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Man vs. the Welfare State
In this 1969 work, Henry Hazlitt explains why politicians who promise salvation through government are dangerous. Among the Instant Utopia | Salvation Through Government Spending | "We Owe It to Ourselves" | Consequences of Dollar Debasement | The High Cost of Wage Hikes | Price Controls | More on Price Controls | Who Protects the Consumer? | Famines Are Government-Made | Runaway Relief and Social Insecurity | Income Without Work | Fallacies of the Negative Income Tax | Can We Guarantee Jobs? | Soaking the Rich | Soaking the Corporations | Government Planning vs. Economic Growth | Government as Prosperity-Maker | Welfare State Gone Wild | Inflation Is Worldwide | The Case for the Gold Standard | The Fallacy of Foreign Aid | Government Unlimited | From Spencer's 1884 to Orwell's 1984 | The Task Confronting Libertarians | What We Can Do About It
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225 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
About the author
Henry Hazlitt
77 books387 followersHenry Stuart Hazlitt was an American journalist who wrote about business and economics for such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The Nation, The American Mercury, Newsweek, and The New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 22, 2009
Written in 1968, it reads like it was written yesterday. Cuts to the heart of how government destroys productivity and steals wealth; comes up with the following recommendations to fix it: "reduce the grossly extended powers of all levels of government"; "Stop the profligate spending. Stop the deficits."; "stop expanding the issue of paper money and credit", disband the IMF, return to a gold standard; "Repeal all minimum wage laws", "Stop compelling employers by law to continue negotiating with unions", "Forbid all intimidatory mass picketing"; remove price controls; stop increases in Social Security, housing and farm subsidies, and other "antipoverty" programs; eliminate the progressive income tax; and finally, reduce government to protection from invasion and individual "protection from the aggression, injustice, or oppression of any other member."
June 8, 2021
Clear-eyed critique of deficit spending and government meddling in the market. As relevant today as it was in 1969.
August 2, 2012
This is a great book and still very relevant, in fact its more relevant today than most of the stuff written on politics today!
The welfare state is a self-propelling doom machine and Hazlitt explains why, using both good economic logic and historical examples.
The welfare state is a self-propelling doom machine and Hazlitt explains why, using both good economic logic and historical examples.
August 9, 2016
"Man vs. the Welfare State" is a profound analysis of the effects of the so-called "welfare state" over both the economy as a whole and, in some cases, the groups of people living in it as well. Hazlitt, being very literate in field of economics, especially considering that he was a journalist (and his deep knowledge is something we rarely notice in the profession these days, unfortunately), offers case by case study of the damages of the social programs.
In his book he examines not only concrete projects and endeavors of the state, such as medicare, the pay-as-you-go pension system, and the foreign aid programs, but also dismantles some of the worse theoretical "advancements" of the time. One of the most notable of them is John Kennet Galbrait's view of the dysfunctional free market, in which consumers are almost entirely driven by the advertising industry, lack will of their own, and tend to spend the money they earn for unnecessary products and services.
Of course, Hazlitt does not narrow his analysis in the situation in the United States only, but gives dozens of concrete examples of the disastrous consequences of the welfare programs in other countries as well (probably Uruguay being the most striking example). Furthermore, he explores topics, such the dollar debasement through means of printing money (i.e. inflation), the necessity of the classical gold standard, the effects of price controls, and the need of a genuine free market as a path to economic growth and genuine, not nominal or statistical, enrichment.
One of the extremely interesting parts of "Man vs. the Welfare State" is the comparison between 1884, as presented in the writings of the great classical liberal (in the European sense) Herbert Spencer, and 1984, as presented in the notable novel with the same name by George Orwell. In this section the reader will learn the true history of the regulation in the Anglo-Saxon world by this point (spoiler: there already was a significant level of state regulation and union control over the economy).
In the end of the book he takes some time to examine the necessary steps towards the reduction of the welfare state - a very interesting topic, which, to my knowledge, rarely gets discussed in books.
As a whole, "Man vs. the Welfare State" is an awesome introduction to a very important topic - the effects of the "social" programs over the economy. As such, I highly recommend it to everyone, especially to newcomers to the field of economics.
If you have read my review to this point you may be wondering, however, why after I obviously enjoy the book, it was given only 4 stars. The answer to this is that, albeit profoundly deep and full of historical examples, toward the end of his work Hazlitt openly admits the "necessity" of the state as a keeper of social order. Quite disappointingly, he does so without even considering the opposite, not to mention the total absence of argumentation for his position. This I find to be a shameful "patch" in the otherwise well founded line of thought throughout the entire book, which to me is disturbing enough to reduce the overall rating of "Man vs. the Welfare State" with one star.
