Our Wise Overlords Are Just Here to Serve Us | Thomas E. Woods. Jr.

Presented by Tom Woods at "The Delusion of Good Government": the Mises Circle in Colorado Springs, Colorado; 18 September 2010. Sponsored by Pikes Peak Economics Club. Includes an introduction by Douglas French.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.

[@Xasew]

"Everything needs to be abolished, and here's why." This is awesome.

[@bentleyemory6821]

instablaster...

[@88spammer]

I Could put Tom Woods on Replay 24/7

[@rusche0105]

I essentially do

[@Whutup549]

Tom Woods is one of the most entertaining and informative speakers of our time

[@jadedmastermind]

Tom Woods is quickly becoming one of my favorite Austrians.

[@kimberlywood7783]

This comes as a good word, valid 10 years later.

[@reapfreak]

It's amazing the number of anarchists out there. Gives me some hope.

[@Foerdi94]

That guy sounds pretty compassionate to me more so than many Corbyn-like socialists.

[@Paetaor]

My son goes to a catholic school and it's amazing. He is a year ahead of where I was at his age. At 8 he was doing presentations in multiple languages.

[@shad2529]

Tom woods is the go to

[@panpiper]

I watch virtually all Mises videos, or at least listen to them while doing other tasks. But I experience a special glee when I see a Tom Woods video posted. He is a wonderful and absolutely engaging speaker. His command of history, his ability to show example after example of how freedom works or how it has been stymied, is simply unparalleled. I am so thankful that there is a Tom Woods in this world.

[@truthhub4625]

My wife and I really enjoyed being at this Mises Circle event. Tom is awesome!

[@capitalist4life]

This should be required viewing for anyone who goes to tea parties.

[@truevoice08]

@atilliar Tom Woods really does show flashes of Rothbard here. I believe the man has been successful in standing on the shoulders of the great Austrians. He has added a wide and deep knowledge of history to sound economic theory and knows how to use facts to smash enemies. Long live the great Austrian tradition!

[@soapbxprod]

Tom, BABY!! give 'em Hell! Bravo!

[@dennist3hmenace]

Mises Media is quickly becoming one of my new favorite channels! Keep up the good work. Great talk by Woods, he always delivers.

[@IvanTheHeathen]

@CurtHowland PT 3 - The Mises Institute is a treasure trove of knowledge, and I love and profoundly respect the work that all the distinguished scholars and speakers there do.

[@atilliar]

Thomas Woods, is the next Rothbard. I don't think a greater complement could be given. Hats off to you sir.

[@rumco]

Tom Woods is one of the best liberty speakers ever.

[@fsujag54]

"Where would we be without them? Well I'll tell you where we'd all be. We'd all be crawling around in the dirt, searching for worms. Trying to sustain ourselves in one way. Looking for nutrients in the dirt. Because that's where we'd all be without government. " -Tom Woods

[@fsujag54]

Love this.

[@Knaeben]

I didn't realize he was so pro-government

[@CurtHowland]

I wish there was some way to make people watch this video and pay attention. This one talk encapsulates more economics and history than most highschool graduates have ever heard.

[@IskalkaQuest2010]

Amen, Tom. "We do not have to live under such a system..." God bless. Posted on my FB page.

[@CurtHowland]

@Panpiper His presentation in "Economics for Highschoolers" received a standing ovation from the students. How many history teachers receive that?

[@bartj777]

Thomas Woods does it again! Thank you so much for sharing these.

[@Visfen]

Thanks for this birthday present :)

[@lolguytiger45]

I wish the physicians today would go read some Tom Woods.

[@gibbo675]

Tom Woods explains clearly that if you are free to improve your own life then you are also free to improve the lives of others. Free enterprise that has its wealth stolen by government in the form of taxes prevents the improvment of life through free enterprise and inhibits the real helping of others. Charity does indeed begin at home not in the form of wasteful taxation.

[@benderkt]

"Though he maybe small, he is fierce!"

[@Mavrilon]

Great lecture as always, Tom !

