The Lunacy of Soviet Communist Central Planning
"The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them." -- Albert Einstein
There is a very fundamental reason why the slide into full-blown depression continues on unabated - freedom, or rather the lack of it! You see, the same rigid inflexibility that leads to the failure of all centrally-planned economies also results over time in the demise of all societies that fail to respect human rights & freedoms. This is simply due to the fact that no group of human beings - regardless how educated or well-meaning they may be, can ever successfully replace the disciplined working of the free market. History abounds with many examples of rule by monarchy, clergy, or dictatorship - that always ends in disaster. Even science - the shield most used by modern leaders to hide behind, has proven inadequate to the task. In the end there is no substitute for the power of the free market!
As the runaway locomotive bears down on the fast-approaching cliff face, there is no time to either bring it to a halt or to repair the collapsed bridge before it careens over the edge. Yet as they grow more concerned, those in the driver's cabin bark into the PA system, assuring the passengers that things are under control and that there is no need for panic - all the while securing their parachutes. No one on board had been permitted to use another means of transport, thereby sealing their fates.
Both Left and Right paradigms of how Society ought to be governed have failed miserably, believing the solution lies in more government. But there is another way, one based on individual sovereignty. Libertarianism remains the only solution to climb out of the abyss. See video and articles for more.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 – by Tibor MachanDr. Tibor MachanEssay from Machan's Archives: This essay should come in handy these days when "libertarianism" has become almost a household word. Here is a summary discussion of its central tenets, at least as seen by some prominent libertarians.
Libertarians uphold the sovereignty of each adult individual in social life. They distinguish themselves in the political arena in most western countries from both the Left and the Right because, on the one hand, the Left is inclined primarily to impose restrictions on individuals pertaining to their economic or material actions, while the Right embarks upon imposing on individuals when it comes to their spiritual or mental actions. Both Left and Right enlist government for the purpose of regimenting certain aspects of the individual's life, whereas the libertarian sanctions only those laws or rules that aim at keeping everyone's sovereignty, at protecting individual rights to life, liberty and property.
For example, the Right in the USA endorses the war on drugs as well as a closer unity between government and church, bans on prostitution, gambling, pornography and other vices. It is mostly concerning the crafting of people's souls that the Right enlists the government's coercive powers, although since body and soul aren't ever sharply divided, this often involves regulating people's economic activities as well (e.g., when Sunday blue laws prohibit commerce in liquor).
The Left, in turn, wants heavy government regulation of the economy - minimum wage laws, anti-trust crusades, etc. They want progressive taxation and government efforts to equalize and redistribute wealth, not simply protect the integrity of market transactions. Here, too, a sharp division between the economic and the spiritual is impossible, so the Left is often involved in regimenting people's talking and thinking (e.g., when it supports government bans on hate speech or racial discrimination in commerce).Read More
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