If I were Lew Rockwell, I would schedule the next Austrian Scholars Conference program in terms of this topic: “What government program should we shut down first?”
I would contact all of my heavy hitters who like to stand up in front of an audience and throw hand grenades. I would challenge each of them to pick just one institution, budget, or other regulatory monstrosities for a complete abolition, before all of the others.
I would bring in enough speakers to present two days of lectures. Each speaker would have to make a lawyer’s brief for cutting a single agency or budget or program in preference to cuts in all of the others. All of the other programs would stay constant, but the target program would be eliminated or else cut by at least 90%.
I think the resulting conference videos would be the most interesting and useful of any that the Mises Institute has ever produced.
Then Independent Institute could present a rival conference.
Then the Cato Institute could organize one. (Of course, Cato would limit the cuts to 30%, one-time only.)
Which budget would you choose for public decapitation?
Which one do you think is the greatest monstrosity of them all?
Which one do you think would have the greatest positive benefits for society if it were either eliminated or cut by 90%?
Which one do you think would not serve as a kind of starfish leg that would always grow back?
For my choice, click the link.
