Comments on Samizdata quote of the day

Oh, well, we're too sophisticated these days to believe in Santa. Now we believe government can allocate resources more *something* than the market.

*efficiently*, *benevolently*, *justly*....


Posted by PersonFromPorlock at October 5, 2009 10:00 PM

The whole problem is centralism. How about a new movement, Xcentralism, where the X stands for the swearword of you choice? The slogan could be "My Land- My Law!" Something simple and appealing to all.


Posted by Nuke Gray at October 6, 2009 01:05 AM

Charles Kesler of the Claremont Institute, which has a very worthwhile website (sorry, I don't know how to post links here), posts there a thought-provoking essay about "Progressivism" origins and Obama's commitment to bringing it nearer to complete dominance. He was also interviewed on Uncommon Knowledge in May 2009 on the same topic on the Hoover Institute website (well worth a viewing).


That essay took me back to researching and reading some parts of Woodrow Wilson's earlier writings, with his striking articulation that government is "organic" rather than mechanistic - which goes a bit beyond reification of that part of our social order. He also originates the "Living Constitution" concept - which haunts us to this day.

By odd coincidence, Mises' was writing "Socialism" (German edition) at the time (1921-22) Wilson was implementing his own ideas here in the U S. The contrast of the two men's works in overlapping periods could very well merit a doctoral dissertation.


Posted by RRS at October 6, 2009 04:12 AM

President Wilson did lean towards the socialist position - although not the Marxist position (Wilson was no "Community Organizer").

This can be seen not only by his writings as an academic - but also by the writings of his "other self" (what we would call today his Chief of Staff and main adviser) Colonel House.

In his book "Philip Dru: Administrator" Colonel House outlines a position of extreme government-worship, at a level that would make a Prussian wince.

However, we must be fair - the Republican "Teddy" Roosevelt (who was President a few years before the Democrat Wilson) also had a hatred of freedom and a love of collectivism.

None of these people needed J.M. Keynes to convince them of statist fallacies.

Great civilizations are not overthrown overnight - the internal decay that has been undermining Western Civilization was started by the "Progressives" and "Fabians" (and so on) long ago.


Posted by Paul Marks at October 7, 2009 12:19 PM
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