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Leonard Read

Leonard Read Biography

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“I would have government defend the life and property of all citizens equally; protect all willing exchange; suppress and penalize all fraud, all misrepresentation, all violence, all predatory practices; invoke a common justice under law; and keep the records incidental to these functions. Even this is a bigger assignment than governments, generally, have proven capable of. Let governments do these things and do them well. Leave all else to men in free and creative effort.”

MenWellsGovernmentLawPoliticsJusticeCommonEffortPracticeCreativeRecordsViolenceWillingCitizensProtectLetting GoCapableFunctionBiggerPropertyFraudProvenAssignmentsInvokePredatoryMisrepresentation
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“The welfare state destroys the market mechanisms - lessens free choice and willing exchange. Simultaneously creating unnatural specializations, it must, granted statism's premise, resort to welfarism; that is, it must assume the responsibility for the people's welfare: their employment, their old age, their income, and the like. As this is done, man loses his wholeness; he is dispossessed of responsibility for self, the very essence of his manhood. The more dependent he becomes, the less dependable!”

PeopleMenSelfStatesDoneAgeChoicesLosesResponsibilityWillingCreatingEssenceAssumingIncomeOld AgeEmploymentGrantedWelfareDependentMechanismWholenessManhoodResortsPremisesUnnaturalWelfare StateSpecializationDependableFree Choice
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“It [the free market] is an organizational way of doing things, featuring openness, which enables millions of people to cooperate and compete without demanding a preliminary clearance of pedigree, nationality, color, race, religion, or wealth. It demands only that each person abide by voluntary principles, that is, by fair play. The free market means willing exchange; it is impersonal justice in the economic sphere and excludes coercion, plunder, theft, protectionism, and other anti-free market ways by which goods and services change hands.”

PeopleWayMeanPersonsPlayHandsWealthJusticeRacePrinciplesMillionsEconomicColorWillingDemandFairsGoodsOpennessSpheresFree MarketTheftNationalityCoercionPlunderOrganizationalGoods And ServicesFair PlayPedigreeProtectionismClearance
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“The right way is the greatest gratifier of human wishes ever come upon - when allowed to operate. It is as morally sound as the Golden Rule. It is the way of willing exchange, of common consent, of self-responsibility, of open opportunity. It respects the right of each to the product of his labor. It limits the police force to keeping the peace. It is the way of the free market, private property, limited government. On its banner is emblazoned Individual Liberty.”

WayHumansSelfGovernmentOpportunityIndividualForceWishSoundCommonResponsibilityLibertyWillingProductsLimitsLaborPolicePropertyGoldenConsentRight WayFree MarketPrivate PropertyLimited GovernmentGolden RuleBannerIndividual LibertyPolice ForceSelf Responsibility
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“I can remember the time when, if we wanted a house or housing, we relied on private enterprise. In fact, Americans built more square feet of housing per person than any other country on the face of the earth. Despite that remarkable accomplishment, more and more people are coming to believe that the only way we can have adequate housing is to use government to take the earnings from some and give these earnings, in the form of housing, to others.”

PeopleIfsWayGivingBelievePersonsI CanCountryFactsUseGovernmentWantedEarthRememberFacesFormHouseFeetBuiltDespiteAccomplishmentEnterpriseRemarkableSquaresOther CountriesEarningAdequateHousingPrivate Enterprise
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“It should be noted that people in the free market rarely bear false witness; integrity is the rule. The morning mile, phone calls, planes the airlines buy, autos by the millions - no one could list the instances - are as represented. We have daily, eloquent, enormous testimony that the Ten Commandments can be and are observed by fallible human beings. Contemporary politics is the most glaring of all exceptions.”

PeopleShouldHumansHuman BeingsMorningMillionsBearsIntegrityTenPhonesListsMilesEnormousContemporaryInstanceWitnessPlanesExceptionCommandmentsTestimonyFree MarketAirlinePhone CallsEloquentTen CommandmentsFalse Witness
Author:Leonard Read
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“Assume that a surgeon has discovered how to do brain surgery, that he can do only one a month, that 1,000 persons a year need such an operation if they are to survive. How is the surgeon's scarce resource to be allocated? Charge whatever price is necessary to adjust supply and demand, say $50,000! 'For shame,' some will cry. 'Your market system will save only wealthy people.' For the moment, yes. But soon there will be hundreds of surgeons who will acquire the same skill; and, as in the case of the once scarce and expensive 'miracle drugs,' the price then will be within reach of all.”

PeopleIfsNeedsYearsPersonsMomentsCan DoBrainCasesCryMonthsDrugSkillsDemandResourcesMiracleShameAssumingOperationsAcquireExpensiveWealthySurgerySurgeonsScarceWithin ReachSupply And DemandBrain SurgeryScarce Resources
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“I would like to suggest to you that the extent to which government in America has departed from the original design of in habiting the destructive actions of man and invoking a common justice; the extent to which government has invaded the productive and creative areas; the extent to which the government in this country has assumed the responsibility for the security, welfare, and prosperity of our people is a measure of the extent to which socialism has developed here in this land of ours.”

PeopleMenCountryGovernmentActionAmericaJusticeCommonResponsibilityCreativeLandSecurityDesignAreasOriginalsProsperitySocialismWelfareDestructiveProductiveDeparted
Author:Leonard Read
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“Politicians, bureaucrats, editors, new commentators, 'economists' teachers,' and other word artists who denounce private enterprise and praise socialism are their own worst enemies...these attackers are unwittingly destroying the sources of their own livelihood. They kill the geese that lay the golden eggs - and don't know it!”

KnowsArtistEnemyTeacherWorstSourcePoliticianPraiseLaysSocialismGoldenEnterpriseEggsEditorsDestroyingEconomistCommentatorsGeeseBureaucratsLivelihoodWorst EnemyPrivate EnterpriseGolden Eggs
Author:Leonard Read
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