In a civilized society, should anyone or any government ever force anyone to do anything against his or her will as long as that person does not infringe upon the life, liberty, or property of another?

Monday, October 29, 2007

Are Mules Smarter Than Politicians?

The above was the title of a great article written by Lawrence Reed for The Free Market, a publication of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Every issue is short and to the point, explaining Austrian economics and de-bunking the statist view of the world held by many citizens and, of course, almost all politicians.

This particular article (June, 1990 issue) is one of my favorites because it succinctly explains both the cause of the stock market crash, the Great Depression, and FDR's New Deal (affectionately nicknamed the Raw Deal). The title about mules being smarter than politicians refers to the crazy policies of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, an agency that ordered the destruction of crops and livestock. Farmers had a tough time getting the mules to trample the crops, since they had been trained to walk between the rows.

The issue is not archived at mises.org for some reason, so if you want a copy just ask in the comments section and I'll send you one. Occasionally I'll lend a copy of The Free Market to another professor. Many interesting responses and lots of questions, to say the least.

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