With summer on our doorstep, Im sure we all have time to do some reading on the beach. There are answers to our problems other than governmnent and in the below reading list you shall find them. Enjoy!
Davey Crockett’s “Not Yours To Give” – http://www.house.gov/paul/nytg.htm
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
Human Action by Mises
Ron Paul’s Revolutioin a Manifesto
Conscience of a Conservative – B. Goldwater
History of Money and Banking by Rothbard
Democracy: the god that failed – Hoppe
Ethics of liberty -Rothbard
Machinery of Freedom -D Friedman
Tom Paine: Common Sense and The Crisis
Douglas Hyde: Dedication and Leadership
Faustino Ballve: Essentials of Economics
Andrew Bacevich: American Empire
Ron Paul: Foreign Policy of Freedom
Justin Raimondo: Reclaiming the American Right
Friedrich Hayek: Road to Serfdom
Rothbard: America’s Great Depression
Albert Nock: Our Enemy, the State
Chalmers Johnson: Blowback
Mises: Liberalism
Rothbard: Man, Economy and State
Hoppe: Democracy: The God that Failed
Michael Scheur: Imperial Hubris
Robert Pape: Dying to Win
Alan Greenspan: Age of Turbulence
What Has Government Done to Our Money? by Dr. Murray N. Rothbard
This first one is still the best introduction to money I’ve come across, and with the situation constantly going on around us, I think it’ll be indispensable in the future. Follow-ups to this work will be listed at the end.* It’s quite a bit longer than most of the entries on this list.
2. “I, Pencil” by Leonard Read
http://www.econlib.org/LIBRARY/Essays/rdPncl1.html (and many other URLs)
Along with Rothbard’s money tract I tend to recommend this one to everyone. This short essay is usually used as a beginner’s work. Something meant to open people up to the concept of the invisible hand, and undirected, spontaneous order. With this base one can continue on in a discussion about the possibilities of an undirected world.
3. “The Philosophy of Liberty” flash video presentation from ISIL.
http://www.isil.org/resources/introduction.swf
Something simple. The video is based on a piece by Ken Schoolland (The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible). Without getting into fine philosophical detail, this little video presents the libertarian message with concision and accuracy. If people view this they can usually understand the way you think if not agree with you. So long as they understand, there’s something to build on.
4. “patterns” a blog post by iceberg18 (a well written individual blog from a NYC Rothbardian)
http://iceberg18.blogspot.com/2007/07/todays-mises.html
I include this one as a launching pad for helping folks understand the case against so-called “intellectual property.” Now, there are some libertarians out there who support forms of IP like copyrights, patents, and trademarks (e.g. Randians), but there are probably just as many who fight them as a form of government granted monopoly.
5. “Do We Ever Really Get Out of Anarchy?” by Dr. Alfred G. Cuzán
http://uwf.edu/govt/facultyforums/OutofAnarcy.pdf
6. La Loi (known as The Law in English) by Claude Frederic Bastiat
http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html (and many other URLs)
Works well for the minarchist, and for the anarchist. Bastiat gives his theoretical defense for government that has no more powers than any individual. Some might call that radical minarchism, or some might call that anarchism. Though this work has been around for about 160 years now, it is relevant everyday. This is probably the longest piece on the list of Reads.
7. L’etat (known as either The State in English, or The Government) by Claude Frederic Bastiat
http://bastiat.org/en/government.html (and many other URLs)
A quote should serve well, “Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.”
8. “The Only Path to Tomorrow” by Ayn Rand
http://fare.tunes.org/liberty/library/toptt.html
This is a great little essay by a relatively young Rand. She hadn’t given over to the Rightist/Conservative/Proto-Fascists just yet, and she voiced clear support for individualism against collectivism. Not an unsullied anarchist piece, but very respectable nonetheless.
9. “How Government Solved the Health Care Crisis“ by Roderick Long
http://libertariannation.org/a/f12l3.html
No list of mine would be complete without some contributions from Roderick Long. This one is specifically on the Fascist medical system in America today, and how an older and better alternative was destroyed by the state. This is also one of the pamphlets in William Gillis’ Market Anarchist series.
