Political Theory

Winter is here, and for the last few years this seasonal event has meant the sudden discovery of a brand-new category of the pitiable: the "homeless."

British lower classes had a rough time until the Industrial Revolution (1760) made both production and freedom possible. Two political revolutions were also begun then: the American Revolution and the French Revolution. For the American Revolution, Life, Liberty, and Property became the three dominant foundations of the Declaration of Independence. For the French Revolution, Rousseau tried to create a brotherhood subservient to the general will with the word Equality. The French Revolution was to favor not freedom, but to change those who receive benefits – legalized plunder. The French Revolution was against the Industrial Revolution.

LeFevre then goes through the Declaration of Independence in careful detail.

Bob LeFevre presented this lecture to the Free Marin Supper Club on 4 July 1984.

Human beings are collaborators with each other. Socialism is one kind of cooperation of people. One thing determines the socialist organization. It is the lack of freedom and the complete obedience to a Fuehrer (leader). Not surprisingly, everyone considers themselves to be part of the ruling group, forcing others to submit.

The paramount matter is the conflict between economic freedom as represented in the market economy and totalitarian government omnipotence as realized by socialism.

Private enterprise systems improve human cooperation and further peace and prosperity. Economic systems with which governments intervene are called liberal, or middle of the road economics. They declare they are not socialist. They say they wish to preserve market systems. But, is that possible? No. Nothing will be left of the free market. Capitalism and socialism cannot coexist. Step by step, interventionism erodes capitalism into some form of socialism. The clear distinction between production and government must be reestablished and left untouched.

The private seminars that Mises held, and which were so successful in Vienna beginning in 1919, were actually separate from the University. Mises here remembers many of his seminar participants, like Hayek, Haberler, Schütz, and Machlup. He was glad to have contributed to the development of international cooperation among so many economists.

In this 1958 speech, Ludwig von Mises explains why, under socialism, "freedom" means the elimination of dissent. The socialist goal is bondage, not liberty.

The bureaucrat is not only a government employee. He is also his own employer.