~200 words, ~1 min reading time
Confession: Despite having been on the faculty for Mises University for a few years now, I haven’t actually done all the readings. Now, don’t get me wrong, I read the readings for when I was a student back in 2003 and 2004. But, things have changed a bit. So, I’ve decided to try to read through some of the Mises U readings this year – anything I’ve not read, or have too vague a memory of. Then, I’ll offer a (very!) brief synopsis here. So, here’s the first – which I had never previously read!
Anatomy of the State – Murray Rothbard
What the State isn’t – us.
What the State is – a regional monopoly on the use of force.
How the State preserves itself – creating vested economic interests, but ideology that supports the State as good or at least inevitable even moreso.
How the State transcends its limits – by controling the power of interpretation of its limits.
What the State fears – losing its power through conquest or revolution.
How States relate to one another – mostly through war. Though we used to recognize that war was between States rather than between peoples.
History as a race between social power and State power – sometimes the creative forces run ahead of the State – leading to an increase in freedom. Other times, the State catches up. We have yet to find a good method of limiting State power.