My major critique of Ludwig Von Mises.

Miscellaneous General
1

I don’t know about all of his works so I’m just going to criticize his one work- Omnipresent State and Total War. I didn’t understand all of it. But I don’t think Ludwig Von Mises really understands what people say when they accuse WWII of being an imperial war. I think he even one time defended the British empire in his book saying tha they brought the ideas of free market with them where they went (although this can undoubtedly be proved false most likely). Ludwig Von Mises also defends creditor nations who make bad loans to debtor nations in the book. He also defends the treaty of versailles. In my opinion Germany shouldn’t have had complete blame for the war. Everyone was at fault for the war. Yet he just calls it propaganda. He also proposes a solution for the world if they can’t go to the free market. He proposes his own new world order at the end of the book. He also says Hitler was a bad economist. I don’t think so. He just wanted total control. I think Ludwig’s view of the world was a bit slanted because he only looked at the things from an economic perspective… and yet he couldn’t in my view see what the real wrong was with the time, or, with WWII, he did talk much about the German myths, but, he never really delved into the anti-semitism aspect of it… or talk much about how WWI caused WWII.

That is my major criticism of Ludwig Von Mises from that work I’ve read. What are your thoughts?

2

I think the text you are referring to is Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War. It’s mainly a text dealing with the coming to power of the Nazi and Fascist Parties in Europe. I too have issues with it (particulary how Mises downplays the dangers of chauvinism, which are sadly returning) but it’s a nice little book in the end. It’s not Human Action or Socialism but a million times better than the Socialist garbage crowding our libraries and book stores.

Also bear in mind that back in the time the idea that FDR was just waiting for the right opportunity to jump into the fray, metaphorically speaking of course, was absolutely unconcievable.