In his book he examines not only concrete projects and endeavors of the state, such as medicare, the pay-as-you-go pension system, and the foreign aid programs, but also dismantles some of the worse theoretical "advancements" of the time. One of the most notable of them is John Kennet Galbrait's view of the dysfunctional free market, in which consumers are almost entirely driven by the advertising industry, lack will of their own, and tend to spend the money they earn for unnecessary products and services.
Of course, Hazlitt does not narrow his analysis in the situation in the United States only, but gives dozens of concrete examples of the disastrous consequences of the welfare programs in other countries as well (probably Uruguay being the most striking example). Furthermore, he explores topics, such the dollar debasement through means of printing money (i.e. inflation), the necessity of the classical gold standard, the effects of price controls, and the need of a genuine free market as a path to economic growth and genuine, not nominal or statistical, enrichment.
One of the extremely interesting parts of "Man vs. the Welfare State" is the comparison between 1884, as presented in the writings of the great classical liberal (in the European sense) Herbert Spencer, and 1984, as presented in the notable novel with the same name by George Orwell. In this section the reader will learn the true history of the regulation in the Anglo-Saxon world by this point (spoiler: there already was a significant level of state regulation and union control over the economy).
In the end of the book he takes some time to examine the necessary steps towards the reduction of the welfare state - a very interesting topic, which, to my knowledge, rarely gets discussed in books.
As a whole, "Man vs. the Welfare State" is an awesome introduction to a very important topic - the effects of the "social" programs over the economy. As such, I highly recommend it to everyone, especially to newcomers to the field of economics.
If you have read my review to this point you may be wondering, however, why after I obviously enjoy the book, it was given only 4 stars. The answer to this is that, albeit profoundly deep and full of historical examples, toward the end of his work Hazlitt openly admits the "necessity" of the state as a keeper of social order. Quite disappointingly, he does so without even considering the opposite, not to mention the total absence of argumentation for his position. This I find to be a shameful "patch" in the otherwise well founded line of thought throughout the entire book, which to me is disturbing enough to reduce the overall rating of "Man vs. the Welfare State" with one star.
June 2, 2024
Henry Hazlitt's "Man vs. The Welfare State" is a potent critique of government assistance programs, offering a clear and persuasive argument for those who believe such systems can have unintended consequences. Readers who agree with Hazlitt's perspective will find much to support their views in this well-reasoned book.
Here's why "Man vs. The Welfare State" resonates with those who share its central ideas:
Economic Logic: The book lays out a clear economic framework, arguing that welfare programs can disincentivize work, leading to inefficiencies and decreased overall production. Readers who value individual initiative and a strong market economy will find this perspective compelling.
Historical Examples: Hazlitt doesn't rely solely on theory. He provides historical examples of countries where extensive welfare programs have led to economic stagnation. This approach strengthens his arguments and provides real-world context.
Focus on Individual Liberty: The book emphasizes the importance of individual liberty and responsibility. Readers who believe that excessive government intervention weakens self-reliance will appreciate this focus.
Fans of the book often praise its:
Clarity and Readability: Hazlitt avoids overly technical language, making complex economic concepts understandable.
Challenge to the Status Quo: The book encourages readers to question the effectiveness of existing welfare programs and consider alternative approaches.
Timeless Relevance: While published in 1969, the core ideas remain relevant in today's discussions about social safety nets and government spending.
Here's why "Man vs. The Welfare State" resonates with those who share its central ideas:
Economic Logic: The book lays out a clear economic framework, arguing that welfare programs can disincentivize work, leading to inefficiencies and decreased overall production. Readers who value individual initiative and a strong market economy will find this perspective compelling.
Historical Examples: Hazlitt doesn't rely solely on theory. He provides historical examples of countries where extensive welfare programs have led to economic stagnation. This approach strengthens his arguments and provides real-world context.
Focus on Individual Liberty: The book emphasizes the importance of individual liberty and responsibility. Readers who believe that excessive government intervention weakens self-reliance will appreciate this focus.
Fans of the book often praise its:
Clarity and Readability: Hazlitt avoids overly technical language, making complex economic concepts understandable.
Challenge to the Status Quo: The book encourages readers to question the effectiveness of existing welfare programs and consider alternative approaches.
Timeless Relevance: While published in 1969, the core ideas remain relevant in today's discussions about social safety nets and government spending.
June 4, 2024
Book makes some good arguments, though it's also full of strawmans and unreasonable interpretation of the other side.
Worth reading but with a grain of salt.
Worth reading but with a grain of salt.
October 8, 2016
Excellent
This should be required reading for all school aged children so they can enter the world with a true understanding of taxation and welfare.
This should be required reading for all school aged children so they can enter the world with a true understanding of taxation and welfare.
March 10, 2014
I recommend this book as "sequel" to Economics in one lesson - pretty similar focus and style, some concepts explained from more angles and with more numbers (although these number are very old today and nowhere near reality of today spending, debt etc.)
July 10, 2015
Read this book and you will be worried about the state of freedom in America.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews