Keynes' interpretation of Hayek is still relevant for today's economic policy makers

[piezoe]

"The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom."
- John Locke

This is fundamental to classical Libertarianism. The failure of today's U.S. "libertarian" splinter groups, who are in realty what Chomsky calls "anarchocapitalists," is the failure to recognize that laws are essential to preservation and enlargement of freedom. The debate should not be about the size of government and number of laws; it should be about the the quality of government and the quality of its laws. When that's done, the size of government will take care care of itself.

What gets in the way is human nature, or as Malcolm Muggeridge would have put it, "vanity, greed and instinct."

 

[SunTrader]

What gets in the way is .... government wanting more and more control and the dumb electorate allowing them.

 

[cdcaveman]

How quickly we forget the Democide committed in the name of equality and justice....how quickly a Government becomes tyrannical... The biggest agressor of private property life and liberty throughout history has been Governments... Keynes was a hack ..silverspoon academic elitist.... I'd say if you wanted to talk about a spectrum start at Rothbard move to Mises Hayak Menger, then to Milton and Sowell,, thene to more opressive statists like Samuelson, Keynesians ,neo Keynesians and then just a short distance away Mao Stalin trosky, Marx , .... Having a government is a forced trade....you can't practically go anywhere without being opressive by a government... We are lucky here in the US that there is some semblance left of the libertarian ideals of the forefathers... Most of the Constitution is to protect the people from Government... And to limit it's scope....boy can you imagine those guys looking at "the new Deal" or other power grab socialist schemes like that...

 

[henry76]

Selma's really let herself go.

 

[tommcginnis]

I care more about the change to: "Life, Keynsianism and the pursuit of Happiness".

That is current day America.

Ooooo-ooo!!!
I'm gonna contest this! YES I AM.
Yep!!!
I am!!!!!
I *swear* it!!!

As soon as I can find how it's wrong.


((Damn.))


If I wrote:
"Ease! Guarantees! Freebies!"
I wonder if I would start a revolution. Dammmmmmn.

 

[piezoe]

What gets in the way is .... government wanting more and more control and the dumb electorate allowing them.

You've personified government. Bizarre. (I learned the art of clever rejoinder by studying your buddy, "The Donald.")

 

[SunTrader]

You speak of government as though it is a person.

It is. A revolving door of persons who want to control. The faces and names don't matter. The actions do.

 

[DeltaRisk]

His policies guide any long term strategy I have.

It would be worth looking into.

 

[SunTrader]

You've personified government. Bizarre. (I learned the art of clever rejoinder by studying your buddy, "The Donald.")

Got that backwards. Trumpie the clown is the total opposite of my buddy. He is yet another control freak. That makes him your buddy.

 

[Sig]

There is either liberty or there isn't.

Such a simple concept that so many find hard to understand. Oh well.

I agree, I want liberty as well. I want the liberty to build a coal power plant next door to your house and blow the exhaust directly into your yard. Don't like that, well you're against liberty my friend. I want the liberty to play my metal music at full volume directed into your yard, surely you're not against that. I want the liberty to dump my sewage in your living room. I want the liberty to build a house on your property, after all you're not using all of it. I want the liberty to punch you in the face whenever I feel like it. Still for liberty?
See the nativity of a black and white view of the world? Obviously your liberty ends when it imposes on mine, which is simple until their's a situation where we're both impacted. Then, welcome to the real world, something you appear to have little experience with.