History
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The Counterrevolution
Fascism often is discussed as though it were the opposite of communism, but such is not precisely the case. Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were different in many respects; but the principles of their economic ideologies were the principles of socialism; their initial appeal was to the underprivileged; and the final result, a new despotism, was…
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Some Confusions of Language in Economic Thought
Fifty years ago, in 1968, Austrian (and Austrian school) economist Friedrich A. Hayek published a monograph called The Confusion of Language in Political Thought. Hayek argued that the words we use and the meanings we give to them greatly influence how we think about the political system and the wider social order in which we…
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The Beautiful Philosophy of Liberalism
There has been a great paradox in the modern world. On the one hand, freedom and prosperity have replaced tyranny and poverty for tens, indeed for hundreds of millions of people around the world over the last two centuries. Yet the political and economic system that historically has made this possible has been criticized and…
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How to Pay Tribute to a Great Mind
You think ideas don’t matter, that intellectuals aren’t really relevant to the shape of the modern world? Read some of these tributes and you will see otherwise. Mario Rizzo is for the ages.
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The Amazing Influence of Henry George (on E.C. Harwood)
Just as humanity saw the first glimmer of the hope of universal human prosperity, prevailing ruling-class opinion turned against the idea and pushed a host of nostrums to stop it from happening. Here was where Henry George made the difference. He entered into this milieu with a powerful message: prosperity for the entire world is…
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No, Mr. Cooper, Classical Liberalism Is Not Profoundly Wretched
Liberalism believes that society manages itself better than any top-down authority can. That includes the commercial life of a nation. But it also pertains to civil liberties, international relations, migrations, family and cultural life, and religion. And what does classical liberalism oppose? Managed economies, imperialism, ethnic cleansing, war, arbitrary rule, dictatorship, authoritarianism, and every action…
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Rent-Seeking as a Threat to Modern Capitalism
What is the best way to ensure fairness and free competition in our economy? Many people believe that a large government that actively regulates the private sector will prevent large corporations from achieving undue market power. But this view ignores the concept of rent-seeking.
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Land Value in Pennsylvania: A Practical Application
I was recently reading AIER founder E.C. Harwood’s “Useful Economics,” which can be accessed online through our website’s Harwood Economics tab , when I came across a particularly interesting passage. In Chapter XIII, “Practical Applications,” Col. Harwood was discussing the role that taxes on site values, meaning taxes on the unimproved value of land, play…
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The Counterrevolution
Fascism often is discussed as though it were the opposite of communism, but such is not precisely the case. Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were different in many respects; but the principles of their economic ideologies were the principles of socialism; their initial appeal was to the underprivileged; and the final result, a new despotism, was…
-
•
Some Confusions of Language in Economic Thought
Fifty years ago, in 1968, Austrian (and Austrian school) economist Friedrich A. Hayek published a monograph called The Confusion of Language in Political Thought. Hayek argued that the words we use and the meanings we give to them greatly influence how we think about the political system and the wider social order in which we…
-
•
The Beautiful Philosophy of Liberalism
There has been a great paradox in the modern world. On the one hand, freedom and prosperity have replaced tyranny and poverty for tens, indeed for hundreds of millions of people around the world over the last two centuries. Yet the political and economic system that historically has made this possible has been criticized and…
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•
How to Pay Tribute to a Great Mind
You think ideas don’t matter, that intellectuals aren’t really relevant to the shape of the modern world? Read some of these tributes and you will see otherwise. Mario Rizzo is for the ages.
-
•
The Amazing Influence of Henry George (on E.C. Harwood)
Just as humanity saw the first glimmer of the hope of universal human prosperity, prevailing ruling-class opinion turned against the idea and pushed a host of nostrums to stop it from happening. Here was where Henry George made the difference. He entered into this milieu with a powerful message: prosperity for the entire world is…
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•
No, Mr. Cooper, Classical Liberalism Is Not Profoundly Wretched
Liberalism believes that society manages itself better than any top-down authority can. That includes the commercial life of a nation. But it also pertains to civil liberties, international relations, migrations, family and cultural life, and religion. And what does classical liberalism oppose? Managed economies, imperialism, ethnic cleansing, war, arbitrary rule, dictatorship, authoritarianism, and every action…
-
•
Rent-Seeking as a Threat to Modern Capitalism
What is the best way to ensure fairness and free competition in our economy? Many people believe that a large government that actively regulates the private sector will prevent large corporations from achieving undue market power. But this view ignores the concept of rent-seeking.
-
•
Land Value in Pennsylvania: A Practical Application
I was recently reading AIER founder E.C. Harwood’s “Useful Economics,” which can be accessed online through our website’s Harwood Economics tab , when I came across a particularly interesting passage. In Chapter XIII, “Practical Applications,” Col. Harwood was discussing the role that taxes on site values, meaning taxes on the unimproved value of land, play…