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Mises Economics Blog

Truth Needs Champions

March 5, 2007 6:31 AM by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. | Other posts by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. | Comments (7)

[From a speech at Grove City College]

There is a reason we are born when we are. Everyone in this room dropped into this long trajectory we call time for a precise purpose. You were all given talents, unique talents. You have all been called to use those talents for something. For what? For doing right, promoting good, keeping evil at bay, advancing the well-being of society. To the extent that we enjoy prosperity and peace today it is because those who came before us did what they were supposed to do on our behalf. Today, it is our turn, and we must bear the burden. Freedom is a rarity in the history of the world, and it comes about only when it has champions. FULL ARTICLE

Comments (7)

  • O.H.

  • Fantastic. Inspiring. Looking forward to Mises' Biography!

    The Institution has my utmost respect and admiration.

  • Published: March 5, 2007 11:49 AM

  • Yancey Ward

  • That teeshirt reminds me of many marxist ones I have seen over the years. Indeed, I thought that was a picure of Lenin rather than Mises.

  • Published: March 5, 2007 12:11 PM

  • dunbrokin

  • Excellent piece, provocative and inspiring.....

    But one thing has always bothered me...why has nobody bought an island or part of country from some dictator somewhere and set up our own colony/country goverened by libertatian rules and priciples? Surely that is an obvious step?

  • Published: March 5, 2007 2:57 PM

  • Kevin B

  • dunbrokin,

    I wouldn't be surprised if this hasn't been tried at some small level, but I believe it would be quite expensive to set up such a project to be profitable. In fact, acquiring the (billions of?) dollars may be easier than ensuring that they are put to the most effective use.

  • Published: March 5, 2007 3:16 PM

  • Jacob Steelman

  • Great article. As to the comments about a libertarian country - it was tried during the 1970s. It was called Minerva an island in the South Pacific. It was claimed and then invaded by Tonga with the support of the UN.

    The print-on-demand project is great.

  • Published: March 5, 2007 3:31 PM

  • dunbrokin

  • Kevin B,

    it does not need to profitable....the businesses will make a profit as will the people. Surely having to pay no or limited tax and little regualtion would lead to a profit boom.

    There are plenty of us who are libertarian who could affort to contribute to this cause or would go and live in the place to help make it work.

    If we cannot come up with a sensible test tube then we will forever be classed as Utopians.

  • Published: March 5, 2007 6:58 PM

  • Ike Hall

  • Lew,

    Thanks as always for your insight and your hard work. It is easy to despair as a libertarian when one sees nothing but State aggression and aggrandisement, but we do have to remember that if it were not for the eternal ideas of liberty, we would have lost everything a long time ago.

    You are right, there will never be another Mises, just as there will never be another Rothbard. Both men's scholarship was just too vast, and even if there are people alive today who could do what they did, they may not have ended up as economists through whatever accidents of history. "Shooting stars" is an accurate description.

    But thanks to them, and the Mises Institute, mini-Mises and mini-Rothbards have sprung up all over the globe, each concentrating on a different aspect of their respective legacies.

  • Published: March 6, 2007 10:36 AM

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