Recently, my wife and I celebrated the birth of our fifth child in twelve years. Over that stretch of time, we have seen hospitals adapt to the wants of the consumer: future mothers and fathers. Some of the changes we have witnessed have been subtle, mere nuances, while other changes have been quite dramatic. Together, these changes lead me to two
Before the renewed discussions and debates over socialized healthcare begin in earnest, I want to make my preference known to all: I desire low-quality healthcare. All right, to be straightforward, I do not actually desire low-quality healthcare; I simply do not desire high-quality healthcare — at least not “high-quality healthcare” as defined by
[Originally published May 19, 2010.] There is something to Trotsky’s vision of man under communism. From all historical appearances, man under a totalitarian state functions differently than a man under liberty. And degrees of man exist as society slowly turns from liberty to slavery. The prevailing view is that man under socialized healthcare
Some 27 years ago, I spent two weeks in Yugoslavia, the supposed workers’ paradise cobbled together by the strong arm of Marshal Tito. And, if my memory serves, the country was an overflowing candy store — a middle schooler’s sweet-toothed delight. Socialism as a candy store? Sure. But you have to consider the question and its answer in context.
Citizens in this great land were once able to enjoy a cigar or a cigarette at restaurants and bars. Over the years, however, most state governments have succumbed to anti-tobacco groups and have infringed upon the right of private establishments to determine for themselves their smoking policy. Many non-smokers are content with these laws. They
NOTE: The Mises Institute neither buys nor sells kidney, nor any other bodily organ, nor are we prepared to receive bodily organs as in-kind gifts. On April 18, the Fox News Channel reported that the federal government, led by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, is trying to rally support for organ donations. Even celebrities are supportive of this
A news story I read recently is truly a keeper. A regional government in Russia has officially given couples time off from work to procreate. Not only that, they get a valuable prize if the baby is born on June 12. Dave Barry should have a field day with this one. It is a keeper, however, not only for its entertainment value, but also because it
The Washington Post Sunday, March 28, 1999; Page B02 Hard to Swallow:The Scandal in the School Lunch Program Isn’t About Pizza At first glance, the facts seem to tell the story: Last week, the principal of Alice Deal Junior High School in Northwest Washington was placed on administrative leave with pay for the unauthorized selling of pizzas to his
On November 1, 1999, at the age of 45, Chicago Bears football great Walter Payton died while waiting for a new liver to replace the one in his body that had been ravaged by a rare disease. Living in Chicago, I saw many people grieve and express sorrow for the fallen hero, who was truly one of the most stand-up athletes in professional sports. As
The Medical Crisis and the Need for Radical Procapitalist Reform The Right to Medical Care and the Causes of the Medical Crisis The potential for a limitless rise in the price of medical services The potential for a practically limitless increase in the quantity of medical care demanded Irrational medical malpractice awards Perverting
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.