[@barrywilliamsmb]

I am so glad I watched this video. And yes, the mises site looks awesome, too. Thanks very much for this.

[@CNCAddict]

@LunkwillFook I believe in one of his recent shows he praised the US military. The only good form of "defense" would be a voluntary one (militia) or private protection agencies. I do agree that John Stossel is very close to believing in true liberty, and it is wonderful that he has his own TV show. Things are definitely changing towards the better!!!

[@WeirdestGuy29]

@utubehayter I agree. I'm just pointing out that Dr. Woods said, "provide welfare". That is a distinction that people choose not to make (assuming Dr. Woods meant "promote") because if they did, it would throw the notion out the window that government should do anything but say, "Hey folks you should save your money just in case you go broke". That is promoting welfare.

[@Pwecko]

Come in at 1:55 to avoid the annoying introduction. This is a great speech. Listen to it, take notes and think about it.

[@CurtHowland]

@IvanTheHeathen Thank you. I found the Mises Institute in 2000, and have been devouring the daily articles, free books and media ever since. I recommend Mises University, and especially the seminar "Reassessing The Presidency".

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 I'm economics major. I know what the term "free entry" means. Technological barriers are one of the limits to free entry, by any reasonable definition. They would be consider such by any professional economists, even Austrians. High speed ISPs are a natural monopoly because of current technology. There is no threat of competition. I don't doubt that more competition will develop over time but the question is what to do in the interim period.

[@LunkwillFook]

great speech.

[@bjarnet3]

I have huge hopes for the future,,, mostly because of people like this and their highly educated followers... Bruce Fein = Freedom & constitution judicial expert,,, Peter Schiff = Free marked Economic genius,,, Judge Napolitano = Constitution imposer,,, Tom Woods = Preacher of Economic and political Common sense. Ron Paul = The Godfather of liberty (Not just in America,, but all over the world). The freedom message is powerful and RUN PAUL HAS BEEN RIGHT ALL THE TIME... Search him up & see...

[@IvanTheHeathen]

"Everything needs to be abolished, and here's why.." Come to think of it, THAT should be the subtitle of the book, or at least printed verbatim somewhere on the book where it would be visible. I suspect that would help to sell a lot of copies! P.S. Thank you Tom Woods for introducing me to Austrian Economics. "Meltdown" was the first book concerned with economics I've ever read (closely followed by "Economics in One Lesson"). I bought it the day it came out. I've been an Austrian ever since.

[@IvanTheHeathen]

@CurtHowland PT 2 - I've read "Human Action," "Man, Economy and State," "America's Great Depression," "Democracy: The God that Failed" (the book that turned me into an anarcho-capitalist) and many other works of the Austrians since discovering them. I'm reading "Theory and History" now and have just ordered a book by Jesus Huerta de Soto on business cycles. The knowledge they have provided me with has allowed me to make thousands of dollars on the stock market and from gold and silver.

[@MsExodus2000]

To have a" Good Government",we need good intelligent good people to serve our nation. Like this person,and other speakers of misses media. I find them interesting to listen with their topics.lectures and program. Our little knowledge,they help expand it and understand the meaning of life. They stand for the goodness of common people. I wish he'll run for president in the year 2016!. I love this guy and I am hook with all his show in you tube and lead me to other. I am sure to buy their books.

[@DireHippo]

Always a magnificent speaker. Also, Tom looks like he's slimming down a little bit. Good for him!

[@ScarletWitchJakarta]

Bernanke: "I weel tear you Mises to pieces!"

[@ourmanthejoker]

brilliant.

[@JennWest-Liberty]

..when they took our states republic constitutions and replaced them with State of ... constitutions. They issued birth certificates with "legal" names. Applications in Texas the VS109 states "MOTHERS LEGAL NAME" "CHILDS LEGAL NAME" a legal name is something you give a thing, like a corporation or a business. In the 1840's or so Texas ceded SOME of its lands to the United States for the purpose of erecting military reservations. Babies legal names are Registered and parents are issued "Certificates" as proof of their registration. In order to play in the quasi public/private field of quasi government banks such as the federal reserve and all its quasi government creations you have to show proof of your legal entity - which is not really you. Back when the constitutions were authorized by the people they said, we the people of the Republic of Texas... now days they don't say that. In the congressional record of about 1864 it shows that Mr. COWAN asked Lincoln WHO were the people and Lincoln said there were two definitions according to his attorney - 1. the people (democracy) and 2 the people of congress (aristocracy). Either way they have made it de facto when Lincoln placed the states into districts and put them under military control and making them into legal identities instead of lawful creations of the people.

