Review of four Libertarian Books

A)Friedrich August von Hayek – The Road to Serfdom

70 years we lived in ignorance. We were forced to believe that Communists were only good creatures. Fascism was not a capitalist reaction against socialism, rather than was almost the same regime. Hayek’s ability to distinguish power held by privates and held by government is very clear. Millionaire employer has very much less power over employee than smallest bureaucrat possesses. The latter uses coercive power of state to direct how citizens are allowed to live and work. The generations who lived under Socialism forgot the meaning of private property as most important guarantee of freedom. When all means of production is in one person’s hand, it means that dictator has complete power over others. “… in a country where the sole employer is the state, opposition means death by slow starvation.” “Why the Worst Get On Top” was crucial for my understanding the methods of coming into power. Numerous groups that form masses in democratic system are source of power. Knowledge and moral standard problems in society is comprehensively explained by Hayek. Since the group is not very large, leaders seek for gullible supporters who are ready to accept ready-made systems of values and people tend to agree on negative programs, on hatred and envy.

When we, general people are complaining that the worst people of our society are conducting our lives, we should realize that it’s our mistake.

B) Milton Friedman “Capitalism and Freedom”

This book had influenced my philosophy in some aspects. We must see economic freedom as precondition for political freedom. Promoting economic freedom as vital mean for political freedom is most important. Governments tend to increase their expenditures in different ways. On the example of federal government he argues that government expenditure make the economy less and not stable. Friedman emphasizes of the government’s role in society: government of liberal society should enforce law and order and property rights Friedman’s only true solution to the balance of trades problems: advocates floating exchange rate system and the end of currency controls, trade barriers. Perfect government would be liberal, limited and dispersed governmental power.
Despite that everyone, in a democratic country needs a basic education for citizenship, it is foolish government to provide free technical education. Though there is underinvestment in human capital.
Right-to-work law should be abolished. Employers and Employees ought to have opportunity to negotiate and decide what kind of qualification they need. “Social Responsibility that corporations should care about communities and not about profit, it’s unacceptable for capitalism and inevitably leads towards totalitarianism”. Even well-intentioned, many social welfare measures do not help the poor as much as some think.

B) Frederic Bastiat “The Law”

Bastiat’s “The Law” is the book every individual should read. Problems described by Bastiat are universal and timeless, but actually not taken into consideration.
Life is gift from god. Each person has natural right to protect its life, freedom and private property. The law should be manifestation of natural order: it is fair if it protects everybody’s life, freedom and private property and is unfair if it protects one group of people over others. States are made up by people to protect them. Its existence is justified if only this institute implements this right. But the law has perverted. It has converted plunder into right. Law punishes illegal plunder, but creates and defends legal plunder. Infinite number of organizing legal plunder: tariffs, taxation, public schools, subsidies, guaranteed jobs etc. Socialism is legal plunder. If the law does take from one person and gives to another person it is just an instrument of plunder. Protectionism, socialism, and communism are basically the same plant in three different stages of its growth. The law can permit teaching-and-learning transaction to operate freely or it can force humans by taking from some of them enough to pay government appointed teachers to instruct other, without charge. This latter argument is written in such manner that everybody can understand.
Liberty is freedom of every person to make full use of his faculties, so long as he does not harm other persons while doing so.

D) David Boaz, Libertarianism, A Primer

“Libertarianism” discusses number of issues. Many rights are not necessary. In libertarianism we have one fundamental human right: “… to live your life as you choose so long as you don't infringe on the equal rights of other.” Humans like interacting with each other, and profit form interaction – but apart from this humans think and act individually. Each individual owns herself or himself.
Very interesting passage was when author discusses a right to equality of results or outcomes. When we are talking about equality of income than why we are not to speaking about equality of hair, beauty and so on. True equality of results is logically impossible in a diverse world.
Basic unit of social analysis is the individual. Individuals are the source of creativity, activity and society. Most important, individuals can take responsibility for their actions.
Libertarianism treats everybody like adults, letting them make their own decisions even when they make mistakes, trusting them to find the best solution for their own life.
The role of government is only to protect people’s right. Civil society may be broadly defined as all the natural and voluntary association in society. I agree that real distinction is between associations that are coercive (the state) and those that are natural and voluntary (everything else). And interaction between humans is the basic way to satisfy our needs.