Free Capitalist Network - Community Archive
Mises Community Archive
An online community for fans of Austrian economics and libertarianism, featuring forums, user blogs, and more.

Doing nothing

rated by 0 users
This post has 6 Replies | 3 Followers

Top 500 Contributor
Posts 183
Points 3,190
Daniel J. Sanchez Posted: Mon, Feb 9 2009 9:14 PM

Even pundits who are coming around to a laisezz faire approach to the current financial crisis (like Glenn Beck) call the approach "doing nothing".  I think the appropriate response to "should we do nothing?" is to point out that that question assumes that government is the only thing that can do things, and that the "we" in question is necessarily the government.  In the re-balancing of the economy that occurs during the bust, individuals are doing plenty to solve their own problems, which, in aggregate, solves the big problem that the media is so worried about.

  • | Post Points: 65
Top 10 Contributor
Male
Posts 11,343
Points 194,945
ForumsAdministrator
Moderator
SystemAdministrator

I think it needs to be framed as "doing the right thing".  The government needs to cut taxes and lower spending.

Instead of saying the government can't help the process, smaller government should be pushed as the solution.

"When you're young you worry about people stealing your ideas, when you're old you worry that they won't." - David Friedman
  • | Post Points: 5
Top 25 Contributor
Posts 4,532
Points 84,495

The correct solution is not doing nothing but liquidation: transferring capital goods from unproductive enterprises to productive enterprises.

Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat...

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 200 Contributor
Posts 412
Points 8,630
fezwhatley replied on Tue, Feb 10 2009 10:27 AM

The government is doing nothing, to fix things

do we get free cheezeburger in socielism?

  • | Post Points: 5
Not Ranked
Male
Posts 6
Points 45

Yes stranger i totaly agree with u it would give at leats a fresh start kind of thing to make things right.

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 500 Contributor
Male
Posts 151
Points 2,240
nje5019 replied on Sat, Feb 14 2009 10:47 AM

Steve Horwitz had a great op-ed about this recently, talking about how 'doing nothing' is a misnomer because every day people  across the country are creating wealth by engaging in productive activities.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 100 Contributor
Male
Posts 946
Points 15,410
MacFall replied on Wed, Feb 18 2009 10:56 PM

This would be a great point with which to engage in "guerilla education". Bring it up whenever it is appropriate, and early in the conversation. And tell your friends to do the same.

Pro Christo et Libertate integre!

  • | Post Points: 5
Page 1 of 1 (7 items) | RSS