[@Distortion0]

@petmensan It depends on which area of the country you're talking about. Much like Health Insurance ISPs tend to dominate the market share in a particular area. Where I live Brighthouse controls most of the market.

[@FrameByFrameStudios]

In short, yes.

[@gergenheimer]

@masonkiller666 most contemporary anarchists, minarchists, and anarcho-capitalists realize that they must take incremental steps toward the desired goal, which is a society where the sovereignty of the individual is inviolable. The argument of nullification is about defiance of illegitimate power grabs by a central authority. From the anarchist's perspective, holding the powers-that-be accountable to their own legal framework is just poetic justice and good entertainment.

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 Yeah, I don't know much about the internet in Canada. In the US I'm pretty sure the regulation is minimal, especially compared to the high technology costs. I would support running ISPs as utilities, just acknowledging that there's a high market concentration and that there may be certain regulation needed for markets with high technology costs. It's definitely not the same in the US, anyone can form an ISP if they can afford it.

[@Hashishin13]

@Distortion0 I know for a fact that here in Canada Bell has a monopoly on telephone lines, so by extension they have a monopoly on DSL. Any new start up companies have to contract with them if they want to offer DSL, and if you have to contract with your direct competition just to get into the market, thats not freedom, or really competetion. I'm pretty sure its the same with cable except its Rogers that has the monopoly. As I said before I was talking to someone from the US he said its the same

[@CurtHowland]

"Everything Needs To Be Abolished, And Here's Why" Just make that the title of the book.

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 I can't speak for anything outside of my own experience but poor people tend to be poor because they immigrate. I'm descended from German and Lithuanian immigrants who fled their unstable countries at the beginning of the 20th century. My family has largely been stuck in minimum wage jobs for generations now. I'm going to be the first one in my family to finish college, largely because my mom befriended a entrepreneur.

[@DiatomicAnemone]

Saw him at the OKC Ron Paul Rally the night before the Oklahoma Republican State Convention. Great guy! Very funny :)

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 If by "Free market" you mean a market with minimal government regulations, than monopolies absolutely exist in a free market. A good example is ISPs. The technology required to run an ISP is expensive and requires immense skill and time to maintain. This makes the number of ISPs minimal. Walmart also uses the government to get free healthcare of its employees, something it greatly profits from and something that wouldn't be possible in a universal healthcare system.

[@Hashishin13]

@Distortion0 free entry is a technical term meaning no thugs are going to come shut you down and you don't have to beg the government for some license which they could deny you. Sure they can scharge slightyl more if there is no current competition, but the threat of competition jining prevents them from acting like a true, government granted monopoly. Government granted monopolies have no incentive to keep cost down or innovate, single firms with free entry do.

[@IvanTheHeathen]

@CurtHowland PT. 1 - I discovered it 2 years ago at the age of 16 when I became curious about the exact reasons why the united states fell into the economic crisis that it fell into. Since then, I have read Austrian Economics voraciously and now have even begun to debate my (neoclassicist) economics professor on methodology and why empiricism is so epistemologically inadequate for economics. When he said, "Economics is a quantitative discipline," I just wanted to slap him.

[@Worldslargestipod]

I'm in the class he's mentioning

[@WeirdestGuy29]

Tom, you forgot that the Constitution says "Promote the General Welfare". That's quite a different thing than "providing" it.

[@CurtHowland]

@TheConstitutionMan He got a job teaching.

[@Bender711]

It is almost prophetic listening to this after the "shut down". They only shut down the things people like if the budget is cut. They do this even if it cost more than to leave them open.

