Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis
by Ludwig von Mises
Von Mises completely demolishes socialism from almost every angle concievable. He demonstrates that socialism cannot function rationally.

The primary contribution that this work is cited for, is of course the proof of the theory that economic calculation is impossible under socialism. Building on this fact, as well as many other important insights, socialism is shown to be little more than a chimera with virtually no scientific backing whatsoever.

Quite nearly every major form or variant of socialism is critiqued, from marxism to Christian socialism, and even syndicalism. In each case, the conclusion is the same: socialism destroys society and civilization and replaces it with slavery, chaos, and poverty. Indeed, he correctly identifies socialism as a fundamentally destructive, purely anti-social force.

The Coming Battle
by Martin Wetsel Walbert

First published in 1899, republished for the first time in 100 years! The Coming Battle documents from congressional records, newspaper reports and writings by the founding fathers and others a chronology of events long forgotten that shaped our fledgling nation from 1776 to 1899. Read about the manipulation of our money and its supply, the intentional creation of recessions, depressions and panics. The manipulation of the stock markets. The demonitization of silver. A breathtaking history told in the words of a contemporary witness to these events.

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

In searching for economic solutions, we need a policy where businesspeople don't have to get special permission from on high to build our economy. We must encourage work and free enterprise, and we must lower the cost of doing business. This is not a fight between right and left, but a fight between freedom and authority.

Economic Freedom A Basic Right

Mercantilism is a politically administered economy in which economic agents are subject to specific detailed regulation. Federal regulations cost each American household $17,134 per year... can you imagine what state and city regulations cost us? In 1998, there were 134,723 total pages in the Code of Federal Regulations.in 1976, there were just 72,740. Excessive regulation prevent businesses from starting, keep storefronts and offices vacant, and keep people unemployed and on assistance. Permit requirements are keeping improverished and blighted areas unreconstructed even today. Excessive unnecessary regulation of a person's business or property is a serious infringement of their civil rights, and since 50% of all business owners are women, it is a violation of women's economic rights, and a perpetuation of the "old boys network".

Those who ask for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion, more slavery, and less freedom. The biggest thing we need as citizens is for government to get off of our backs and out of the way. We must encourage job creation and entrepreneurship, not discourage it.

Therefore, I propose the following reforms:

Eliminate the IRS and the personal income tax, which is the biggest burden on the worker.

Eliminate the capital gains tax.

Eliminate monopolies – Legislate the elimination of government protection of government and quasi-government monopolies. Allow free competition for utilities such as gas, electric, telephone, cable television, internet service, DSL service, public transit and water.

Give unlicensed workers the right to work - Legislate allowing companies to hire the unlicensed, where such licensing is to restrict access, not deter fraud. Register taxi services by county: it will mean more jobs, increased mobility, increased total fares and fewer cars on the road.

Support the right to work of non-unionized labor, support the right of individuals to not contribute union dues on a union job and still keep their job, and also support the rights of workers to organize if they so choose. I do not believe government contracts should have requirements compelling or excluding the use of unionized labor. However, I do not believe that public employees should have the right to strike without being subject to replacement.

Legislate the right to conduct home businesses which do not result in significant retail traffic, pollution, or other disturbance to the neighborhood. If we are serious about prefering people be gainfully employed instead of dependent upon the state, we must defend the right of the home entrepreneur to engage in business.

Legislate mandatory variance requests and shift the burden of proof for denial to the government, not the applicant. Remove most of the power of bureaucrats to deny a variance request: denials of variances must begin with people in the neighborhood, and if the neighborhood does not object, a variance should be granted, and no bureaucrat or politician should be allowed to block it on his own.

Loosen the currently overrestrictive banking requirements so that more minority and woman-owned banks are possible, and so that consumers have more banking choices.

Designate certain depressed communities as "no tax" zones to develop business. Designate other communities as specific "no tax" zones for specific, scarce and needed industries like banks, supermarkets, gas stations, or housing developments.

