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Ludwig von Mises Quotes - Page 11

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The word Capitalism expresses, for our age, the sum of all evil. Even the opponents of Socialism are dominated by socialist ideas.

The word "Capitalism" expresses, for our age, the sum of all evil. Even the opponents of Socialism are dominated by socialist ideas.

Ludwig von Mises
Ideas, Evil, Age
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Socialism - An Economic and Sociological Analysis: The Economist”, p.2, VM eBooks

What makes small business develop into big business is not spending, but saving and capital accumulation.

Ludwig von Mises
Saving, Small Business, Bigs
Ludwig Von Mises, Murray Newton Rothbard (1980). “Planning for freedom, and sixteen other essays and addresses”, Libertarian Press, Incorporated

As the liberal sees it, the task of the state consists solely and exclusively in guaranteeing the protection of life, health, liberty, and private property against violent attacks. Everything that goes beyond this is an evil. A government that, instead of fulfilling its task, sought to go so far as actually to infringe on personal security of life and health, freedom, and property would, of course, be altogether bad.

Ludwig von Mises
Government, Evil, Liberty
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Liberalism: The Classical Tradition: The Economist”, p.38, VM eBooks

The luxury of today is the necessity of tomorrow. Every advance first comes into being as the luxury of a few rich people, only to become, after a time, an indispensable necessity taken for granted by everyone. Luxury consumption provides industry with the stimulus to discover and introduce new, things. It is one of the dynamic factors in our economy. To it we owe the progressive innovations by which the standard of living of all strata of the population has been gradually raised.

Ludwig von Mises
Taken, Luxury, People
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Liberalism: The Classical Tradition: The Economist”, p.19, VM eBooks

Spiritual movements are revolts of thought against inertia, of the few against the many; of those who because they are strong in spirit are strongest alone against those who can express themselves only in the mass and the mob, and who are significant only because they are numerous.

Ludwig von Mises
Spiritual, Strong, Freedom
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Socialism - An Economic and Sociological Analysis: The Economist”, p.39, VM eBooks

Production is not something physical, material, and external; it is a spiritual and intellectual phenomenon.

Ludwig von Mises
Spiritual, Business, Intellectual
Ludwig Von Mises (1963). “Human action: a treatise on economics”

Sovereignty must not be used for inflicting harm on anyone, whether citizen or foreigner.

Ludwig von Mises
Peace, War, House
Ludwig Von Mises (1985). “Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War”, Libertarian Press

Interventionism cannot be considered as an economic system destined to stay. It is a method for the transformation of capitalism into socialism by a series of successive steps.

Ludwig von Mises
Steps, Transformation, Socialism
Ludwig von Mises (2015). “Middle of the Road Policy Leads to Socialism”, p.28, Ludwig von Mises Institute

In capitalist enterprise there is no secure income and no security of wealth.

Ludwig von Mises
Income, Wealth, Enterprise
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Socialism - An Economic and Sociological Analysis: The Economist”, p.342, VM eBooks

Inflationism, however, is not an isolated phenomenon. It is only one piece in the total framework of politico-economic and socio-philosophical ideas of our time. Just as the sound money policy of gold standard advocates went hand in hand with liberalism, free trade, capitalism and peace, so is inflationism part and parcel of imperialism, militarism, protectionism, statism and socialism.

Ludwig von Mises
Philosophical, Hands, Ideas
Ludwig Von Mises (1978). “On the Manipulation of Money and Credit”, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. : Free Market Books

Rulers do not like to admit that their power is restricted by any laws other than those of physics and biology. They never ascribe their failures and frustrations to the violation of economic law.

Ludwig von Mises
Frustration, Law, Liberty

History can tell us what happened in the past. But it cannot assert that it must happen again in the future.

Ludwig von Mises
Past, Historical, Happened

Nobody is in a position to decree what should make a fellow man happier.

Ludwig von Mises
Freedom, Men, Liberty
Ludwig Von Mises (1963). “Human action: a treatise on economics”

Socialism is the renunciation of rational economy.

Ludwig von Mises
Socialism, Economy, Rational
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Socialism - An Economic and Sociological Analysis: The Economist”, p.96, VM eBooks

A short time ago the demagogues blamed capitalism for the poverty of the masses. Today they rather blame capitalism for the "affluence" that it bestows upon the common man.

Ludwig von Mises
Men, Today, Poverty

There were nowhere more docile disciples of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin than the Nazis were.

Ludwig von Mises
Nazi, Docile, Trotsky
Ludwig Von Mises (1947). “Planned Chaos”, p.67, Ludwig von Mises Institute

The foundation of any and every civilization, including our own, is private ownership of the means of production. Whoever wishes to criticize modern civilization, therefore, begins with private property.

Ludwig von Mises
Mean, Civilization, Wish
Ludwig Von Mises (1962). “The free and prosperous commonwealth: an exposition of the ideas of classical liberalism”

Mankind does not drink alcohol because there are breweries, distilleries, and vineyards; men brew beer, distill spirits, and grow grapes because of the demand for alcoholic drinks.

Ludwig von Mises
Beer, Men, Alcohol

Every restriction of trade creates vested interests that are from then on opposed to its removal.

Ludwig von Mises
Restriction, Interest, Trade
Ludwig von Mises (2013). “The Theory of Money and Credit”, p.255, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

Civilization is a work of peaceful co-operation.

Ludwig von Mises
Civilization, Peaceful, Operations
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Socialism - An Economic and Sociological Analysis: The Economist”, p.292, VM eBooks

War prosperity is like the prosperity that an earthquake or a plague brings...but no one has for those reasons yet sought to celebrate earthquakes and cholera as stimulators of the productive forces in the general interest.

Ludwig von Mises
War, Earthquakes, Prosperity

What workers must learn is that the only reason why wage rates are higher in the United States is that the per head quota of capital invested is higher.

Ludwig von Mises
United States, Quota, Reason Why
Ludwig Von Mises (2008). “Planning for Freedom: Let the Market System Work : a Collection of Essays and Addresses”

The unpopularity of economics is the result of its analysis of the effects of privileges. It is impossible to invalidate the economists demonstration that all privileges hurt the interests of the rest of the nation or at least a great part of it.

Ludwig von Mises
Hurt, Liberty, Privilege

The financial history of the last century shows a steady increase in the amount of public indebtedness. Nobody believes that the states will eternally drag the burden of these interest payments. It is obvious that sooner or later all these debts will be liquidated in some way or other, but certainly not by payment of interest and principal according to the terms of the contract.

Ludwig von Mises
Believe, Debt, Way
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Human Action”, p.282, Lulu Press, Inc

It is labor alone that is productive: it creates wealth and therewith lays the outward foundations for the inward flowering of man.

Ludwig von Mises
Men, Foundation, Inward
Ludwig von Mises (2016). “Liberalism: The Classical Tradition: The Economist”, p.10, VM eBooks

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