[@jimgrieser9381]

10:35, 19:16, 25:22, 27:35 Defense, welfare, and regulation

[@Hashishin13]

@Distortion0 Would there be free entry to the market of ISPs? Yes there would be, therefore there is no monopoly possible. It doesn't matter how many people are actually providing the service, even if its only one. As long as there is the threat of competition companies have to provide cheap services. If their profit margins get too big that is a signal to other companies to enter the market and underbid them. Since capitol, and thus business focus flows to profitablility, monpoly is impossible.

[@monkeyfire087]

@fluff125 I think it is important to distinction between traditional anarchism and Anachro-Capitalism. He is of course the later.

[@pretorious700]

people who blindly denigrate the Austrians really should listen to Tom Woods with an open mind....if they can.

[@dynomyght]

@successfulbuild Absolutely. Eh not, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War I, Gulf War II, Invasion of Afghanistan, Israel-Palestine war, Iraq-Iran war, War in Kashmir, Civil wars in African countries. Just because you are not affected by war doesn't mean that others aren't affected by the war btw most people affected by war are dead so you can't hear their stories.

[@petmensan]

@Distortion0 I suppose if you really hate using one of the monopoly ISP's you can always use a free one.

[@petmensan]

@Distortion0 Out of the roughly 4,000 ISP's in America, which one would you say is the biggest monopoly? I don't think monopoly means what you think it means.

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 How are ISPs licensed by the state? I've never heard this before.

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 Yeah, I don't support the current system and agree that a lot of organizations are just plain useless. But, I think that private firms aren't necessarily better. Monopolies in the private sector tend to support authoritarian governments anyway, since such governments can shut down their competition. I consider poverty to be the point where your next week's meals or shelter are of questionable certainty. But also think that generationally stagnant wages are bad as well.

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 Natural monopolies are not created by legal licensing, they're created by high capital costs. That's what makes them natural monopolies and not legal monopolies. Concentration in high speed ISPs is do to high costs and most utilities are also examples. If you want to argue that some kind of legal protection made the concentration happen, I'd be interested to hear that argument but I don't see how you can say "There are no natural monopolies' given the examples of them.

[@Knaeben]

Those wise overlords that hold private illicit and corporate power... yes, they are a danger just like those 'wise' people in government... All power should be questioned, not just one source. When speakers ignore one aspect of power, that is a definite red flag.

[@EvansEasyJapanese]

I like the intro music - what is it?

[@roymarshall_]

@032125 It's kind of like how some of the Mises people say "voluntary sector" instead of "private sector." Be more specific in the terminology, and it's harder for the media to twist it. I see more and more often the term voluntaryism used. It sure describes it better. It's nothing too abstract or crazy, but simply asking for the non-initiation of force in society.

[@jadedmastermind]

Forgive me for a bit of levity, but at 2:00 I thought of an old Mike Myers SNL bit: Talk amongst yourselves. a chick pea is neither a chick nor a pea. Discuss!

[@UnhappyTestTubeBaby]

Is it just me, or are the titles of these lectures getting bolder?

[@Hashishin13]

@Distortion0 There aren't monopolies in a free market. Its impossible. A free market MEANs free entry for competition. Large firms buy off the government right now, authoritarianism as its commonly understood isn't neccessary. The FCC, FDA and all the other regulators favour the large ffirms over the small ones. Walmart literally uses the state to force people into selling their land through expropriation.

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 How is there "free entry"? The entry is incredibly expensive by any measurement of cost. The companies aren't threatened by the potential of competing companies because they know how difficult it is for companies to enter the market. Profitability isn't the only factor that's important here, you have to consider the incredibly high upstart cost and the extremely limited skillpool. If the market corrected itself, it would do so only with extreme lag.

[@stevenavarro]

@STAB1L Boya! Heja Sverige!

[@Hashishin13]

@Distortion0 What I'm saying is that there AREN'T any examples of them. Utility companies are licensed and regulated by the state, so are ISPs. Both of these examples you have given are literally direct examples of government monopolies, utility companies and ISPs are granted local monpolies. Monopoly means one firm only, excluding all others. The Austrian definition states it more clearly that it has to be state granted because one firm in free competition still has potential competition.

