...thesis, we consider them in the order they appear in the journal issue.

Batten and Szilagyi

These authors exhibit a bit of confusion about Mises' views on limited government vis-a-vis anarcho-capitalism. They (Batten and Szilagyi 2005: 43) claim Mises takes a position 'opposing taxes' and sees 'none at all' as the proper role for government. Not so, not so. Mises saw a very limited, but important, role for the state. These authors maintain that we favour a 'stateless social order'. But this is difficult to reconcile with our statement (Block and Barnett 2005: 32) that 'coercion is occasionally necessary'. (1)

We object to their claim that 'a powerful corporation may impose ...' In the completely free society, firms can only have moral and economic power (ability to buy and sell, build, etc.) but not the political power necessary to 'impose'. Even now, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, and so on, have no ability to control others against their will at all; they have only great wealth, for as long, that is, as they continue to satisfy customers. Otherwise, they would go the way of the Nash Automobile Company, United Shoe Manufacturers and Texaco, Pan American World Airways and Braniff International Airways. (2) The only politically 'powerful corporations' at loose at present are those that are given special favours from the state; under laissez-faire, there would be no such thing.

Batten and Szilagyi (2005: 44) claim that 'markets are rarely, if ever, efficient'. Compared with what, we should like to know? To government? No one who has lived through hurricane Katrina and her aftermath could make any such statement. Similarly, the 'recent corporate scandals involving WorldCom and Enron' are eloquent testimony to the health of markets....

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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