Rothbard works.
Sarah Louise Cowsnofski

Alice Lillie said...

Sarah, you're most welcome!

You are the very type of person our free market movement can use, as you not only understand what Dr. Rothbard is trying to say, but you are *quick!*

The essay was posted less than one day ago!

Alice

Scott E Gregory said...

Ms Lillie:
You may be well served in reviewing material found at www.originalintent.org
Sto say that steam rolled from my ears as I red each successive article would be a supreme understatment.
Scott e. Gregory, Palmer, Alaska

golden*nugget said...

This is complete LIBERTARIAN RUBBISH! first of all the "Founding Fathers" already figured all this LIBERTARIAN UTOPIA DREAM out before they drafted the Constitution. They obviously decided against the PRIVITAZATION of Government based on the common sense knowledge that Humans are infallible sinners! Thus, if for instance you had a PRIVATE MILITARY in the U.S., its pretty much a given it could one day become a force for evil because they "The Corporate Body" would be held accountable to NOBODY with such a powerful force behind it. CITIZENS who understand the Constitution and Bill of RIGHTS are supposed to be the first stage of responsibility, CITIZENS who elect CONSTITUTIONAL MINDED(Ron Paul) Representatives to Congress are the second stage of RESPONSIBILITY, CITIZENS who demand that elected Representatives follow the Constitution are the final stage of CITIZENSHIP. Of course all this can be tossed out the window as >>>Americans<<< for the past 100 or more years have been steadily brainwashed into accepting socialism/fascism/communism as a counterweight to Constitutional Republic Government. Its really very simple, follow the Constitution! All the rest will take care of itself in due time, thats why the founders knew |FOR CERTAIN| that this current time period in American History under a Fascist/Socialist/Lite Communist Obama Administration would manifest itself into a dictatorial regime, thus the SECOND AMENDMENT was brought to fruition. You can wish all you want for a Particular Type of Government that pleases/satisfies you, however the Founders made it plain, simple, and easy to understand, FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION AS THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND. So as I see it, unless a unbelievable BLOODBATH OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS(REVOLUTION) TAKES PLACE,(of Corrupt Government) you may as well enjoy your last free days on Earth.

Anonymous said...

That last comment seems to emanate from some person who has passed his last rational days.
I judge both his content and his style.
The silly, mystical generalization "common sense knowledge that Humans are infallible sinners" actually is the reason we shouldn't let them have control over our lives.
That is, if people are so rotten, then they shouldn't be allowed to boss us around.
And, as much as I revere the Second Amendment, I'm not sure Golden Nut should be allowed a weapon, or even anything sharp.
Mary Jane Grass

Mystery said...

Had to check out your blog. Good work. This is something you might find interesting. Mises warning.

http://bluelori.blogspot.com/2009/09/using-cap-and-trade-to-destroy.html

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Anonymous said...

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PatrickJoy

Alice Lillie said...

Thanks to all for reading!

Jimmie and Goodgame, thank you, I have no idea what you are saying! I just hope it's clean!! :)

Alice

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Alice Lillie said...

Thank you...I think!!!

That last post and other posts that are mostly those little squares I cannot read. I think they are posts in Japanese or Chinese and it is good if I am reaching people in those faraway places! With this last one all I could read was "sex" and "gogogirl" which is not even close to foul language, so of course it will stay up, but I do not know the context. If you can see it and you think it is offensive, please let me know.

Meanwhile, I'll assume it is OK and that the writer had something worth saying!

Alice Lillie said...

I get these comments in my regular e-mail box. I could click on this comment and came to a page that I think was in Chinese.

If this blog is being read in mainland China, I am super-glad!

Maybe that is why I am getting all these comments that are mostly those little squares.

The page I came to was not porn. I went there to make sure of that. But, I think it was rather suggestive. It was a girl wearing rather skimpy clothes. At the bottom there was a phone number and a form, so someone is trying to sell something.

As a free market person I don't object to buying and selling obviously, and I do not believe in censorship. But I don't want any salespitches for anything obscene on the blog.

I am not sure about this, so for now I'll leave it alone, but if you can translate these comments, please do and let me know what they are.

Meanwhile, if this is being read in China, that's great! China today, North Korea tomorrow!