The Conquest of Poverty
Long before Charles Murray took on the topic, Henry Hazlitt wrote an outstanding book on poverty that not only provided an empirical examination of the problem but also presented a rigorous theory for understanding the relationship between poverty and income growth. In The Conquest of Poverty (free PDF as well as print on demand), he examines poverty in the ancient world, the poor laws of England, the advance of the middle class in the United States, the failure of welfare programs, the fallacies associated with income redistribution, and the relationship between population and poverty. Its 20 chapters are outstanding essays that make for a well-integrated text on the topic, one which holds up as prophetic in every way, having foreshadowing welfare reform but also pointing the way toward even more radical reforms. The way out of poverty, he explains, is freedom, and freedom alone. 240 pages plus index.
Comments (5)
nicholas gray
I've always thought that the War on Poverty would go on until the last poor person was killed! Do you mean there's another way? Shame on you for suggesting that the Gov'mint could have got it wrong! I'm sure that the war on Poverty, like the War on Drugs, will end with complete success! I just hope that we're the winning side!
Published: February 26, 2007 10:07 PM
Niels van der Linden
He asks the right question on page 207 'The Paradox of Relief', but he utterly fails to answer the question and ends up justifying institutionalized violence and theft, and monopolization of security and arbitration.
No, this guy is not arguing for freedom at all.
Published: February 27, 2007 10:33 AM
Scott D
Henry Hazlitt was definitely a miniarchist who advocated a very limited role of government (police and defense, primarily). I think that you are underestimating how much he is troubled by the prospect of wealth redistribution. Toward the end of the chapter:
"But this takes us back once more to the conclusion that the real solution to the problem of poverty does not lie in any government relief system, in any "welfare program," in any scheme to redistribute wealth or income. It lies in increased production."
Published: February 27, 2007 10:58 AM
Niels van der Linden
The real solution to a problem such as poverty lies in ending (the support of) (institutionalized) violence and theft.
I think this book missed the point, that I see being made on Mises and Lewrockwell a lot: they do not point out the people benefitting from the violence. Do not argue whether or not government should or should not do this. First of all they shouldn't even have the possibility to do anything, because they should never steal and monopolize in the first place. And second: the people in power, making the decisions are ALWAYS making them based on their own personal incentives and goals. And I think Thomas Dilorenzo does this very well. In the antitrust and monopoly issues, he very well points out that the people involved in the legislation are always the ones benefitting, in a mutual relationship with the created cartels.
But the same thing applies to war, arbitration, education and everything.
Published: February 27, 2007 11:36 AM
cs
Good article :D
I think that i will buy this book :D
Published: June 22, 2007 9:53 AM