My friend Mike Rozeff objects to my analysis of utilitarianism from an Austrian point of view. My claim was that we cannot say, qua praxeologists, that forced transfer of money from rich to poor definitively harms, reduces, social welfare. Mike rejects this. Suppose that Mike is rich and I’m poor. I pull out a gun and aim it at him and demand that he give me $100 (or I get a law passed to the same effect). He will now be poorer, and me richer, ignoring all other aspects of this “transaction.” In my (Rothbardian) perspective, his utility or welfare decreased, mine increased. But the only way to say that social welfare was thereby reduced is to claim that he lost more utility than I gained. As against this is the primordial insight of Austrian economics is the interpersonal comparisons of utility are illicit. I would be greatly interested in how Mike can overturn this basic premise of praxeology.

I hope and trust that the cancel culture students at my Loyola University New Orleans will not now start up another petition to get me fired, this time not because of my alleged racism and sexism, but since they might think I actually threatened Mike with physical violence unless he handed over to me this $100 of his. I assure them this was only a hypothetical example.

For those of you who were thinking of enrolling at Loyola, but are put off by the imbroglio in which I am now involved here, let me assure you at my university is far from the only one with snowflake students (and social justice warrior professors). This is almost endemic at university campuses. However, the president of Loyola University is on record in support of academic freedom and ideological diversity (see below), our economics department is 100% Austro-libertarian, and we have almost a dozen professors in the university who are supportive of free enterprise, private property rights and economic freedom out of a faculty of some 200; very few institutions of higher learning can come anywhere near to matching that.

There Are Now Two Ongoing Public Petitions; One To Get Me FIRED, The Other, A Counter Petition, To Get Me A RAISE

Here’s the latest in this saga:

Ruby, Emma and Rose Wagner. 2020. “Clashing petitions call for Walter Block to be fired, given a raise over academic work.” Loyola Maroon, Loyola University New Orleans, June 17;

https://loyolamaroon.com/10028406/news/academic/petitions-call-for-walter-block-to-be-fired-given-a-raise-over-academic-work/

As far as I’m concerned, no publicity is bad publicity, as long as they spell my name correctly. They have done so here, so I am grateful to them. Perhaps, with this added publicity, those who want to see me be fired from Loyola will be led to read what I have actually written, published, said, about these issues. I thank Anton Chamberlin for setting up the counter RAISE petition.

Here is the critical FIRED petition:

https://www.change.org/p/loyola-university-new-orleans-administration-fire-walter-block?recruiter=355294700&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_petition&recruited_by_id=a4743b40-3a9f-11e5-acb1-191591d2395c&use_react=false

https://www.change.org/p/loyola-university-new-orleans-administration-fire-walter-block?recruiter=59936805&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&utm_term=share_petition&recruited_by_id=f5c4dbf0-ebcd-0130-1dc1-00221964dac8&utm_content=fht-22876539-en-us%3Av2

Here is the RAISE petition that supports me:

I decided to take it upon myself to start a counter-petition, if you will, one demanding you be given a raise. I know you get baseless attacks thrown your way all the time, but this time it really got under my skin. You’re a wonderful friend and mentor, Walter. I’m beyond thankful for the time I spent at Loyola with you. It’s an honor to call you my friend. Anyway, here’s MY petition. Anton Chamberlin

https://www.change.org/p/loyola-university-new-orleans-administration-give-walter-block-a-pay-raise/dashboard?source_location=user_profile_started

https://www.change.org/p/loyola-university-new-orleans-administration-give-walter-block-a-pay-raise?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22883475_en-US%3Av8&recruiter=1118300058&recruited_by_id=8b4252b0-b060-11ea-ad3c-07c8e6cadd6e&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=petition_dashboard

http://chng.it/VC8nJfWLtv

https://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2020/06/petition-to-get-walter-block-fired-from.html

Raise: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10uNR0zTPKaidEzDX60Jbm56fN4pblSAT?usp=sharing

Fire: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XWMkG3TLHxgtMT9ZA4dC3pTMaZmnD9GQ?usp=sharing

Cockburn. 2020. “Walter Block on the chopping block? Some students are petitioning to fire their professor. Other students are petitioning to give him a raise.” June 19; https://spectator.us/walter-block-loyola-professor-petition-raise/

Woods, Tom. 2020. “Now The Savages Are Trying To Take Down One of Our Own.” June 23; https://www.lewrockwell.com/2020/06/thomas-woods/now-the-savages-are-trying-to-take-down-one-of-our-own/

Justice, Tristan. 2020. “Loyola Professor Faces Dueling Petitions As Woke Students Demand Firing; Economics Professor Walter Block at Loyola University of New Orleans faces dueling petitions as students try to oust the self-described libertarian academic.” The Federalist, June 23;

https://thefederalist.com/2020/06/23/loyola-professor-faces-dueling-petitions-as-woke-students-demand-firing/

Schneider Christian. 2020. “Petition demands ouster of outspoken libertarian economics professor.” June 24; https://www.thecollegefix.com/petition-demands-ouster-of-outspoken-libertarian-economics-professor/

Watson, Steve. 2020. “Students Are Demanding A Professor Be Fired For OPPOSING Slavery. He doesn’t have exactly the same opinions as they do, so they want him gone.” June 26; https://www.infowars.com/students-are-demanding-a-professor-be-fired-for-opposing-slavery/; https://www.zerohedge.com/political/students-are-demanding-professor-be-fired-opposing-slavery

Ciccotta, Tom. 2020. “Loyola U. New Orleans Students Demand Prof Is Fired for Opposing Slavery for the Wrong Reasons.” June 25;

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/06/25/loyola-u-new-orleans-students-demand-prof-is-fired-for-opposing-slavery-for-the-wrong-reasons/

Walter E. Block Radio Interview with Donald Jeffries on I Heart Radio, Fox; truthfrequencyradio.com. 2020. “Slavery and sexism.” June 26; https://tfrlive.com/don-jeffries-with-walter-block-91883/

Gill, James. 2020. “Some want to fire Walter Block for ‘racist and sexist beliefs.’ But he has tenure.” June 28; New Orleans Advocate Times Picayune; https://www.nola.com/opinions/james_gill/article_5ad35092-b71e-11ea-8d55-5b16c56536f5.html

Sulker, Atilla Mert. 2020. “In Defense of Walter Block – Bulwark Against Leftist Academic Takeover.” June 29;

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2020/06/atilla-mert-sulker/in-defense-of-walter-block-bulwark-against-leftist-academic-takeover/

David, John. 2020. “Tracking ‘Cancel Culture’ in Higher Education.” June 22;

https://www.nas.org/blogs/article/tracking-cancel-culture-in-higher-education

Block, Walter. 2020. “An Open Letter to Loyola Students Who Want Me Fired.” June 23; https://loyolamaroon.com/10028452/oped/letters-to-editor/letter-an-open-letter-to-loyola-students-who-want-me-fired/

Stevo, Allan. 2020. “On July 4th, I’ll Be Celebrating Walter Block.” July 4;

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2020/07/allan-stevo/on-july-4th-ill-be-celebrating-walter-block/; https://www.nwsurvival.us/2020/07/04/happy-independence-day-2/

Crouere, Jeff. 2020. Interviews Walter Block on “Ringside Politics,” airs locally at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and at 10:00 p.m. Sundays on PBS affiliate WLAE-TV, Channel 32, and from 7-11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990-AM & www.Wgso.com.

interview begins at the 1:29:30 mark: https://wgso.com/podcast/ringside-politics-july-6th-2020/

2:17 am on July 11, 2020

The Best of Walter E. Block