Murray N. Rothbard

crime ignorant economics dismal science opinion

“It is no crime to be ignorant of economics, which is, after all, a specialized discipline and one that most people consider to be a ‘dismal science.’ But it is totally irresponsible to have a loud and vociferous opinion on economic subjects while remaining in this state of ignorance.”

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

absurd education formal schooling

“It is clearly absurd to limit the term 'education' to a person's formal schooling.”

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

taxation theft property state inhibitant

“Taxation is theft, purely and simply even though it is theft on a grand and colossal scale which no acknowledged criminals could hope to match. It is a compulsory seizure of the property of the State’s inhabitants, or subjects.”

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

moral act free

“To be moral, an act must be free.”

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

war mass murder conscription slavery taxation robbery

“War is Mass Murder, Conscription is Slavery, Taxation is Robbery.”

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

war state swelling power number dominion economy society

“It is in war that the State really comes into its own: swelling in power, in number, in pride, in absolute dominion over the economy and the society.”

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

state force violence territory coercion

“Briefly, the State is that organization in society which attempts to maintain a monopoly of the use of force and violence in a given territorial area; in particular, it is the only organization in society that obtains its revenue not by voluntary contribution or payment for services rendered but by coercion.”

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

econmic interest landowner street company bureaucrat

“It is infinitely better to rely on the pursuit of economic interest by landowners or street companies than to depend on the dubious “altruism” of bureaucrats and government officials.”

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

fair taxation theft

"There can be no such thing as 'fairness in taxation.' Taxation is nothing but organized theft, and the concept of a 'fair tax' is therefore every bit as absurd as that of 'fair theft.'"

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

state enemy human race liberty happiness progress

"The State is, and always has been, the great single enemy of the human race, its liberty, happiness, and progress."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

state gang thieves writ large immoral grasping society

"The State is a gang of thieves writ large - the most immoral, grasping and unscrupulous individuals in any society."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

state intellectual con public wise good inevitable

"States have always needed intellectuals to con the public into believing that its rule is wise, good, and inevitable"

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

state device affluance few expence many

"The state has typically been a device for producing affluence for a few at the expense of many."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

government wasteful inefficient bureaucrat consumer

"All government operation is wasteful, inefficient, and serves the bureaucrat rather than the consumer."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

treaty free trade

"You don't need a treaty to have free trade."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

capitalism anarchism expression

"Capitalism is the fullest expression of anarchism and anarchism is the fullest expression of capitalism."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

monetary inflation value currency exproprietation

"Monetary inflation not only raises prices and destroys the value of the currency unit; it also acts as a giant system of expropriation."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

history government revenue produce goods parasitically

"Throughout history governments have been chronically short of revenue. The reason should be clear: unlike you and me, governments do not produce useful goods and services that they can sell on the market; governments, rather than producing and selling services, live parasitically off the market and off society."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

montary expansion hidden redistribution

"Monetary expansion is a massive scheme of hidden redistribution."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

free-market capitalism exchange product price

"Free-market capitalism is a network of free and voluntary exchanges in which producers work, produce, and exchange their products for the products of others through prices voluntarily arrived at."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

government money currency destroy value

"The natural tendency of government, once in charge of money, is to inflate and to destroy the value of the currency."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

money nerve economic system state dominate society

"Money ... is the nerve center of the economic system. If, therefore, the state is able to gain unquestioned control over the unit of all accounts, the state will then be in a position to dominate the entire economic system, and the whole society."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

danger state independent intellectual criticism

"The greatest danger to the State is independent intellectual criticism."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)

euphemism undertaker janitor cloudy camouflage

"We live in a world of euphemism.

Undertakers have become “morticians,” press agents are now “public relations counsellors” and janitors have all been transformed into “superintendents.”

In every walk of life, plain facts have been wrapped in cloudy camouflage."

― Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995)