Update: amended links for public read access. This afternoon, I am presenting five books which illustrate that ideas are more powerful than armies at the Young Briton’s Foundation conference. Here are the slides: Or browse here:
Tags: Books, Entrepreneurship, Ideas, Liberty, Managerialism, Society
If ever there was a time for radical proposals by a governing party, this is it. Rather than the imitative, mealy-mouthed shuffling of dollops of money from one departmental scheme to another, in what will inevitably look like panic in the face of rising youth unemployment and disappointing growth figures, what we need is a display of real insight and nerve. … We will have to choose, quite soon, between liberty and the “security” of a society in which government controls [...]
Tags: economics, Liberty, Society
Via LearnLiberty.org, another superb video, this time on liberty and community, which reinforces Mises’ argument that “Society is cooperation; it is community in action”:
Tags: Community, Ideas, LearnLiberty.org, Liberty, Society, Think Tanks
Via BBC News – Stock markets rise on hopes of more US Fed stimulus: Stock markets and gold prices have risen, while the dollar has fallen, as markets anticipate further stimulus measures by the US Federal Reserve. Compare to Roger Koppl’s Big Players and the Economic Theory of Expectations, which I reviewed here. As Koppl writes: Big Players are privileged actors who disrupt markets. A Big Player has three defining characteristics. He is big in the sense that his actions [...]
Tags: economics, Koppl, Markets, Society
Over the past few days, many constituents have written to me expressing anger and dismay about the riots, policing and justice. I share this anger and dismay. As I said in my article on Wednesday, we must establish that the state’s duty is to protect the law-abiding and their property first and foremost and that the police do not require the consent of rioters before acting with reasonable force. The Prime Minister has said that we will do whatever it takes [...]
Tags: Broken Society, Ethics, Government, Justice, Liberty, Responsibility, Riot, Society
On ConservativeHome’s Platform: Steve Baker MP: Egypt teeters, exposing lessons for the UK: Under the auspices of the Iman Foundation, Syed Kamall MEP and I travelled this week to Cairo to promote pluralism and the principles of a free society. We delivered two successful seminars on democracy, freedom and tolerance – one for senior political and academic figures and one for young activists – in addition to meeting members of Egypt’s political class. These seminars followed Syed’s previous work in Cote d’Ivoire based on Principles [...]
Tags: Egypt, International relations, Liberty, Society, Toleration
I came into politics out of fury with a political elite which was positively trampling the principles of democracy and an open society. By 2007, what Labour were doing to our country was awful enough, but then the handling of the Lisbon Treaty was the final straw: what a witches’ brew of deceit, sophisty and betrayal surrounded that unacceptable affront to government with the consent of the governed. I thought we could go no lower. And then came the expenses [...]
Tags: Ethics, Government, Liberty, Media, Press, Responsibility, Society
Via Dr Tim Evans, A useful nod for the Austrian school of economics? » The Cobden Centre: The session in which I spoke was headed ‘The Sovereign Debt Crisis and the Crisis of Sovereignty’ and my partners for the occasion were the British MEP Danniel Hannan and the former Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Mladen Ivani?. Now, beyond the content of our presentations and the debate that ensued, what was really interesting to me about this venture was how every [...]
Tags: Austrian School, Cobden Centre, economics, Society
Anyone could do wonders if he could contrive to overcome all resisting influences, and if all mankind would consent to become soft wax in his fingers; but men are resolved not to be soft wax; they listen, applaud, or reject and — go on as before. via What Is Money? – Frederic Bastiat – Mises Daily.
Tags: Bastiat, economics, Ideas, Money, Philosophy, Society
Last night in debate, Keynes and his disciples were invoked and rebutted in relation to EU economic surveillance. One Labour MP wanted to print the money we need… Today, via The Cobden Centre, I find EconStories have followed up their superb Keynes vs Hayek rap, Fear the Boom and Bust, with Fight of the Century. From the video’s introduction: Fight of the Century According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Great Recession ended almost two years ago, in the summer [...]
Tags: Austrian School, economics, EU, Hayek, Ideas, Keynes, Parliament, Society
Steve Baker is MP for Wycombe. He was previously an RAF officer then a business software consultant. Find out more...
Steve holds regular surgeries in High Wycombe. If you would like an appointment, please call 01494 448408.
