Tom Woods, the same New York Times best selling author that gave us “Meltdown” which explained the current financial crisis, the “Politically Incorrect Guide to American History” , “Who Killed the Constitution” and others has a new book out. He talks a little bit about the book in this video clip and criticizes the government is our savior and all that is holy mythology we are all taught in the 6th grade.What the book is about in Tom’s own words:
The book does two things. First, it lays bare the true fiscal position of the U.S. government, and shows why some kind of default is not merely possible but inevitable. But this is not a book full of numbers about the impending collapse. The collapse is merely the jumping-off point. By far the more central part of the book is this: the critical first step for reversing this mess and checking the seemingly unstoppable federal advance is to stick a dagger through the heart of the myths by which government has secured the confidence and consent of the people.
We know these myths by heart. Government acts on behalf of the public good. It keeps us safe. It protects us against monopolies. It provides indispensable services we could not provide for ourselves. Without it, America would be populated by illiterates, half of us would be dead from quack medicine or exploding consumer products, and the other half would lead a feudal existence under the iron fist of private firms that worked them to the bone for a dollar a week.
and some of the topics covered:
Could we survive without the welfare state?Was the Industrial Revolution a disaster for workers, and evidence of the wickedness of the free market?The market vs. global povertyHow the market, in spite (not because) of government, leads to higher living standards for everyoneHow the market leads to improved working conditions and does away with child laborFederal education programs: a critiqueDoesn’t Sweden prove a large welfare state is compatible with lasting prosperity?If government shrinks, won’t big business fill the void and oppress the public via predatory pricing?Why it’s impossible to design a wealth redistribution program that does not cause net harmThe truth about “affordable housing” programsIceland and the financial crisis: a case study of free markets run amok?California energy “deregulation” – proof that free markets don’t work?The real record of Sarbanes-OxleyOSHA and workplace safetyThe FDADon’t we need to make an exception for government science funding?A primer on the War on DrugsObamacare: the problems and the solutionWhy “stimulus” programs make things worseAre some firms “too big to fail”?Did the “repeal” of Glass-Steagall contribute to the financial crisis?The real story of “deregulation” and the financial crisisThe Pentagon’s impact on the U.S. economyHas the Federal Reserve really made the U.S. economy more stable, as so many proponents try to claim?What caused the bank panics of the nineteenth century? Are they evidence of the need for a central bank?The separation of money and stateDo we need the Fed to protect us from deflation?Regulation as an anti-competitive device
The book goes a long way to dispelling a lot of myths and conventional wisdom about the role of government, government and quasi-government agencies and easing a lot of distrust and fear about the free market.
So, help keep your local Borders or Barnes & Noble in business by grabbing a copy or snatch one from Amazon.com.
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