Cam Rea writes:
“Shake down socialism Hoppe-style” was the theme for this week’s Social Theory of Hoppe lecture by Mr. Kinsella. Hoppe demonstrates why the state cannot function as the sole voice for the people, let alone anything else, even if the creation of the state has good intentions. Once down the road it never looks back. The intentions are to harm the very people it claims to protect, unless you’re talking Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus.
Why Cincinnatus you may ask? Even though Cincinnatus set out to protect the Roman state, he would leave the state for a life on his property after only 16 days as dictator. The state that hired Cincinnatus never stopped being ambitious, even though Cincinnatus’ humble refusal to continue on should have been seen as a gesture of letting power go. In other words, Cincinnatus may have understood that his property was the true power in the creation of a man’s wealth; And that power which does not produce will only harm and stifle its subjects.
What Hoppe explains to us is that a person is his own property and his own scarce self with scarce resources, and who better to own those things he first uses? No one! Kinsella’s lecture on Hoppe laid down what the foundation is for wealth value vs. property. In other words, a person’s wealth is not solely based on his physical (homesteading) property, let alone wealth standing by itself, but rather through various means and measures, such as homesteading, contracts and production.
Overall, this week’s lecture was smooth, fun, insightful and very informative. I look forward to another next Monday with Mr. Kinsella and the rest of the class at 7pm!
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