Tax caps to protect seniors, the poor, and small entrepreneurs. No individual or business should ever be driven out of their homes or business because of taxes alone: therefore, I propose a "tax cap", an exemption from further taxes for any person or enterprise whose total tax burden exceeds 25% of their pretax net income: any taxes collected in excess of 25% must be refunded.

Tax credits for income invested in plant and equipment.

Tax credits for promotion of mentoring programs.

Tax credits for the formation of workers cooperatives which save workers' money for equipment to put them in business.

A jobs creation tax credit for hiring recipients of public assistance.

Tax exempt status for business formation and creation guilds.

A duty-free, tax-free status for sea ports and airports to promote tourism.

Telethons - Since there will always be disputes about how much government we should have, and since some will want more government than others, I propose national, state and local telethons, where individuals and companies can make tax-deductible donations to governments and school districts, and have those donations earmarked for specific purposes. This concept has been recently ridiculed by psuedo-conservatives Craig Missakian and Carlos Moorhead, both former opponents of mine and establishment politicians who pretend to believe in conservative principles, but who are really establishment liberals pretending to be conservatives. It is a good idea, an idea which could in time phase out much involuntary taxation.

We Are Overtaxed

I oppose new taxes, and I pledge never to increase taxes or fees without reducing them elsewhere in a greater amount. I oppose any new gas taxes. I oppose all new proposed taxes on the internet.

Herbert Hoover caused the depression by raising taxes, closing borders, and raising interest rates. Yet the Hoovers in government keep insisting on higher taxes to finance fat government bureaucracies.

Our tax codes are unfair, inefficient, and preposturously obscure. Higher taxes result in lower worker pay, and therefore, less spendable income: they also lessen investment in capital improvement. High sales taxes penalize the poor the most. Good government should not steal from labor what they rightly earn.

A declining job base creates a declining tax base: the cure for a declining tax base is more jobs, not more taxes. Greater revenues cannot happen without economic expansion. The people have borne all the taxes they can - bureaucrats must look elsewhere for funding, or just plain go away.

GOVERNMENT IS BLOATED AND INEFFICIENT

Trickle-down government doesn't work! All government needs to drastically downsize.

Privatization and Audits - All government contracts should be reviewed for better deals and to see whether privatization is a viable option.

Repeal of sales taxes on housing construction materials such as fixtures, paint, wood, windows, insulation, etc., would help stimulate housing construction and keep costs low.

Tax incentives for leasing vacant commercial space at below market rates. Such a credit would not only help owners rent now unrentable space and stay out of debt, but also help entrepreneurs establish or expand businesses, thereby creating jobs.

DISASTER RECOVERY RIGHTS

Automatic rebuilding rights - To facilitate doing business and to hasten recovery in poverty-ridden neighborhoods, we should grant automatic rebuilding rights without permit for disaster victims, as well as automatic temporary use rights for businesses that are casualty victims to operate on site in trailers and temporary structures.

Permanent waivers of public hearings for needed community businesses such as banks, gas stations, supermarkets, and greengrocers, should be mandatory, with deferred fees for plan processing, and one-stop permit approval.

OPPORTUNITY CREATION

It is necessary for us to discard the failed bureaucratic model for fighting poverty, and instead of caretaking the poor, empower them to control their lives through work, entrepreneurship, and property ownership. We must not penalize success, nor penalize those striving to succeed. The best full employment program there is is to encourage entrepreneurs that hire workers to do so, and not get in their way. Jobs are not enough, though...there must be good paying jobs to enable workers to purchase if the economy is to be stimulated.

If I Were The President

I would immediately dissolve the Internal Revenue Service and fire all its employees. I would issue under executive orders, suspension of all federal business income taxes until newer, fair legislation could be crafted.

For business engaging in interstate commerce, under the commerce clause of the Constitution, I would mandate the right to conduct home businesses which do not result in significant retail traffic, pollution, or other disturbance to the neighborhood, and suspend mandatory variance requests, shifting the burden of proof for denial to the government. I would loosen overrestrictive banking requirements so that more minority and woman-owned banks are possible, and so that consumers have more banking choices.