Hello all,
i am new to the forum and a relatively recent convert to the Austrian tradition. I must say it is refreshing to find a body of political and economic thought that most nearly codifies things that I have always felt and suspected to be truth. Limited government, sound money, liberty and property. My intention is to increase my understanding as it is nearly useless to hold an opinion and yet be unable to back it up with sound logic.
It was not too long ago that I took the example of King Solomon and prayed to the Lord for wisdom. It seems that such prayers are readily answered as I soon found myself drawn back to Lew Rockwell’s site and thus to the Mises Institute. Although I had discovered them years earlier, they have a renewed attraction to me now. My reading list now includes Hazlitt’s ‘Economics in One Lesson’, Hayek’s ‘The Road to Serfdom’, Rothbard’s ‘The Case for a 100% Gold Dollar’ and ‘Man, Economy and State with Power and Market’ (this one’s a struggle for a bear of very little brain). I have also included to entire Ron Paul collection to my library. I do not recall my college economics courses touching on the same basics as I am finally getting here. It is very refreshing.
I now have an appreciation for what Neo experienced upon taking Morpheus’ red pill. The wonder of discovering the truth behind our revisionist history and the disgust for what it reveals with respect to the interventions and encroachments of government, the Federal Reserve and their corruption of the Peoples money, and the general cluelessness of the vast majority of the American public to their increasing enslavement.
For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Ecclesiastes 1:18
I am looking forward to reading and interacting here.
Andy Wessel
Welcome to the inside.
I recently bought Tom Woods “Meltdown” for my wife.. to get her to read in plain english all that I’ve been preaching to the rest of my family on the phone. I flicked through it and I believe it would be a great intro to the Austrian Econ way of thinking. Tom Woods did an interview on Financial Sense this weekend and I think it would be very informative to a newbie.
Also, Hazlitts “What you should know about Inflation” is also a great short read on letting you fundamentially understand inflation and the different political and Keynesian approach to it. A great short read when ramping up to understand Austrian Econ.
When you get a few books under your belt I recommend Rothbard’s “America’s Great Depression”. It is an excellent book that expains the financial and government intervention in the economy and why it was so destructive. It will amaze you the parallels between that time and today.
There’s enough good books to keep you interested for many years. The more I read the more books I buy. It seems for every one book I read I buy two or three more. It’s a little overwhelming.
Go to the Media section of the website and download the lecture MP3’s. Put them on your music player or burn them on CD’s. Listen to them on your way to work.
oh yea, don’t forget Rothbard’s “The Case Against the Fed”. This is a classic that will let you understand the Federal Reserve and just how twisted our banking system really is. Very important read. You can get most all these books I’ve mentioned free from this site (except for Wood’s).
If you’re interested in non-whig history you’d probably enjoy unqualified reservations greatly.
http://moldbuggery.blogspot.com/
What are of economics interests you most?
Thank you all for the welcome and the reading/media suggestions. I appreciate it very much. Self guided study has certain limits so its nice to get other perspectives. Being rather isolated in a rural area leaves me few opportunities to learn from people of an intellectual Libertarian backing. There are plenty of media brainwashed conservatives who, like myself not long ago, know there is something wrong in this country, but are looking in the wrong places. Many of them think that Libertarianism is just a bunch of dope smokers looking to decriminalize their pasttime. My father sometimes introduces me as the resident anarchist, not really understanding the term or its proper usage. He is thoroughly ‘Hannitized’ and pro warfare state. I am attempting to heal him, though he is rather set in his ways.
I am interested in economics in general but presently have a leaning towards monetary policy. It would seem that most of the contemporary issues we struggle with today are actually traceable to the fiat money system, and the special interests that promote it. Thus the old axiom of “follow the money” which I now understand as never before. I always questioned paper as currency, but with the understanding of fractional reserve banking I see now why I was right to be suspicious. As a grain producer, I am all too well acquainted with the interventions of government, and chafe under their regulations more and more every year. Many in my field have lined up for subsidies over the years (my parents had to as well to please their lender) not realizing the price they would ultimately pay for short term gain. I can forsee, at this point, a day when I will be forced to conclude that it is simply not worth being productive any longer. This is a shame really, if our nation continues on this path my children will not have the opportunity that generations of my family passed to me.
Don’t forget to get the study guide for Man, Economy, and State. [;)]