IDEAS ON LIBERTY 4 Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973): A Prophet Without Honor in CONTENTS His Own Land by Bettina Bien Greaves JANUARY The great economist's early years. 1995 9 Invasion of the Mind Snatchers by Nelson Hultberg VOL. 45 The insidious collectivist ideological movement at work in America. NO.1 13 Tacit Consent: A Quiet Tyranny by Bowen H. Greenwood The views of John Locke and John Rawls. 18 Ideas and Consequences-How Important Is Your Vote? by Lawrence W. Reed Some thoughts on suffrage and democracy. 20 Private Property Ownership by Albert R. Bellerue Recovering lost sticks in the bundle of rights. 23 Private Property and Government Under the Constitution by Gary M. Pecquet Where have all our property rights gone? 33 A Matter of Principle-The Second American Revolution? by Robert James Bidinotto Analyzing the November mid-term elections. 35 The First Atomic Age: A Failure of Socialism by Rodney Adams How the "socialized atom" superseded the "entrepreneurial atom." 40 Nuclear Power: Our Best Option by Mike Oliver and John Hospers Common sense about energy issues. 46 The Immorality of Social Security by John Attarian A disingenuous, flawed system faces bankruptcy. 51 Employer Mandates: A Threat to Employees by David R. Henderson When government requires employment benefits, workers lose. 54 Economics on Trial-European Unemployment: The Age of Ignorance, Part II by Mark Skousen A mystery is not so mysterious after all. 56 Book Reviews Daniel B. Klein reviews Second Thoughts: Myths and Morals of U.S. Economic History, edited by Donald N. McCloskey; Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do: The Absurdity ofConsensual Crimes in a Free Society by Peter McWilliams, reviewed by Doug Bandow; The Fall of the Ivory Tower: Government Funding, Corruption, and the Bankrupting ofHigher Education by George Roche, reviewed by Steven Yates; Your Doctor Is Not In: Healthy Skepticism About National Health Care by Jane M. Orient, M.D., reviewed by Ron Paul, M.D.; The History ofFreedom by Lord Acton, introduction by James C. Holland, reviewed by Salim Rashid. THEFREEMAN IDEAS ON LIBERTY PERSPECTIVE Published by The Foundation for Economic Education Score One for Tribalism Irvington-on-Hudson, NY 10533 Phone (914) 591-7230 FAX (914) 591-8910 Throughout its brief history, the idea of President: Hans F. Sennholz individualism has animated much good that Managing Editor: Beth A. Hoffman has come about in society. It has also Guest Editor: John Hospers Editor Emeritus generated volumes of nasty criticism. Paul L. Poirot Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Among the critics Marx was perhaps the Book Review Editor most fervent. He claimed there is nothing Robert Batemarco Marymount College, Tarrytown, New York more to the belief in the value of the indi­ Associate Editors John Chamberlain vidual human being than a ploy to get people Cheshire, Connecticut Bettina Bien Greaves to produce with all their energy. Once this Resident Scholar, FEE Edmund A. Opitz vigorous production bore fruit, the idea of Chatham, Massachusetts the value of the individual could be aban­ Columnists Robert James Bidinotto doned for the myth it was and the real truth Stqff Writer, Reader's Digest Lawrence W. Reed could be told: "The human essence is the Mackinac Center for Public Policy Midland, Michigan true collectivity of man. " Marx thought we Mark Skousen Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida are what he called "specie beings," that is, Contributing Editors parts of humanity, with humanity the locus Charles W. Baird California State University, Hayward of true value. It is only by service to Doug Bandow Cato Institute, Washington, D.C. humanity that our worth is established, he E. Calvin Beisner Covenant College, Chattanooga, Tennessee argued. Peter J. Boettke New York University The tribal mentality-always a major fac­ Donald J. Boudreaux tor in how human beings acted-is still a Clemson University Clarence B. Carson powerful force today. In America commu­ American Textbook Committee Wadley, Alabama nitarians advocate a tribal humanitarianism Thomas J. DiLorenzo Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland rather than socialism which is becoming Joseph S. Fulda New York, New York useless as an inspiring ideal because of its Roger W. Garrison Auburn University very bad reputation. Individualism contin­ Robert Higgs ues to be assaulted from both the right and The Independent Institute, Oakland, California John Hospers the left. Conservatives see it as too readily University ofSouthern California Los Angeles, California opposing tradition and custom, the vote of Tibor R. Machan Auburn University the historical majority. Modern liberals just Ronald Nash Reformed Theological Seminary find humanity much more lovable than ac­ Maitland, Florida James L. Payne tual individual human beings. Sandpoint, Idaho William H. Peterson In the process of denouncing individual­ Washington, D.C. ism, critics have perpetuated all sorts of Jane S. Shaw PERC, Bozeman, Montana distortions. Most