• "Well written, well researched, and the thesis put forth is well argued.... Woods has opened up an area of historical analysis that should invite further study."
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    -Barry Goldwater Jr.
    Former Member of Congress

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    U.S. House of Representatives

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  • "An excellent reading source for anyone interested in financial markets, and much more so for anyone interested in learning about capitalism without all the misinterpretations being thrown about in the financial media."
    -Asia Times

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    -Catholic Historical Review

  • "An engaging and important contribution to scholarship on the history of American Catholicism."
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  • "Woods and [co-author Kevin] Gutzman appeal to both left and right in this constitutionalist jeremiad…. The authors' exegeses of the Constitution and court decisions, heavy on original intent arguments, are lucid and telling."
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  • "A marvelous read. Every chapter taught me something new and unexpected."
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How Murray Rothbard Changed My Mind on War

My remarks at the Mises Institute’s 30th anniversary event last weekend. I hope you like this one.

Unlearn the Propaganda!

  • David Schuman

    Your the man Tom! Wish I had your patience in trying to convince people that statism is wrong! Keep up the great work

  • Jeremy

    Tom, you are ALWAYS a pleasure to listen to. God has given you several gifts and you’re using them to the fullest.

  • Anonymous

    Oh, youtube, will you EVER give Tom a break? Still, at least you only look snobby in this frame :)

  • Anonymous

    It was even better the second time. I enjoyed the wealth of goods offered by the Mises Institute for years without offering an exchange, because my background is more “left-libertarian” than “right-libertarian” and Mises.org was a guilty pleasure for a while. Your unique combination of scholarship, evident to anyone reading your books, and evangelical gifts made me a member and supporter as well. Thanks for finding the faith and keeping it and spreading it.

  • guest

    When Ron Paul corrected Rick Santorum about the CIA’s 1953 coup, is when I started questioning my government’s motivations for war.

    I was also wondering how much crow I was going to have to eat in any future discussions I might have with sympathizers of the radical Marxist 60′s anti-war protesters, who were obviously enemies of the free market.

    Ron Paul had accidentally built up some capital with me in the form of the many people on the Right who were somehow against Ron Paul’s position on the gold standard. I felt that, whatever problems these guys had with his foreign policy, he’s right about the gold standard – it’s right there in the Constitution we all claim to want to restore. What’s the problem?

    And then I learned that he called the housing market crash and couldn’t understand how anyone could want anyone else in the Presidency, even IF they disagreed with his foreign policy; Because, even if he doesn’t want to go after Muslim radicals over there, at least if we have a thriving economy rather than the crap one we have now, we’ll be able to handle attacks such as 9/11.

    It really was a no brainer, even if you were a neocon.

    And then, like I said, I heard Ron Paul say some crazy stuff about 1979 being a result of OUR OWN CIA enacting a coup against another country; And while I was still going to vote for Ron Paul [still am; write him in, no matter what!] for his economic policies, I was pretty sure I was going to have to write off his foreign policy as loony because my country just doesn’t do those kinds of things – commies do that kind of crap – not free-market America.

    Here are some great videos to show those who still think America fights our enemies over there so that we don’t have to fight them here:

    Is Ron Paul serious? Blowback in 1979 from a 1953 coup?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldgbOxDX6DE

    Ron Paul Predicted 9/11 a Decade Ago!!!!!!!!!!!!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hJTisovvjc

    Ron Paul’s 2002 Predictions All Come True – Incredible Video!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifJG_oFFDK0

  • http://twitter.com/ksa4liberty Susan Westfall

    Weird question I’m sure, but who could you see out of the corner of your eye? It seemed like your audience understood, but I didn’t understand the contextual reference. By the way, you too have been quite inspirational to many in the freedom movement, probably for more years than I realize.

  • http://www.TomWoods.com Tom Woods

    Martin, it was great to have a chance to meet you. Thanks a lot for the kind words.

  • http://www.TomWoods.com Tom Woods

    Professor Peter Klein was policing the speakers to be sure we didn’t go over our allotted time.

  • http://police-state-watch.blogspot.com/ JTWilliams

    Ah, you mean the old “I wont apologize for freedom” defense? It’s like, some kind of sick meme with the neocons. If the US govt bombs foreigners, it’s somehow in the name of freedom, even if they’re taking out a liberal, democratic govt in favor of tyranny!

  • Susan Westfall

    Thanks for taking the time to answer.

  • guest

    Well, for the neocons it’s about “What’s the alternative?”

    If we bomb them over there (not intentionally targeting citizens, mind you), then yes there is collateral damage for a time; But if we don’t, then these crazy towel heads will just keep on attacking us for no reason.

    What choice do we have, under that paradigm, but to go over there and do the best we can until they get it through their thick skull that they can’t just attack us for no reason.

    (I mean, really, what kind of person TARGETS civilians, like in 9/11? That’s not even remotely consistent with having a legitimate gripe against the US.)

    And the reasoning behind the support of setting up bases in other countries was so that our enemies couldn’t use other countries for assistance or to grow.

    I didn’t consider it “occupation”, since the intent was to end the fanaticism so we could live in peace, and then to get out. I couldn’t care less what they did with their lives after that, if they’d just stop attacking us for no reason.

    Like I said, though, learning about the 1953 oil coup was what allowed me to think that my country could act like the commie countries we claimed to abhor.

    I should quickly add that it was, in fact, BECAUSE America had adopted Socialist policies that we did such things.

    And yes, Fascism is essentially Socialism:

    Corporatism Is Not the Free Market
    http://reason.com/archives/2012/02/03/corporatism-is-not-the-free-market/singlepage

    The Vampire Economy and the Market
    http://mises.org/daily/5963/The-Vampire-Economy-and-the-Market

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1340156204 Mike Abshier

    Citzenry demand effectively that a Constitutional Amendment be passed with at least the following points: 1) At such time that national debt exceeds 3% of GDP, all currently sitting legislators be permanently ineligible for running for reelecton. 2) All legislators must be subject to all laws that they subject the rest of American inhabitants to. 3) All government pension funds shall immediately be funneled into Social Security and all government employees shall be subject to social security participation as other Americans. 4) Government employees can purchase their own IRA with same restrictions as apply to other Americans. 5) All government employees will participate in the same health insurance as other Americans.

    Well you get the picture – no special perks for government employees that other Americans do not receive, since after all, those who work in the private sector and whose property is confiscated by those in power, subsidize said special perks.