[@Hashishin13]

@Distortion0 Well in the current system the government takes at least half your income when all is said and done. On top of this they spend the money on things like bombs and troops which they use to invade other countries, not exactly a productive use of resources. If the state were toned down or eliminated we would all be vastly wealthier. In addition if you consider "poverty" being able to afford a computer, internet probably a TV, roof over your head and food, go look at real poverty.

[@roymarshall_]

@603881 This is what confuses me; if he's an anarchist why did he write nullification, which is about using the state to solve problems.

[@LunkwillFook]

don't forget about John Stossel

[@tallswede80]

yeah, right. tell that to Galileo or martin luther or any of the protestant reformers who were burned at the stake.

[@thegeneralstrike6747]

Here here Thomas Woods Hahzaah Hahzaah Hahzaah

[@Turin-Fett]

Did your pfp have black and yellow in it two years ago?

[@jimgrieser9381]

20:44

[@LunkwillFook]

@CNCAddict Stossel talks about important stuff from a liberterian point of view. As far as I'm concerned he's an anarchist, maybe he has to disguise this "fact" in order to stay on air on fox? However, it is better to have him than not, don't you think? There are only two guys on mass tv (Judge Napolitano is the other guy) - few enough. Or do I miss someone (I'm not american an can only watch US tv via ytube or filehosters)

[@hngldr]

Umm... since when did Rothbard say Christianity should rule the world? Ever read the Anatomy of the State? It's quite short yet quite a good read that shows his positions quite well. He doesn't want anybody ruling anybody, and wants power to be as individualized as possible

[@efrem1]

Union 76? Cornering the emissions market? I am shocked, just shocked!!!

[@comesahorseman]

👍👍👏

[@Xasew]

@masonkiller666 Because he's being pragmatic. If it's possible to get the states to fight the federal government, then why not if it slows or reverses the advances of statism? Kind of like some anarchists vote for non-anarchist representatives if they believe the person they vote for is going to try to maximize freedom.

[@Hashishin13]

@Distortion0 That isn't "causing" poverty. thats extending it. How did the person get poor by demographics in the first place? IT also depends on the idea, I think rappers have a leg up over someone who lives in berkely. If you had a really good idea and took it to a bank or venture capitalist you would probably not be much worse off.

[@towncenter7602]

The government isn't going to tell me how to do my job. They can do it and since I have to tell them how to do their job maybe I should be doing their job. Sounds like we should switch

[@TheTowerDark]

@UnhappyTestTubeBaby agreed, probably because the problems they address are getting worse.

[@Paul-A01]

Whats with the ominous music at the end? I'm kinda getting mixed signals here.

[@misesmedia]

@603881 Tom Woods and Doug Casey discussing "Is Limited Government an Oxymoron?": kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKHQoqxvqahnq6s

[@rumco]

@masonkiller666 Read last chapter of Rothbard's Ethics of Liberty to find out how can an anarchist aspire to bring about Liberty.

[@Distortion0]

@Hashishin13 It's easier to get investment from people you know than it is from people you don't. Because of this it tends to be easier for people in wealthy areas to get a leg up. If you have a workable business idea and you live in Berkley you're going to have a lot easier of a time making it work than you would if you lived in Compton NJ.

[@TheUndercoverAthiest]

He's got the highest degree on earth (PhD). Why would he "bask in the prestige" of having an MD, which is only considered a bachelor's degree everywhere except the US?

[@hozehd]

@fluff125 cling to the state if it makes you feel good.

[@KagarBeardtooth]

@032125 It's a shame for sure. I've abandoned the term "anarchist" and instead call myself a "voluntaryist", which is essentially the same thing except it doesn't carry the nasty implications that society has attached to anarchism. Either that or I call myself a libertarian if I don't feel like explaining what voluntaryism is.

[@SeanMauer]

State secession is the path to freedom....the video.

[@CNCAddict]

@LunkwillFook Unfortunately John Stossel is still a minarchist. I hope one day he comes around to true freedom.