It's interesting that people need to be convinced that freedom is a decent concept. There's all too often a "but" tagged to the end of any statement about freedom being a good thing. The reasons vary, but usually come down to a set of assumptions about why some set of controls or another are absolutely necessary.
Myths have always been a part of human society, at least for as long as our species has had language. One of the most visible libertarians in mainstream media who has consistently dispelled many of these myths for the last few decades is John Stossel. In "Thank You, John Stossel," Cato Institute's David Boaz offers a nice collection of personal accounts of working with Stossel and highlights some of his work in dispelling myths that work against a freer, more peaceful world.
Since the Stossel Show is officially ending next week after a 7 year run, it's a good time to review some of his work...
Decentralization, Private Ownership, and Free Markets
Stossel's message over the years should resonate with the crypto community, as he has long been an advocate of decentralization and freeing people to make their own decisions.
The political class can't imagine a decentralized world where good things happen...without them. But in the real world, that's exactly how good things happen, and how jobs are created.He often spoke out against a ruling class:
From an economic perspective, Stossel favors private property and free exchange, noting the benefits of spontaneous order.
What private property does is connect effort to reward, creating an incentive for people to produce for more. Then, if there's a free market, people will trade their surpluses to others for the things they lack. Mutual exchange for mutual benefit makes the community richer.This made him highly critical of strong state "isms" like socialism and communism:
Clearly not a fan of economic micromanagement, he remained skeptical of the myth that government helps small business:
There's no business that's too small for government to torture.He explained how this was particularly true for Obamacare:
A handful of people who probably never even ran a small business actually think they can reinvent the health care system.
Farewell to a Libertarian Hero
From initially being a liberal investigative reporter in the 1970s, Stossel discovered the benefits of freedom and its inseparable link to human dignity and prosperity. His show will be sorely missed, but Stossel says he'll continue to support liberty in other ways, such as producing video content for ReasonTV and continuing to appear as a guest on other shows.
What are your thoughts?
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Rob Viglione is a PhD Candidate in Finance @UofSC with research interests in cryptofinance, asset pricing, and innovation. He is a former physicist, mercenary mathematician, and military officer with experience in satellite radar, space launch vehicles, and combat support intelligence. Currently a Principal at Key Force Consulting, LLC, a start-up consulting group in North Carolina, and Head of U.S. & Canada Ambassadors @BlockPay, Rob holds an MBA in Finance & Marketing and the PMP certification. He is a passionate libertarian who advocates peace, freedom, and respect for individual life.
Image source: https://alibertarianfuture.com/famous-libertarians/famous-libertarian-quotes/john-stossel-free-market/
Quotes source: http://www.azquotes.com/author/14202-John_Stossel