From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Mon Aug 20 2001 - 20:38:34 MDT
Jerry Mitchell writes
> Also, the closest we come to a "golden age of libertarianism" is that
> period of time here in the IS from the country's founding to about 1900.
Actually, the country was closer to maximally free (except for women and
slaves) just prior to 1860. See the book "Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving
Free Men" by Jeffrey Hummel. He documents how the U.S. was actually getting
*more* free following 1789 the closer one gets to 1850 or so.
> A nation with nothing but trees, rivers, and rocks was turned into
> the wealthiest nation of all time! Why didn't this happen elsewhere?
> What is it that we had more then anyone else on the planet. I put
> forth freedom.
Freedom is definitely an important factor. But it was also very
beneficial to have a mostly empty continent to expand into, so that
old institutions, vested interests, and bad traditions and memes
didn't need to be overcome. Suppose that Catharine the Great's
Russia at the same time had been equally enamored of freedom. They
too had a somewhat empty continent; but vast, vast areas of Russia
were already occupied by an extremely poor and backward peasantry.
Moreover, the Orthodox Church was a retarding power to be reckoned
with. Russia, because of these very handicaps, would *not* have
boomed the way that 18th and 19th century America did.
Olga writes
> In the period of time you mention women weren't free even to
> vote - sheesh. (And, sorry, but the slave issue has to be
> brought up -- remember, the USA was supposed to be a democracy,
> and that makes the America's involvement with slavery that
> much more hyprocritical and shameful).
No one is arguing that, Olga. You had asked when the U.S. had
been most libertarian *in terms of the economic benefits* that
accrued to large numbers of people and facilitated enormous
economic growth. Of course it is shameful and (for any patriots)
quite embarrassing. But as Jerry said, in the 19th century
America was still among the most free countries in the world.
Only England, of any major nation, if I recall correctly,
abolished slavery earlier. Likewise, can you tell me what
industrialized countries allowed women to vote earlier than
the U.S. did? (Yes, this is a literal question; I'm not
trying to make any point.)
Lee
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