A change in a society’s ideas is the first step to a change in political practice. Such a change gave rise to the antislavery movement that ended, in a little over a century, a labor system that had been ubiquitous for a thousand years. FULL ARTICLE by Edward Stringham and Jeffrey Rogers Hummel
Source link: http://blog.mises.org/13854/first-ideological-change-second-social-change/
First, Ideological Change; Second, Social Change
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“Perhaps one of the most stunning historical changes to result from an underlying ideological change in people’s preferences was the abolition of chattel slavery. Slavery had been a source of forced labor since the dawn of civilization. People had owned slaves on every continent and for every conceivable task. Slavery, along with such other forms of unfree or quasifree labor as serfdom, debt bondage, involuntary apprenticeship, and indentured servitude, was the unenviable status of most humans prior to the Industrial Revolution.”
Actually it was governmental action that stopped slavery, as each government on earth passed laws prohibiting it.
If this is ever seen as being an unwarranted intrusion on the operations of a true “free market” (which, of course, it is) we can once again return to a culture where slavery is not only permitted but encouraged, as there will no longer be restrictive laws against it.
Let’s hope for our early release from Statism, so we can once again freely buy and sell slaves!
Michael,
You are getting more more tedious to read. Your analysis of Capitalism and Socialism is bordering on hysteria.
So now we are supposed to believe that capitalism was the reason for slavery and socialism is the savior of the world.
Have you looked around the world today and seen what statists are still doing to the people in their countries? North Korea, China, Russia, Cuba and all the other human rights freedom fighters.
If you believe your comments above you are a fool. You were somewhat funny and amusing for a while. Now you are just a boring idiot.
Um, a “free market” is a market of voluntary exchanges. Sure, the people trading slaves might be engaged in a voluntary exchange, but the person being traded obviously isn’t a voluntary participant. Thus, while a market in slavery can and did work, you have to have a huge blind spot to ignore the involuntariness of the slave trade.
The fact remains that it was only the power of government that was able to put a stop to this scourge.
Michael can always be counted on to faithfully regurgitate the State’s propaganda.
The history and economic reality, of course, the exact opposite. The truth is that the State actively subsidized slavery, through the protection of it through the court system, through Constitutional sanction, through military protection provided to slave merchants, and the fugitive slave laws, which foisted the high costs of keeping people restrained onto non-slave owners, making everyone pay the cost of catching and returning runaways.
The US government could have ended slavery by merely ending its active sponsorship of slavery. That’s how Brazil ended slavery, for example.
That is exactly how the US government ended slavery too.
“…is it inconceivable that the far more sensible views of libertarianism might someday become widely accepted?” Certainly, but to become competitive requires clarity, marketing, and application.
RE: “In light of all the varied and bizarre beliefs, usually incorrect and often pernicious, that have informed human communities throughout the past, is it inconceivable that the far more sensible views of libertarianism might someday become widely accepted?”
The authors of the article apparently believe that modern libertarianism is relatively free of major incorrect and pernicious beliefs. I believe that this belief is unfortunately incorrect because modern libertarianism which is so bold on some issues often draws back or has practiced evasion or responded with childish displays of hostility when challenged on other key issues. The political ideology of the founding of the USA was tied by the founders explicitly to religion. The abolitionist’s political and religious ideology that eventually brought slavery to a close was a result of a growing belief and debate primarily among Christians in Christian societies that the cruelty inherent in slavery was shameful and unworthy of a free and just society on religious and to a lesser degree secular grounds. This ideology eventually spread to the rest of the Christian and then non-Christian world. The ideological change(s) was not first – but second to an excruciatingly slow and gradual religious/moral change in the hearts of men that was eventually reflected in political ideologies and eventually the policies of nations. Modern libertarianism has tragically rejected the old belief that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men…” – Rejecting this idea, which has clearly been a blessing to man, without intelligently considering the arguments of many classical liberals, founding fathers, and other statesmen that believed that this truth cannot be rejected without imperiling the cause of liberty. They rejected this idea not by disproving it or even seriously endeavoring to do so but primarily by a combination of determined academic disdain and/or by petty ridicule. This article discusses the founding of the USA and the demise of slavery referencing only ideology but quietly passing over religion – Something that no honest historian or political economist should do. The Russian and eastern European peoples escaped communism but seem likely to charge into the arms of variations of “euro-style” socialism, and/or kleptocracy and/or a return to military adventurism. Ghandi and India escaped the imperialism of the British Empire only to quickly become entangled in socialism from which they are only partially escaping in modern times. I fear that as secularism has swept the western world and our various competing political economic and academic philosophies: liberalism, libertarianism and even now conservatism – that the only true and stable foundation for liberty is being destroyed by those who foolishly believe that liberty can be established and/or maintained for long while rejecting the Creator, and the truth that He has endowed us with an inalienable right to LIFE, LIBERTY, And the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
In light of all the varied and bizarre beliefs, usually incorrect and often pernicious, that have informed human communities throughout the past, is it inconceivable that the truth, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men – might once again become widely accepted?”
