Richard M. Ebeling

Welcome to Word Tyranny and Cultural Balkanization

“Before this new era of postmodern identity politics, that is; in the prior ‘modern’ Age of Enlightenment, when human beings foolishly believed in reason, evidence, and individual liberty, all of what is being insisted upon now used to be known as tyranny and criticized as dictatorship. How very silly of many of us to presume that each of us was a unique and distinct ‘I’ separate from an imposed ‘We.’ Well, we all live and learn.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

Lin Yutang, a Classical Liberal Voice for a Free China

“If the Chinese people were allowed to freely read and discuss and act upon the ideas of a liberal individualist such as Lin Yutang, they might think twice if the road they are being led down by Xi Jinping and the Communist Party is the one best for them as unique and distinct human beings. And, who knows, they might even follow Lin Yutang’s advice of supplying more prisons to house their power-lusting and plundering and paternalistic politicians.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

Post-Covid Policy Advice from Ludwig von Mises for Developing Countries

“Mises’ warnings about misguided government policies remain just as relevant if not more so today, as we see in our own time a new push for increased interventionism, expanded welfare statism, and renewed calls for socialist-style centralized planning. As Mises said, if we want, peace, freedom and prosperity, there is no alternative to the free market economy respectful of competitive entrepreneurship and consumer choice.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

Socialism-in-Practice Was a Nightmare, Not Utopia

“When the French sociologist, Gustave Le Bon published The Psychology of Socialism in 1899, he feared that, ‘One nation, at least, will have to suffer it [the establishment of a socialist system] for the instruction of the world. It will be one of those practical lessons which alone can enlighten the nations that are bemused with the dreams of happiness displayed before our eyes by the priests of the new [socialist] faith.’ Is it really necessary to go through it all again? Let us hope not.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

The Bankruptcy of Conservative Political Paternalism

“Oren Cass is really figuring out how to outwit the progressives in the game of political plunderhood by devising coalitions in society that will put ‘his side’ in elected office next time around through a ‘conservative’ version of handouts of favors, privileges and subsidies. His ‘new’ conservatism, therefore, is really only the same old political paternalism, just in different rhetorical clothing. We need neither ‘progressives’ nor ‘conservatives’ of Cass’s ilk to manage the world.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

The Uyghurs as Victims of Chinese National Socialism

“The Uyghurs and Tibetans are alien and subversive bodies in the Chinese nation that must be absorbed or eliminated. Beginning with Mao and now with terrifying single-mindedness by Xi Jinping, the irradiation of these foreign elements are to be ‘neutralized.’ This truly makes the Chinese political system an ideology of national socialism in the footsteps of others that have preceded it.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

Biden’s Executive Orders vs. American Public Opinion

“Policies implemented are ultimately the outcome of ideas fought over concerning whether or not to value and secure political freedom, economic liberty, and constitutional order. In spite of a lot of totalitarian-like rhetoric in the air, the intellectual field is still open to vigorous debate and competition. It just needs to be taken advantage of by not presuming the contest is already lost.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

Free Labor Markets vs. Biden’s Push for Compulsory Unionism

“Joe Biden’s pro-union labor agenda, if implemented, would rob all those working for a living the liberty and latitude to do so freely and of their own choosing. They would be reduced to servants and supplicants to those controlling the unions and who possess the power to allow or prevent people from working in various walks of life, while determining the wages and conditions under which they may accept and find employment.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

Trump’s Fall and the Rise of the Tribal Collectivists

“Friends of liberty must gird themselves for an intellectual and ideological battle the likes of which very few of us have experienced outside of a totalitarian state and its campaign of mind-controlling propaganda.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

Witnessing Lithuania’s 1991 Fight for Freedom from Soviet Power

“Personal liberty and political self-government have been rare things in the broad sweep of human history. They have been difficult to establish, often hard to preserve once possessed, and far too easily taken away under the pressures of fear, demagogy, and despotic ideologies. We should remember and appreciate episodes in history like those in Lithuania in January 1991, in which a people oppressed by socialist tyranny said, ‘No,’ and insisted upon regaining their freedom.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling