Who Is Garet Garrett?
If Garet Garrett (1878–1954) is known at all today, it is by those who are captivated by the handful of intellectuals after World War II who wrote retrospectively in opposition to the New Deal planning state and the regimentation of national life it brought about. They were a rare breed, but there is much more to Garrett than people know.
He was a great novelist as well, who treated commercial life as a center of fantastic heroism and creativity. His opposition to the New Deal was not merely reflexive but born of his love and understanding of liberty.
Indeed, Garrett he is a case study in a forgotten genius. He should rank among the master novelists and politico-economist journalists of the last century. Ludwig von Mises recognized this: "His keen penetration and his forceful direct language are...unsurpassed by any author." FULL ARTICLE
Comments (8)
You know what might be a neat idea: If the Mises Institute came up with a "Garet Garrett Prize for Literature" to award authors whose fiction advanced the ideas of individual liberty and laissez-faire capitalism. Just a thought.
Published: October 25, 2007 12:04 PM
That's an excellent idea, Bob. Austrian econ needs to get out of the ivory tower and into the marketplace. Another idea might be to finance the production of feature motion pictures based on Garrett's novels.
The majority of Americans, especially the socialist leaning ones, go to TV, movies and radio to here new ideas discussed. Austrian econ needs to be there.
Published: October 25, 2007 12:25 PM
Jeff Tucker,
Great, great article. I was already sold on Garrett. But I now have to move him up on my buying list. Amazing what LvMI has come to in the internet age. Keep it up!
Published: October 25, 2007 12:42 PM
Last night I watched a 1994 movie Legends of the Fall, based on a 1979 book of the same title by Jim Harrison. It was set in the period 1914-1921 in Montana and starred Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt.
To my surprise, it was virulently anti-statist throughout - eloquently so. It did contain one scene (serving an Indian in a bar) that was totally anti-private-property, but I am now researching Jim Harrison, who today at 70 is still writing. I hope the bar scene was pasted-in Hollywood morality - I'll soon have the book to check.
Has anyone else heard of this guy and his writings?
Published: October 25, 2007 2:08 PM
I agree about the movies. It seems so many people today have not the patience to read a book of any substance. Even better would be to get some cartoon series or comic books going on this kind of stuff. The environmentalists understood that getting to the kids was paramount.
I think it would be cool if some kind of curriculum was put together covering principles of Austrian economics for the Jr. High or High School level. After all, most of the basic stuff is not beyond the grasp of kids.
I run a motorcycling forum with over 5000 members. Our off-topic section is pretty active. Myself and a few others regularly present the case for Austrian economics and free markets. The level of outright hostility to such ideas is amazing. It is very difficult to get adults to actually consider the arguments and think them through as opposed to simply reacting to them emotionally.
Published: October 25, 2007 2:19 PM
"You know what might be a neat idea: If the Mises Institute came up with a "Garet Garrett Prize for Literature" to award authors whose fiction advanced the ideas of individual liberty and laissez-faire capitalism. Just a thought."
I agree.
Although...there is already a price for best libertarian science fiction novel, called the Prometheus Award, given by the Libertarian Futurist Society (www.lfs.org).
A general prize for libertarian fiction would be great.
Published: October 25, 2007 8:09 PM
I saw this on ebay...
http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Great-Depression-and-New-Deal-Monetary-Policy:-Two_W0QQitemZ160173215571QQcmdZViewItem
The Great Depression and New Deal Monetary Policy
Author: Garet Garrett
Category: --
Publisher: Cato Inst
ISBN-10: 0932790194
ISBN-13: 9780932790194
Condition: New
Format: Softcover
Publication Year: 1980
Special Attributes: --
Has anyone heard of this?
Published: October 28, 2007 11:47 PM
Patrick, this is an essay from The Bubble that Broke the World.
Published: October 29, 2007 8:02 AM