August

THEFREEMAN IDEASON LIBERTY FEATURES . 484 486 489 493 495 499 502 504 510 512 516 518 520 522 Center 497 508 514 527 482 529 The Economics of Good Intentions by Joe Cobb The beneficial social results of self-interested behavior. Nature Versus the Central Planners by Robert A. Peterson The very nature of the universe makes central planning impossible. Environmental Law Endangers Property Rights by Sigfredo A. Cabrera The erosion of a fundamental freedom. The Environmental Assault on Mobility by John Semmens We don't have to give up automobile travel in order to have clean air. Meaning Well Versus Doing Well by Tibor R. Machan It's more than just the thought that counts. The Ups and Downs of Unemployment by Russell Madden Some reflections on work, incentive, government intervention, and the free market. The Ethics of Rhetoric by Felix R. Livingston Ignoble political discourse-and its implications.

A Peek Behind the Old "Iron Curtain" by Bettina Bien Greaves A firsthand report from FEE's resident scholar. Justice and Cultural Diversity by Philip Perlmutter What kind of governmental system best insures the greatest freedoms for individuals and groups? Individual Responsibility and Economic WellBeing by Paul A. Cleveland and Brian H. Stephenson Government redistribution of wealth does not promote prosperity. Crime and Race by Ralph R. Reiland Leniency toward criminals harms blacks most. The Uneasy Case for "Tax Fairness" by Dale Bails The inequities of progressive taxation. Vouchers: Competition or Conformity? by Sarah Erdmann The dangers of a proposed educational reform. Maria Montessori, Who Gave Children Everywhere Freedom to Achieve Independence by Jim Powell Remembering the innovative Italian educator. COLUMNS NOTES from FEE-Protectionism Old and New by Hans F: Sennholz IDEAS and CONSEQUENCES-Putting Leviathan in Perspective by Lawrence W Reed A MAITER of PRINCIPLE-Justice or "Utility"? by Robert James Bidinotto POTOMAC PRINCIPLES-Terror: Against or by Government? by Doug Bandow ECONOMICS on TRIAL-The Age of Confusion by Mark Skousen DEPARTMENTS Perspective-Laurence M. Vance, John C. Sparks Book Reviews •The American Economy in the Twentieth Century by Gene Smiley, reviewed by Mark Skousen; Taxation and Confiscation reviewed by Daniel 1. Pilla; The Theme Is Freedom: Religion, Politics, and the American Tradition by M. Stanton Evans, reviewed by Gregory P. Pavlik; Out ofFocus: Network Television and the American Economy by Burton Yale Pines (with Timothy W Lamer), reviewed by Raymond 1. Keating; Property Rights edited by Ellen Frankel Paul, Fred D. Miller Jr., and Jeffrey Paul, reviewed by Tibor R. Machan; A Nation Under Lawyers: How the Crisis in the Legal Profession Is Transforming American Society by Mary Ann Glendon and Recapturing the Constitution: Race, Religion, and Abortion Reconsidered by Stephen B. Presser, reviewed by William 1. Watkins, Jr.; The Abuse Excuse by Alan M. Dershowitz, reviewed by David M. Brown.

THEFREEMAN IDEASON UBERTY Published by The Foundation for Economic Education Irvington-on-Hudson, NY 10533 Phone (914) 591-7230 FAX (914) 591-8910 President: Hans F. Sennholz Managing Editor: Beth A. Hoffman Guest Editor: Robert James Bidinotto Editor Emeritus Paul L. Poirot Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Book Review Editor Robert Batemarco Marymount College, Tarrytown, New York Assistant Editor Gregory P. Pavlik Columnists Doug Bandow Cato Institute, Washington, D.C. Robert James Bidinotto Lawrence W. Reed Mackinac Center for Public Policy Midland, Michigan Mark Skousen Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida Contributing Editors Charles W. Baird California State University, Hayward Doug Bandow Cato Institute, Washington, D.C. E. Calvin Beisner Covenant College, Chattanooga, Tennessee Peter J. Boettke New York University Donald J. Boudreaux Clemson University Clarence B. Carson American Textbook Committee Wadley, Alabama Thomas J. DiLorenzo Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland Joseph S. Fulda New York, New York Roger W. Garrison Auburn University Bettina Bien Greaves Resident Scholar, FEE Robert Higgs The Independent Institute, Oakland, California John Hospers University of Southern California Tibor R. Machan Auburn University Ronald Nash Reformed Theological Seminary Maitland, Florida Edmund A. Opitz Chatham, Massachusetts James L. Payne Sandpoint, Idaho William H. Peterson Adjunct Scholar, HeritageFoundation, Washington,D.C.