Thank you Kenneth Matthews for emphasizing the moral and philosophical beliefs of our founders. Libertarians have yet to clarify the moral and philosophical supports for their worthwhile beliefs on liberty. (Surely, the great economist Ludwig von Mises has never done so.)
Hmmmm. Here on the West coast we have lost all communication. True there are many, many with (DNA)cell phones blathering away talking, but to be able to exchange thoughts and ideas our language/symbols, letters together to form a word. In the present primary political alphabet, the language of our reality, which is past & parcel what we are–our programing. These symbols are also inherent in the collective human consciousness. The consciousness we all share with agreed upon meanings, power and influence. The word ‘democracy’ is not in the Dec. of Independence, Constitution or the Bill of Rights – as our Founding Fathers knew it was the worst form of government. govern -Latin for control, mente – Latin for mind. No one is more hopelessly enslaved than the person who falsely BELIEVES he is free. Our language is messed (F—-) with constantly. We (baby booms) have more to unlearn than any other generation. The United States, as you are referring, I can comprehend. However, the United States isn’t a land mass its a corporation. Corpse – 13c -dead Roman military. The 300 years of the Inquisitions, 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, while the Christian Romans were raping, plundering and burning at the stakes, the English turned the Latin language a 180. If I say apocolypse and you think hell & damnation. We aren’t communicating. Apocolypse is a covering, perhaps of a book – of KNOWLEDGE. And the truth shall be known. WWI -shell shocked, WWII -battle fatigue. Korean War -operational exhaustion (something that might happen to a car), Vietnam -post-traumatic stress disorder -completely sterile and non-human, Gulf War -syndrome. The soldiers who went to the infant ry to give up their civil rights and become fodder of the World Management Team, went from 2 syllables (shell shocked), to 4 to 8 to 8 +hyphen. There are no accidents. You guys WAKE UP. We’re doing just as we’ve been programmed to do – discussing irrelevant things that we have no control over. Globally – stop the plastic that’s destroying oceans worldwide. Federal reserve – don’t care. There isn’t any money – money 13 c. Value – 13 c. Don’t use the word value when you mean worth. Law – bef. 12 c (these are the words to use for communication -prior to the crown/vatican ententies) law – implies morality (not tangible). A binding custom or practice of a community. A rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding. Legal -adj. 14c–a statement of an order that SO FAR AS IS KNOWN is invariable under given conditions -written, words on paper (tangible). We can’t drink the word ‘water’. Our unalienable birth rights –un a lien able. Its impossible for us to be in debt. Do you see any other species in debt? Just a dog and pony show courtroom venue with the transvestite (dress wearing) judge who enters to TRANSFER WEALTH – yes, that’s the only oath he’s taken. To pay the ficticious interest on the ficticious debt -and fill the prisons. There are more than half of the states applying/doing/words on paper -state nullification. Five states have on their ballots to coin their own money. Correction of above, there is money – just no value, we pretend. Louisiana and California’s constitutions are (were, Louisiana’s parish of Orleans hung in there until last year) different than the other states. California’s is second largest in the world – thanks judicial council! I don’t waste energy of thought about feds. or united states-the ten square miles on the East coast where the feds. have jurisdiction. The furthest to be concerned with, to have any input about, is the county you live in. The word ‘county’ negative vibe-Parish would be much better. The real meaning of the word Parish (no, nothing to do with religion). People are sovereign, not states or nations. Sovereignty is something you embrace and KNOW or you don’t. There are no borders, countries, terrorists, us,, them, you me. Our present reality, our language, has us caught in the ‘belief’ of separation. We’ve got to get on the same page. The only reason we’re here is to take one another’s hand and get thru this transition. We’re at a cross-roads, as was Jefferson and Monroe. Its taken us 200+ years to lose the revolution. It starts with self, of course. One can’t put out their hand until we know who we are. And its nothing to do with profit motive economy – those are just marketplace terminologies. In the time it takes to count to four a child dies of starvation. Suicide is reaching epidemic proportion. We can’t be on ‘stand-by’. This isn’t a test. The freakin navy is about to do ‘testing’ on California’s coast from Mendocino up. Annihilation. I live in Humboldt – the trees – well, there’s not enough of the majestic ones left for survival. Photon Band – going to be HOT and we’ve turned the Earth into a vast fertilizer pit. A desert. We are so very much more than five-sense reality. Science science – gave us what? Only matter matters, its in the genes (pre-disposed crap word), evolution is random, and only the strong survive. ALL disproved last year. The ‘theory’ about ‘the speed of light’ also not solid. Without justice, there’s just us.What we are looking/searching for is each other. Decide what is essential and non-essential-for your personal welfare. Many many peoples around the globe do not use ‘transparent, transparent, transparent, money. It’s evil (live spelled backwards). Why should we have anything trading between us. We are real. When contracts are written they become less, as opposed to a shake of the hands, verbal agreement, a meeting of the minds. Ithica and three or so communities in Canada trade hours. Also, virture has always had worth – worldwide. There isn’t a group to join or point the finger – just transcend NOW. There’s many of us waiting for the rest of us to wake up. Snap out of your hypnotic state. Don’t be swallowing petrochemical pharmeceutical poison pills prescribed by a person who paid a tax called license to ‘practicce’ medicine (13 c) not health. You can make it longer without vitamins than you can without minerals. Seventeen or so minerals are recognized, when there’s seventy some. We are surviving on big big lies. What do you, anyone reading this, ‘believe’ is the bigggest lie ever sold? No, not that the 14,700 and some wars of the last 5,000 some years were pre-planned, not about JFK “to the left”, no, not about federal (not) reserve (impossible just via simple arithemetic) notes (can be written on t.p.), no, not that vaccines are necessary (the only good vaccine is no vaccine), no, not the faked moon landing – keep guessing. OK – I’m done blathering – its about knowledge to wisdom (action) which includes chaos/opportunity, hinging right there is Liberty Tell me that you guys don’t pledge your alligience to a red/white/blue probably fringed flag. The color red vibrates/frequency of ‘will’. The color blue at ‘desire’ White is the abscence of – ‘will’ and ‘desire’. Think! Time is not linear. There isn’t nothing new under the sun. We make our own reality, free will choice 24/7. The future is a memory still potent enough to impulse behavior now. That memory if we choose to ignore, will come around again – stronger. That’s what we’re dealing with. There are no ‘words on paper’ that say we have to pay income tax – “Show me the law” – it ain’t there. SS tax – FICA Fed.Insurance CONTRIBUTION (voluntary) tax. At least 6 supreme court opinions on this. The messengers have spoke, many lives destroyed, three physicians that I know of have been de-moted, stripped and ridiculed for daring to go public and tell the truth about health and how our bodies function. Not mechanically. OK I’m really done. Don’t use words ending in ‘ship’ – bad juju. Uh-oh, no spell-check.
Ideological Change Based Upon Economic Truth.
It is true that the ideological change that took place to abolish slavery is a good example of how an age-old system came to a halt in a relatively short period of time. And there are other examples, some of which are also included in the article, that demonstrate that there is no reason for anyone to think that humankind is locked into its current paradigm.
What is that paradigm? I suggest that it can be called the Dark Ages of economic science.
What is the form of ‘slavery’ that will be abolished? It is the disruption and corruption of the economic life of people caused by the ego-driven interventionists.
What will be the change of heart and mind that will lead to this change in ideology? Recognizing that there is no moral authority for any economic intervention. People will know that all economic intervention is a corruption of the divine economy.
1) In other words, think first and do it later. How can one disagree, especially in difficult situations.
2) Can science and religion coexist peacefully? This is a good question to start an interesting discussion among ideologically inclined scientists, theologians and sociologists. See how this question was answered by many smart people at my website:
http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/life/donotmix.html
Please forward this message to those who might be interested. Thank you in advance.
Ludwik Kowalski (see wikipedia)
Professor Emeritus
Montclair State University, NJ
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