notable is the one where Richard H. Timberlake University ofGeorgia individualism is represented as claiming that Lawrence H. White University ofGeorgia every human being is supposed to be an The Freeman is the monthly publication of The Foundation for isolated, totally unique, self-sufficient, or Economic Education, Inc., Irvington-on-Hudson, NY 10533. FEE, established in 1946 by Leonard E. Read, is a non-political, educa­ atomistic individual. As if the position held tional champion of private property, the free market, and limited that we each come into the world ready government. FEE is classified as a 26 USC 50l(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. made, unrelated to others, free to abandon Copyright © 1995 by The Foundation for Economic Education. Permission is granted to reprint any article in this issue, provided our fellows and flourish, nevertheless. Such appropriate credit is given and two copies ofthe reprinted material are sent to The Foundation. abstract individualism has been the target of The costs of Foundation projects and services are met through donations, which are invited in any amount. Donors of$30.00 or more innumerable critics. On this mythical view receive a subscription to The Freeman. Student subscriptions are$10.00 for the nine-month academic year; $5.00 per semester. Additional has been blamed crime, poverty, child mo­ copies ofsingle issues ofThe Freeman are $2.00. For foreign delivery, lestation, divorce, decadence, hedonism, a donation of$40.00 a year is suggested to cover mailing costs. Bound volumes ofThe Freeman are available from The Foundation violence, hate, racism, greed, and what for calendar years 1972 to date. The Freeman is available in microform from University Microfilms, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI48106. have you. Every scourge ofthe world is laid 2 PERSPECTIVE at the feet of individualism by these critics others''], the definitive formula ofhuman who are usually inspired by Marx, even morality, gives a direct sanction exclu­ when they only use this portion of his sively to our instincts ofbenevolence, the thinking (realizing that the rest has been common source of happiness and duty. shown to be a mistake). [Man must serve] Humanity, whose we Two can play at this game of smearing are entirely. views by isolated, misconceived example. Not that people who elevate the group Indeed, it is arguable that what troubles above the individual all advocate treating tribalism is far worse than any ofthe pitfalls individuals with no regard for their well­ of individualism. being, with no attention to their rights. But This all was brought home to me when I for them individual rights are subsidiary to heard about the vicious killing ofColombian the group's purposes. So if the group is all soccer star Andres Escobar, who had the worked up about winning soccer games, misfortune of accidentally scoring into his why should they not treat any individual own team's goal in the World Cup game badly who does not follow suit? Why spare against the team from the United States. that person? Three thugs gunned him down as he This may not be the fairest point to raise emerged from a club in Bogota, with one against those who advocate communitari­ gunman shouting "Goal, goal" as the shots anism, socialism, or other forms of were fired, or so it was reported. groupism orcollectivism. But these thinkers If the team is all, if the group is supreme, are far from fair when it comes to charac­ if the country or race or sex or ethnic terizing individualism and what may be collective is placed above everything else, expected from a society where individualist well then, perhaps, when someone bungles values are well respected. Fair or not, my big in a crucial game, even if only acciden­ criticism is not off the mark. The Colombian tally, off with his head. He needs to be hoods were not alien to the tribal way of liquidated, the team purified, not unlike the political and social thinking when they elim­ ethnic purification going on elsewhere on inated Mr. Escobar. Their social point of the globe where folks think that the group view could not tolerate the idea ofindividual reigns supreme over the individual. rights either. Who ever heard of individual rights in -TIBOR R. MACHAN such a situation? It is nonsense, is it not,just as the greatest collectivist thinkers through Dr. Machan teaches philosophy at Auburn the ages have claimed. One of these, Au­ University, Alabama. guste Comte, the father ofsociology and the thinker who coined the term "altruism," Freedom made the point this way: The degree offreedom possessed by those [The] social point of view ... cannot having the least power and influence is the tolerate the notion of rights, for such true measure of freedom in a nation. notion rests on individualism. We are The powerful, having a false sense of born under a load of obligations of every freedom through the exercise ofpower over kind, to our predecessors, to our succes­ others, can too easily and inadvertently give sors, to our contemporaries.