Dear All: Ordinarily, I place letters to me I think will be of interest to readers of this blog first, with my response afterward. In this case I am reversing matters. I do so because this letter is very long, my response short, and I don’t want to “hog up” space on this blog.
Dear WE: The gist of your critique of our book
Block, Walter E. and Peter Lothian Nelson. 2015. Water Capitalism: The Case for Privatizing Oceans, Rivers, Lakes, and Aquifers. New York City, N.Y.: Lexington Books; Rowman and Littlefield; https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498518802/Water-Capitalism-The-Case-for-Privatizing-Oceans-Rivers-Lakes-and-Aquifers.
is that it is unlikely in the extreme that the oceans and rivers will ever become privatized. I agree with you entirely. This is extremely unlikely. But, my co author and I never said it was likely. Only desirable. Best regards, Walter P.S. The hard cover version of this book cost over $100. But, there is now a soft cover version of it that sells for about $35 at the Mises bookstore. PPS. That is a very impressive list of your mentors. I share most of them with you.
From: WE
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 12:21 AM
To: Walter Block
Subject: RE: a short comment on “Water Capitalism” ebook publ. amazon.com @Korrespondenz
Dear Prof. Block, included you will find some of my thoughts about “Water Capitalism” .
I am a German MD, living in Austria since retiring in 2001.
Remark: English is my secondary language and my language in American English skills are quite poor.
Therefor I have written the main text in German and added a resumee in English
To Prof. Dr. Walter Block 6363 Saint Charles Ave New Orleans LA 70118 USA
REF.: “Water Capitalism”, remarks by WE
Dear Prof. Dr. Block,
For about 10 years I am engaged in studying Austrian Economics and the praxeology of history, politics and related sciences. I will just mention some of the authors that opened my eyes for the insight in the philosophy of individual freedom:
• Max Stirner, Gustave De Molinari, Lysander Spooner, Karl Popper, Ludwig Von Mises, Israel Kirzner, Friedrich Von Hayek, Roland Baader, Hans Herrmann Hoppe, Murray N. Rothbard, Albert Nock, H. Mencken, Ayn Rand, Robert Higgs, Jesus Huerta De Soto. Remark: The order and selection of the authors mentioned hasn’t any meaning (!)
In 2009 I published “Was Sie schon immer über Wirtschaft (nicht?) wissen sollten”, an introduction to Austrian Economics. I wrote the booklet for German speaking people. At this time I knew very little about the enormous global influence of the Power elites on politics, economics, media and the lives of billions of men. My book quoted above contains so little about the power elites. Ever since I did like to write about their politics and publish my thoughts. Hindered by an illness I couldn’t do it.
Dear Prof. Block, allow me some notes on your book “Water Capitalism” I read some days ago. From my subjective point of view the publications of LewRockwell.com, Mises.org and possibly yours too are lacking – cum grano salis – an estimation of the Anglo-American power elite as a worldwide acting fundamental-negative force determining politics, economics and the property of billions. Besides, I do not want to disregard, that Murray N. Rothbard and his pupils focused on the influence of politics and economics of Rothschild, Rockefeller and kindred spirits and did not put apart their disastrous control on the global events. I am convinced that power and the desire of the might of a tiny minority of men are the main cause of all warlike conquests in the history of mankind. Global ownership through over centuries growing processes of concentration of land ownership have thus so shifted so moved, that it is illusory to return e.g. the ownership of the latifundia to the indigenous people of South America.
The same or similar applies for Europe following World War I and World War II: expropriated areas and real-estate business can’t be returned to their owners. A revolution should be to fundamentally change the situation. Because revolutionary changes would shed innocent blood and cause untold suffering and misery we can’t tolerate this and any other compulsory. Any representation of the history of economics and the discussion of the ownership structures of our globe remains incomplete, which disregards the primary importance of the secret (?) leadership of the power elites.
Arrived here I would like to ask you, dear Prof. Block, how under this aspect a subdivision of the waters and an assignment to private individuals should happen? The theoretical proof of the superiority of private armies by Molinari in the 19th century has not caused the States to deploy mercenaries instead of soldiers. And the rule over large areas of this earth of the powerful now in the 21st century will not allow, that oceans, seas, rivers and lakes will be sold to small businessmen and simple individuals. Finally, I would note that a guide to action in the praxeological sense of the mess can only be complete if the political framework will be represented and the authors will discuss ways that lead us out of the slavery. Yours in Liberty Dr. WE
11:13 am on December 4, 2016
