For those who fought with the war cry "Freedom" President Lincoln was not one.

I am sure everyone has heard it by now since the outcry of
most Americans was an uproar at a statement by Ron Paul on President Lincoln.
Last year, the GMU Economics Society was fortunate to have a lecturer, Thomas DiLorenzo on this issue. Unfortunately we do not have any audio or video of the lecture, but I will link to support the argument as best as I can. I wish only to place some evidence to those looking to comprehend Ron Paul's statement. Not endorsing any politicians as the Econ Society, although the members may have full support for whomever they wish, but do wish to clarify a statement in which many Americans seem to be growing upset towards.
Click read more if interested.


What is taught to children?

• That President Lincoln's nickname was Honest Abe, yet we understand that most politicians do lie. Why should we view him differently?
  The American Indians are led to believe so...
  
• Lincoln saved the Union therefore denying the South the right to secession, yet when Jefferson had installed an embargo on trade with the British the Northeastern states met in convention for secession led by U.S. Senator Timothy Pickering
• Note: Lincoln states he is against state secession in his first Inaugural Address:
  

  But if destruction of the Union by one or by a part only of the States be lawfully possible, the Union is less perfect than before the Constitution, having lost the vital element of perpetuity.

  It follows from these views that no State upon its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the Union; that resolves and ordinances to that effect are legally void, and that acts of violence within any State or States against the authority of the United States are insurrectionary or revolutionary, according to circumstances.

• Lincoln had abolished slavery, yet in his first Inaugural Address he states:
  

  I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.

I leave it to you to decide if Lincoln was as good as we were taught he was, or if he is just another politician that lies, cheats, and steals.
I end with a link to a blog by Mister Snitch! Who does a great job of linking to valid sources to go with his argument on the bad press for Lincoln.

Summer Seminar Series: Acton Institute's Toward A Free and Virtuous Society

My Summer Seminar Series comes to a close. This was my last seminar to attend; a three day event with classes all day surrounded by many like minded individuals. Yes, it can be said about any of the seminars I had attended this past summer, but the difference with the Acton Institute is the topic of religion. Yes, the Acton Institute is Christian institution who uphold free market values.
Their mission:

The Mission of the Acton Institute is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.

The event I had went to was in West Cornwall, Ct. A beautiful area in western Connecticut roughly two hours north of Irvington-on-Hudson, NY where FEE takes its residency. I had taken the drive from DC with a Polish friend I had met at CATO University earlier in the summer. The drive takes half a day, but after you get off the highway and into rural NY and CT, you will enjoy it immensely. This is where I had found myself for three days. In a small town, with a gorgeous residence that housed religious retreats. Their was a small chapel for daily mass, and a larger building within walking distance for lectures. The environment is wonderful and peaceful. Your cell phone does not get a decent signal, but the discussions just as most of the events before are sensational. CLICK READ MORE for the rest...

For those who are unaware, I had joined in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church last Easter in 2007 and quickly found myself in arguments between the free market and what is so called Social Teaching. I give a great deal of credit to individuals with me in my RCIA class especially to a few Graduate Students who helped guide me when questions arose. Yet it was a triumphant day when I had found an institution wanting to clarify the problem I was encountering. This institution is for all the religious minded individuals who seek the truth of liberty. They define themselves in the about us page on their website as:

The Acton Institute organizes seminars aimed at educating religious leaders of all denominations, business executives, entrepreneurs, university professors, and academic researchers in economics principles, and in the connection that can exist between virtue and economic thinking. We exhort religious leaders to embrace the principles of economics as analytic tools in the consideration of economic issues that arise in their ministry, on the one hand, and, on the other, we exhort business executives and entrepreneurs, to integrate their faith more fully into their professional lives, to give of themselves more unselfishly in their communities, and to strive after higher standards of ethical conduct in their work.

I may have my own disagreements with things I was taught at Acton, but there can mainly only be good things said. It is a pleasant place environment with no harsh arguments that are otherwise found in other seminars between disagreeing attendees. Rather everyone is open minded and there for the sole purpose of learning how to lead our society to be come Free and Virtuous. If you are interested in ethics, economics, and liberty then definitely go even if you do not have a great opinion for the religious side. The philosophy applied to religion is a great help in understanding the principle of freedom and thus the philosophy for the free market.

For a longer event with the Acton Institute, check out Acton University where you can even pick the classes you wish to attend.

For Toward a Free and Virtuous Society I rate it a 3.5 out of 5. A great time; a little too short and not enough time for the great arguments to arise. As a note: the event is short so only graduates and upperclass undergraduates are allowed to attend which adds to the environment since you do not have the few who are there only to get away from home and have a good time.
The Church, Freedom, and Economics... What else could someone like me want?

The Berlin Batman

Just run into this... it was posted on the Mises Blog here.

It is Ron Paul's favourite comic, apparently. I just thought it was pretty awesome that Mises figures in The Batman Chronicles!
Link to Paul's full article and comic here.

From The Batman Chronicles #11, written and drawn by Paul Pope, colors by Ted McKeever, letters by Ken Lopez. ©1998 DC Comics.

Summer Seminar Series: Foundation for Economic Education Freedom University

There is something exciting when you make your way through New York City to a suburb off the Hudson known as Irvington-on-the-Hudson. A statue of an old man with a long beard is found down the main street of Irvington, the statue of Rip Van Winkle. The town next to Irvington is another treasure from Washington Irving's fiction, the legendary Sleepy Hollow of the headless horsemen fame, and yes, you can walk down a wooded path towards an old Dutch church depicted in the story.
Yet even with a castle, Irving's home, and the nation's first gothic mansion, Irvington-on-the-Hudson is more fascinating because of an old building that housed some of the most brilliant minds in economics, the Foundation for Economic Education(FEE) located on South Broadway. CLICK READ MORE for the extension.

It is here at the historical home of FEE that brilliant minds are formed. The students receive a room and have a schedule of classes and meetings for the week. The classroom is tiny as it was an addition to the home, but once the classes begin the room takes on a life of its own. There is the chalkboard to which Leonard Read, Israel Kirzner, Ludwig von Mises, and countless of other great minds had taught on. The same podium they stood behind to lecture upon the effects of the market that are perceived by man such as prices and cooperation.

My seminar was the second session for Freedom University the summer of 2007. There was some trouble with housing due to government intervention in the housing for the ladies, but as is proven in the classroom, problems can be overcome.

The lectures were structured to allow the students to grasp the next lecture topic with more enthusiasm. The President of the Foundation and his wife gave lectures themselves and had all the students break into groups for discussion in the evenings. Discussions were not scarce at FEE, I doubt they ever were, but some played Devil's advocate fishing for answers to the questions that could stump the market while others questioned the lecturers on topics of philosophy, ethics, and economics.

I absolutely adored the time at FEE. The sticky summer month of August was just beginning, but it did not keep many of the students from spending time outdoors playing any type of sport they could. It was a bonding moment for students to find others that shared their same interests. The attendees were fascinating. Although the attendees are more up your alley if you are just getting into the subject of freedom and economics or are a young student.

This had to be my favorite place to visit throughout the summer. The lecturers are personal. The building giving you something new to admire no matter what room you are in, and the hospitality was completely admirable as some evenings were spent watching a movie while others you danced with a lesson on swing dancing by one of the lecturers. If you can, sign up for a seminar at FEE. It is worth it even though you do not get any time off to visit NYC. When you have a thing like FEE, there is no need.