Jane S. Shaw PERC, Bozeman, Montana Richard H. Timberlake University of Georgia Lawrence H. White University of Georgia The Freeman is the monthly publication of The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc., Irvington-on-Hudson, NY 10533. FEE, established in 1946 by Leonard E. Read, is a non-political, educa tional champion of private property, the free market, and limited government. FEE is classified as a 26 USC 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Copyright © 1995 by The Foundation for Economic Education. Permission is granted to reprint any article in this issue, except "Maria Montessori," provided appropriate credit is given and two copies of the reprinted material are sent to The Foundation. The costs of Foundation projects and services are met through donations, which are invited in any amount. Donors of $30.00or more receive a subscription to TheFreeman. Student subscriptions are $10.00 for the nine-month academic year; $5.00 per semester. Additional copies of singleissues of The Freeman are $3.00. For foreign delivery, a donation of $45.00a year is suggested to cover mailingcosts.

Bound volumes of The Freeman are available from The Foundation for calendar years 1972to date. The Freeman is available in microform from University Microfilms, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI48106. PERSPECTIVE A Twentieth-Century Noah? If Noah had lived in the twentieth cen tury, the ark would never have been built. We read in the biblical account that Noah was commanded to "make thee an ark of gopher wood. " And although he lacked the modern technology, skilled craftsmen, and abundant choice of materials that we pos sess in this century, Noah was able to build his. But there are too many things that Noah would have to contend with in the twentieth century that would prohibit him from build ing an ark. First, Noah would have a problem with his employees. If Noah sought to hire some workers to help him in the ark's construc tion, he would have to exercise affirma tive action policies in hiring to maintain "diversity" in the workplace. Once a crew was selected, Noah would have to pay at least the minimum wage and be careful not to work his employees over 40 hours a week, lest he be required to pay overtime. He would probably like to pay his craftsmen well above the minimum wage, but since he would be forced to pay workers' com pensation insurance, Social Security taxes, and unemployment insurance on each em ployee, the actual cost would be too pro hibitive. An accountant would then have to be hired to make sure the proper taxes were withheld from each paycheck and timely deposits made. In spite of the high cost, additional employees would have to be hired to cover for those who were temporarily off due to the Family Leave Act.

The next obstacle to overcome in building the ark would be the mass of government regulations that Noah would have to comply with. First he would need an OSHA inspec tion of his workplace. Ifhis place of business were approved, an inspection by the local fire department would then be in order. When Noah actually got around to building the ark, he would first have to obtain a building permit. But before this could be done, he would have to check zoning laws to ascertain that having an ark on one's property is not illegal. 482 Inspections of the ark during all phases of construction would have to be carried out to ensure that everything was according to local building codes. The EPA would have to check the construction site to make sure it was "friendly" to the earth. Once the ark was completed, it would have to be licensed just like a boat or mobile home. This would present a problem to government bureau crats, who would not be able to find a reference to an ark in any of their policy and procedures manuals.

During the construction of the ark, nu merous special interest groups would be on hand to harass Noah. The environmental extremists would de mand that Noah stop cutting down so many trees. They would complain about the low percentage of recycled material that went into the construction of the ark. Organized labor groups would hinder pro duction of the ark by picketing the job site, heckling the non-union workers, and boy cotting Noah's suppliers. Since Noah was a "preacher of righteous ness," he certainly would seek to relay God's message that' 'the wickedness of man was great in the earth." This might get him charged with "hate speech." As the ark was nearing completion, the animals would have to be rounded up "two of every sort." At the first sight of an ani mal being taken aboard the ark, animal rights groups would be out in full force. They would demand that all the animals be spayed or neutered and have their shots. What these groups consider to be adequate food and water would have to be provided. The animal rights crowd would further complain that the ark could not possibly hold all those animals, even though they never bothered to measure how big the ark was.

PERSPECTIVE Should Noah have lived in the twentieth century, the obstacles he would face in attempting to construct an ark would prove insurmountable. His problem? The same problem that plagues all of mankind: gov ernment, the omnipotent State. If Noah had had to contend with the government back in the twenty-fourth century B.C., he would have drowned with the rest of the world. -LAURENCE M. VANCE Mr. Vance is a freelance writer and in structor at Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, Florida. Properly Limited Government Encourages Maximum Freedom Real freedom means the least govern ment-government conspicuous by its ab sence-with sufficient power only to pro tect life, liberty, and property from frauds, thieves, and murderers. Real freedom means the full right of ownership and to make decisions for one's self and one's family. The right to vote-while an impor tant mechanism if properly used-should be employed sparingly by the people and by lawmaking bodies. Lawmaking activities ought to be directed, for a change, toward the removal of government interferences and restrictions already on the law books.

When government is confined to its proper, limited scope, there will be no necessity for opinion poll-takers to find out what Mr. and Mrs. America think. Each one then will decide for himself-privately, sep arately, individually-and the matter will concern no one else when real freedom once again exists behind its fa~ade. -JOHN C. SPARKS "Behind the Fa~ade" (1964) 483 THEFREEMAN IDEASON LIBERTY The Economics of Good Intentions by Joe Cobb L awmakers often accuse one another of bad motives, or misguided proposals to help the wrong people. But anyone who runs for political office has some ideals about making the world a better place in which to work and raise a family. The economics of good intentions can be seen all around us in every government program that calls for direct action to solve social problems. Every debate is about good intentions versus actual good or bad results. These arguments separate liberals from conservatives, Democrats from Republi cans, and "compassionate" activists from their "special-interest" opponents.