Environmentalists seem to regard Nature as being at the mercy of man, hence their cause. They seem unaware that up until yesterday, man was at the mercy of Nature. They take Natures beauty for granted, for it is also dangerous, harsh and unforgiving. It is only by man’s material and intellectual achievements that we can look past the bad and see the beauty.
It is man’s achievements that are the real glories upon which to wonder and to which we owe a chance of attaining happiness.
This underscores that there is much more than the reverence of Nature for Environmentalists. The fact that they have, with no exception known to me, Marxist assumptions to their view of man and economics is also very telling.
From Ludwig von Mises’ book Human Action.
General Education and Economics
In countries which are not harassed by struggles between various linguistic groups public education can work very well if it is limited to reading, writing, and arithmetic. With bright children it is even possible to add elementary notions of geometry, the natural sciences, and the valid laws of the country. But as soon as one wants to go farther, serious difficulties appear. Teaching at the elementary level necessarily turns into indoctrination. It is not feasible to represent to adolescents all the aspects of a problem and to let them choose between dissenting views. It is no less impossible to find teachers who could hand down opinions of which they themselves disapprove in such a way as to satisfy those who hold these opinions.
Liberalism by Ludwig von Mises. This introduction is another reduced (by half) version of the original. You can find links to free copies of the book from the book entry on Wikipedia.
Introduction
1. Liberalism
The philosophers, sociologists, and economists of the eighteenth formulated a political program that served as a guide to social policy first in England and the United States, and then on the European continent. Nowhere was this program ever completely carried out.
Why Study history?
Have you ever honestly tried to answer this question without slipping into some common bromide like: “Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it?” Besides the fact that I find this an annoying misquotation, annoying because of what it says and not because it is a misquote, it really does not answer the question or expand our understanding on why anyone should study history.
Nobody really seems interested in history and if they are it is not because of that popular warning. Why is this? how can this be in such an “educated” country as ours?
For such a basic and fundamental question, it is surprisingly difficult to answer, even with the internet at your fingertips (I’ve tried). It is all the more perplexing given that both you and I don’t know anyone raised in America who did not attend school; yet who can convincingly answer the question? Surely no one needs to go to college to do so; I would be happy to hear an answer from anywhere. Unfortunately, most people will not bother trying to reconcile this paradox nor seriously answer the question. While unfortunate, I decidedly DO NOT believe apathy is the root of the problem.
This Argument to appear in the upcoming voter’s ballot.
- All bond measures are tax proposals paid for by new property taxes on Newark homeowners.
- Measure G is a 63 million dollar bond that will cost homeowners approximately $5000 that will take decades to pay off with fees and interest.
- Existing debt already costs Newark taxpayers over $5 million annually.
- This proposed bond is larger than the entire budget for the Newark Unified School District by 108%.
- Since 1971, U.S educational spending has grown from $4,300 to over $9,000 per student after adjusting for inflation. Has doubling spending helped? Since 1971, reading and math scores have flat lined.
- “Board President Charlie Mensinger said “… pursuing a bond measure allows the district to have an ‘influx in revenue’ so they can reduce cuts,” (School Board OKs Bond Measure on Fall Ballot)http://newark.patch.com/articles/school-board-oks-bond-measure-on-fall-ballot
- An “influx in revenue” allows for an increase in spending, regardless of the amount of cuts made.
- Measure G is written to allow the District to use the money to offset expenses. This allows Newark Unified School District to increase spending, without making necessary budget cuts. This will decrease accountability within the district.
An important Read since “conventional wisdom and education” contains so many unspoken and undetected Marxian premises. It affects almost everything of social importance even among those sympathetic to liberty and free trade. This is part two of five. Overall, my study version is half the size of the original book. I find with my version I can read the entire book with greater recall and comprehension in about an hour or less. The original is generously available here at the Mises Institute
The Anti-capitalist Mentality [1956], by Ludwig von Mises, Editor: Bettina Bien Greaves
Chapter 1: The Social Characteristics of Capitalism and the Psychological Causes of Its Vilification
5: The Resentment of the Intellectuals
6: The Anti-capitalistic Bias of American Intellectuals
What a brilliant little book! It’s a marvelous display of Mises’ understanding and insight into the sources of anti-Capitalist bias and prejudice. Anti-Capitalist sentiment is heard everywhere today, not just in schools, government and media but even in advertising. It inhabits the subconscious of so many in their unspoken and undetected Marxian premises. It bends opinion on almost everything of social importance even among those sympathetic to freedom and free trade. Mises’ book doubtless will benefit anyone who will give it the time and especially the proponents of liberty who are subtly influenced by anti-Capitalist notions.
I will post my version in five parts. Overall, my study version is half the size of the original book. I find with my version I can read the entire book with greater recall and comprehension in about an hour or less. The original is generously available here at the Mises Institute
Voluntary Servitude by Etienne de la Boetie
It would have been well spoken had Ulysses said nothing beyond, “I see no good in having several lords,” since the power of one man alone, as soon as he acquires the title of master, becomes abusive and unreasonable. Instead he declared what seems preposterous: “Let one alone be master, let one alone be king.” Ulysses perhaps was obliged to speak these words in order to quell a mutiny in the army. Yet, in the light of reason, it is a great misfortune to be at the beck and call of one master, for it is impossible to be sure that he is going to be kind or just, since it is always in his power to be cruel whenever he pleases.
This booklet is an excerpt from Human Action by Ludwig von Mises. I am sharing it here as an edited version reduced to 50% of its original length. The full PDF can be found HERE. I reduce essays to practice writing/editing, to become more familiar with a text and if I may believe I am successful in the effort, to render a text more easily read and understood.
It is a very telling observation that the points of this short discussion are almost entirely unknown to the average college educated person. “The study of economics is practically outlawed today. The public discussion of economic problems ignores almost entirely all that has been said by economists in the last two hundred years.”
This is Thomas Paine in sound and style, brilliance and brevity. I wrote it as a new declaration and inspiration to those concerned with America’s prospects for freedom in our time, especially to the youth of our generation. Anyone familiar with Paine’s Common Sense will instantly recognize the many quotations from that work.
Common Sense, A New Declaration By Albert Rubio, inspired by Thomas Paine
LIBERTY is common sense and common sense made America. The cause of Liberty is the cause of all mankind. Liberty is the virtue of the young and liberalism is its philosophy. America is divided between those that want liberty and those that want to take it away. America has grown tired of liberty. If it cannot live with freedom, it will soon turn to fascism. To tire of liberty is to tire of life itself. Thomas Paine was freedom’s voice. So much effort and blood to found a free country; an accomplishment America today is foolishly extinguishing but one which youthful common sense can re-ignite.
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