<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: 1) This book will allow you to successfully debate Socialism vs. Capitalism with your left leaning friends. Raw power - buy it. 2) The info in the book is worth far more than the purchase price.
Rating:
Summary: Point-by-claim critique of world Socialism
Review: A great historical and economic reference for any lover of liberty who wants to recognize and incisively refute all Facist, Communist, and other Socialist arguments of the modern left with impecable logic and mathematical precision. ...Surprise, they are the same old arguments of 1800's >>early 1900's, easily recognized after reading this book. Your television news will never again seem as credible or informative...give your BS detector a quantum leap! Over 500 pages of facts, history, philosophy, and many predictions that came true after it was written in 1922. A must for serious historians, economists, and political science professionals.
Rating:
Summary: A classic tour-de-force by an economics genius...
Review: A thorough analysis and brilliant refutation of socialism and the politics of redistribution. This book confront the many myths surrounding socialism that are stilled echoed today. It is so concise, straight-forward and covers all the bases in a simple, yet powerful text. Also, this book confronts all the so called "Third Way" positionists advocating social justice, a mixed economy, a corporatist state, fascism, syndicalism and other dubiously named contrivances that are essentially socialist forms of economic organization. Mises makes it clear that socialism, the so called economic system of the future, is anti-social and incompatible with human nature. As Mises declares, "Men must choose between capitalism and socialism," which is simply because, "If the the market is not allowed to steer the whole economic apparatus, the government must do it." There is no Third Way, how true! The debate lies between free-markets and socialism -and this book makes it clear socialism is illogical. This book might be helpful at deprogramming a quasi-socialist by exposing and refuting all the major myths. If you're getting a start on studying classical economics than get this book. The Law by Frederic Bastiat and Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt is also recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I want to thank all of the collectivists, central planners and socialists of both Left and Right affiliations for their low rankings and bad reviews of this book. If my entire worldview was shattered by a single book, I supposed I would be angry and irrational as well. Anyway, this is a great book to learn not only why central planning and regulation of markets fail, but the mentality behind those type of people. This book exposes the myth that National Socialism and Soviet Communism were somehow radically different, and not in reality just different sides of the same coin. I have had many arguments with Lefists on how different socialism is from National Socialism, but with this book I can show them the error of their ways. To sum up: If you are a market liberal, a fiscal conservative or libertarian, read this book and buy it for any central planning, anti-market advocates you know. If you are a collectivist or anti-market conserviative or liberal, please read this book and try to convince your fellows of the danger of their actions.
Rating:
Summary: Effective demolition of the arguments in favor of socialism
Review: In a well thought out work of considerable length (nearly 600 pages) Von Mises effectively demolishes the various arguments that have been made by the advocates of socialism. He approaches the problem of socialism from a number of different perspectives and provides very persuasive arguments concerning why socialism and its derivatives can only result in chaos. The underlying premise of Von Mises' work is that economic calculation is impossible under socialism, and the arguments that he advances on behalf of this proposition are in my view irrefutable. Overall, this is an excellent work by a very lucid, thorough, and perceptive thinker. My one complaint with the work - which was not enough to reduce it to below 5 stars - is that I found the manner of exposition sometimes more difficult than need be the case. Since this was not true with regard to "Liberalism" which was also authored by Von Mises, I can only conclude that this one deficiency may be attributable to the translation. However, if you are interested in reading Von Mises, I recommend that you read "Liberalism" (which is much shorter, easier to read, and a good introduction to Von Mises' thought), before reading "Socialism."
Rating:
Summary: A classic Text on socialism
Review: This English translation of von Mises classic study of the economic foundations of socialism has weathered the test of time well. Although originally published between WWI and II, the analysis of socialist economics presented therein are still relevant in the new millenium. Possibly one of the first scholarly texts dealing with the problems of socialism, the book deals with many leftist myths (myths that still appear in public debate today) in a timeless, thoughtful manner. The book is detailed and well though out and yet is very readable. I strongly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Epochal Work
Review: This work is an absolute masterpiece. Originally published in 1922, this work features von Mises at his best. He completely demolishes socialism from almost every angle concievable. He demonstrates that socialism cannot function rationally, period. The primary contribution that this work is cited for, is of course the proof of the theory that economic calculation is impossible under socialism. Building on this fact, as well as many other important insights, socialism is shown to be little more than a chimera with virtually no scientific backing whatsoever. Quite nearly every major form or variant of socialism is critiqued, from marxism to Christian socialism, and even syndicalism. In each case, the conclusion is the same, i.e. socialism destroys society and civilization and replaces it with slavery, chaos, and poverty. Indeed, Mises correctly identifies socialism as a fundamentally destructive, purely anti-social force. In sharp contrast to this is the capitalist form of society based upon the principles of (classical) liberalism. Throughout the work, Mises refutes widespread misconceptions, myths and anti-capitalist dogmas associated with the market economy. At all times it is made clear that it is only capitalism that can sustain and advance the needs of individuals and their civilization. The importance of this work is difficult to overestimate. It is without a doubt, one of the greatest works of the last century, if not of all time. Even now, after almost eight decades in print, his principles stand unrefuted, even as we continue to slip down the slope toward complete state slavery. The fact that the message of his work has not eliminated the evils that he exposed takes nothing away from his achievement. As long as there are a few individuals remaining in whom the spirit of liberty remains strong, this work will continue to shine as a profound monument to the intellectual potential of man, and the superiority of capitalism.
Rating:
Summary: American Democrat Party is Neo-Leninist
Review: What strikes you when you read "Socialism" all the way through is that every new generation must refute socialism or risk a violent Leftist revolution.
America's victory over the Soviet Union discredited socialism, but much of the Republican party did not do a good job teaching the public why socialism is such a failure.
What comes to light will be shocking to political newcomers: nazis and communists had much more in common than today's intelligentsia will allow.
Socialism laid a clear path for national socialism (nazi party) and international socialism (communist party).
It applies today in America, where the Democrat party has all but handed itself over to socialist assumptions and premises. Democrat apparatchiks will protest otherwise, but their actions say otherwise.
The Democrat party - the socialist party, that is - was for the most part against anti-communism. Like Gorbachev, the American Democrats never fully disavowed socialism, Marxism or Leninism.
The Republican party in America would be more aptly described as the liberal democrat party. Even they have become sheepish about refuting socialism.
The point of Mises is not that all socialists are evil. The point is (and was) to RATIONALLY resist the Zeitgeist temptation to hand political power to the state by handing them the means of production.
It is a powerful urge to blame "society" for all ills. Mises show how, through historical analysis, and political analysis, economic analysis HOW CIRCUMSCRIBING OUR SOCIETY INTO THE STATE APPARATUS LEADS TO TYRANNY.
To Mises, the fight that American conservatives are putting up against their liberal opposition would be familiar. For Mises was fighting the essentially the same fight in the 1920s.
This book is a classic warning to the liberal democracies. Rather than scare monger, Mises gives the reader a surgical, in-depth dissection of what socialists argue.
Mises also provides a history of socialist ideas so the reader can see how it led up to demagogues like Marx, Engel, Hitler, Mussolini and Mao.
There's a tendency among intellectuals to think that no Europeans were able to mount a well-argued, rational traditionalist protest to the nazis and communists.
In an amazing admission to the Liberty Fund edition, Hayek said that Mises work converted him from a socialist mindset.
Such conversions are a vital behavior pattern since Mises. Socialism is cult-like. Many have had to be de-programmed from its malignant thought processes.
<< 1 >>
|