10. “Punishment vs. Restitution: A Formulation“ by Roderick Long
http://libertariannation.org/a/f12l2.html
Necessary reading in my opinion. Just what are the implications of the libertarian principle of non-aggression in regards to criminals and crime? The piece includes a denouncement of punishment, and argues for a system of justice based on restitution as the only one compatible with libertarian principles. This piece in combination with Rothbard’s “Punishment and Proportionality” can make one absolutely livid with rage when thinking about today’s “justice system” (more aptly systematized injustice).
11. “A Four-Step Health-Care Solution“ by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
http://www.mises.org/freemarket_detail.aspx?control=279
A second healthcare/medical services entry. This is one of my favorite short pieces by Hoppe. Clearly written, easily understood, concise, to the point.
12. “Government Medical ‘Insurance'” by Dr. Murray N. Rothbard
http://www.mises.org/econsense/ch20.asp
Continuing on a medical theme I include chapter 20 of Rothbard’s Making Economic Sense, in which he discusses the problems with modern medical insurance.
13. “Gun Control and the War on Drugs” by Anthony Gregory
http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0502e.asp
An excellent little write up by Anthony Gregory, highlighting the fact that not only do the two have shared origins, they are to the libertarian, different variations of the same tune. Share this with those who support one and not the other to show them their inconsistency.
15. “Inside the Martial Law Act of 2006″ by James Bovard
http://www.counterpunch.org/bovard01092008.html
Yet another update on where America is now, from the indispensable Jim Bovard. With the erosion of Habeas Corpus protection, the near elimination of the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act, the existence of near universal government spying, the legitimation of torture as a tactic, prison camps for enemies of the state, seizure laws reversing the presumption of innocence, a court dedicated to the presumption of constitutionality, and government intervention at every level and in every facet of Americans’ everyday life, the stage is already set for dictatorship, totalitarianism, tyranny, despotism, etc. In fact, it might already be here in hiding. Read some Bovard, get informed.
http://www.mises.org/books/econforrealpeople.pdf
Specifically an introduction to Austrian econ, but he explains in such clarity regular economic concepts that this is a pretty good general work as well.
2. The Concise Guide To Economics by Jim Cox
http://www.conciseguidetoeconomics.com/
Lots of short entries on important topics of economics. Great for just looking things up.
3. Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics by Dr. George Reisman
http://www.capitalism.net/Capitalism/CAPITALISM_Internet.pdf
George Reisman’s magnum opus. It’s honestly too enormous to recommend that someone read through, so this is definitely a resource book. A textbook even. While Reisman is a statist he’s probably of the least offensive variety. An inductee of the Randian cult through and through, you can hear Rand’s words come out of his mouth. Even the title of the book is an ode to Rand (see the first sentence of Rand’s book Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal).
4. The Case for Free Trade and Open Immigration edited by R. Ebeling and J. Hornberger
http://www.amatecon.com/etext/cftoi/cftoi.html
More necessary reading in my opinion. Unlike some other so-called libertarians and so-called anarchists Ebeling, Hornberger, the other authors whose essays are included in this collection, and all classical liberals have uphold the traditional libertarian position of open immigration (not managed and centrally planned immigration), and free trade (not managed and centrally planned trade). This book is made up of essays by several authors, so one can pick and choose whichever sections one wants to read. I even have chapters 6, 7, 18, 21, and 22 if anyone would like them (as they’re not included). The Ebeling-Hornberger team also produced The Dangers of Socialized Medicine. So if you like these essay collection books and the style that the editors edit with check that out as well.
5. Man, Economy, and State with Power and Market by Dr. Murray N. Rothbard
http://www.mises.org/rothbard/mes.asp
Of course I was going to include Rothbard’s magnum opus. Also designed as a college textbook, this is definitely in the resource section. It’s gargantuan in size and scope. Intended to supersede Mises’ Human Action as the authoritative Austrian/praxeological book (and Mises admitted that it had), it’s been the center of much of Austrian Economic studies since its publication.