The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

1972 UTOPIA: DREAM INTO NIGHTMARE 139be deprived of it only under themost extraordinary conditions.Once real power is firmly establishedat the base of the politicalpyramid (as it never was in Russiaor China), tyranny from thetop becomes an outside chance.This may be faith, but it is afaith worth having. A man's essenceis his hazardous freedom.It is built-in, inexpungeable. Forit he has fought wars, rioted, hiddenin catacombs, gone to thestake, killed kings, languished inprison, and he does not forget.Freedom disrupts old orders, andsometimes gives the impressionthat everything nailed down iscoming loose, but as long asAmericans demand it as theirright, the horrors of the policestate will stay beyond our borders.~IDEAS ONLIBERTYUmpireIN GENERAL, nothing happens except a change in the weather,unless somebody makes it happen. Under a free economic system,the man who makes things happen is called an enterpriser. Withhis own savings ·or savings. borrowed from others, he goes intofarming, manufacturing, mining, or banking, and begins producinggoods or moving them around. That much is basic.Thomas Nixon Carver, the economist, said the reason manycountries are backward is that there was nobody who cared toinvest in them. Either the government itself was predatory, orthieves and robbers roamed unmolested. In such countries therich keep their wealth in the form of unproductive goods - goldand jewels - which they can hide and easily transport whenthings get too tough.If a nation wants production and prosperity,the persons toencourage are the enterprisers. Not only· should they be encouragedto build and produce, but they should be assured that theirproperty and a decent part of their gains are protected againstconfiscation. If they lose part or all of their savings in the competitivegame, they must take the loss and shut up. Government'smain job is to see that the rules are fair and are enforced.FROM The William Feather Magazine, November, 1971