It has been a long since since I last posted. I have a very good reason--I have been writing a book.
Late last year I grew weary of writing about negative aspects of our culture. I decided that I would start writing about more positive topics. As I did research, I realized that I was uncovering information that was unknown to many people. I also realized that the information, if properly integrated, was perfect for a book.
The idea for the book actually began nearly twenty years ago. I have long been interested in the idea of financing government without taxation. In the early 1990s I delivered a paper on the topic at the Texas Objectivst Societies Conference. Since that time, I have wanted to develop the idea into a book. In early 2010 I started to do so. However, I soon realized that government without taxation was only a small part of a bigger issue--how a capitalist society functions.
My book explores this topic. I look at a multitude of topics--parks, mail, education, roads, sanitation, charity, and much more--and show how these services are provided by private companies and individuals, rather than government. I also examine the destructive consequences of government involvement in these areas. I present actual examples from history and the contemporary world.
In support of the book, which is scheduled to be published later this year, and to give myself a fresh start, I have a new blog, Individual Rights and Government Wrongs. I do not plan to post on a daily basis, but hope to do so several times a week. I still have considerable work to do on my book, and that will be my priority.
This blog was instrumental in making it possible for me to write my book. I'd like to thank everyone who helped make Live Oaks a success.
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8 comments:
Congratulations!
Looking forward to your book!
Thanks Burgess.
Dave, I'm looking forward to completing it.
This topic is very interesting to me. As someone who graduated from the government school system not so terribly long ago, I'm constantly surprised and frustrated how little we're taught about the the real workings of Capitalist systems. Basic things like easements were never discussed at any point. And once you learn of them it's almost as though it's too obvious at how much common sense it makes.
I think many people today are in a similar position. They just literally have no frame of reference to start considering how the world would work without government doing things for them. But once it's pointed out it's strikingly simple.
I've worked on reading George Reisman's Capitalism, but it's a very big undertaking.
Richard--I have been both inspired and infuriated as I have researched this topic.
It is inspiring to see what free men can do. It is infuriating that I had to dig so deep to find it. And it isn't like my examples come from ancient Greece. Most are from America.
I am sure that I have only scratched the surface. Once I recover from this endeavor, I will likely go looking for more examples.
Good to have you back Brian. I signed up to receive a free copy of the first chapter of the book but for some reason the pdf file is not attached.
Michael--I don't see you on the subscriber list, so I can't send the file to you. If you reply to the welcome email, I'll send the chapter to you.
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