From time to time, I get nice letters about the work of the Mises Institute, and my own too. This is a very nice one of this genre. I hope and trust it will be of interest to readers of this blog:
3:41 pm on February 5, 2010Dear Professor Block,
My name is Brian Stewart, I am a student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and recently I have become a student of Austrian economics, free markets, and anarcho-capitalist libertarianism. I was long apathetic toward both economics and politics until I realized the course of events in this country would negatively affect me whether I paid attention or not. Since being exposed to principled libertarianism, I have found that I have always been a libertarian without knowing it—its principles and mine are the same. Private property rights, non-aggression, free trade—everything aligns with my views on justice and how people should interact in a civilized society.
Lately, I have been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding free-market economics and libertarian theory. My favorite website right now is mises.org; so much great stuff on there! Recently in browsing the site, I ran across the video from your lecture on ‘The Privatization of Roads and Highways.’ I had a lot of fun watching it; pretty much everything you said was gold! Around 40 minutes into the video there was a question about how justice is dispensed in an anarcho-capitalist society, and you provided your email address for further bibliography on the subject of private police, insurance, and court systems. If you get a chance, I would love to have such a bibliography! One of my dear friends is an avowed socialist, and even though I have convinced him we have the same underlying principles and philosophy, he is still skeptical of the feasibility of a true free market society. What do I need to read so that I can lay out the position more effectively and convincingly?
Any help you can provide would be immensely appreciated! I understand you are very busy. Since I barely have time to read all the material you write (much less someone else’s), there is really no hurry. Whenever you get time though, I would love to hear from you!
In pursuit of truth,
Brian Stewart
