The State of Freedom and Justice
Government as If People Matter Most
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd
Published:1st Jul '16
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Few have given much thought to how a state of freedom and justice should be organized. This book is the result of the author’s 35-year odyssey in search of an answer. He has taken a multi-disciplinary approach, reading widely over many years in the realms of Politics and Economics, Sociology and Philosophy, History and Law. This approach has led to some fresh insights which do not fit into the current left wing/right wing political analysis straitjacket. Comparing the consensus theory of the origin of the state, popularized by Rousseau, with the less well-known conflict theory as expounded by Franz Oppenheimer, the author argues that most states have arisen from the conquest of one class over another, or one tribe over another. Thus the modern state is characterized by a ruling class exercising the coercive power of the state, denying freedom and justice to the rest in varying degrees. Thus the state can be our greatest enemy – the 20th century provides plenty of evidence for that. To counter the abuse of power, the author follows the work of Frederic Bastiat in describing a minimal state, limited to the defence of the territory and to maintaining law and order.
"The author's greatest source of hope rests on generating widespread support for Henry George's proposed shift from taxation to the economic rent of land as the source of public revenue. He takes the time to explain what this would accomplish as well as offering a plan for how it would be implemented." Edward J. Dodson, Senior Researcher, The Henry George Birthplace Archive and Historical Research Center
ISBN: 9780856835100
Dimensions: 235mm x 159mm x 15mm
Weight: 286g
176 pages