Economic Lecture Series -- Timur Kuran

Join the GMU Economics Society and Future of Freedom Foundation in welcoming economist, professor, and author Timur Kuran lecture on "Religious Obstacles to Democratization in the Middle East: Past and Present." 

When: Tuesday February 5th
Where: Enterprise 318
5:30 pm – FREE PIZZA!
6:00 pm – Talk with Q&A
8:00 pm – Social hour at Brion's Grille

Check out the Facebook Event!

ADMISSION: FREE

SPEAKER: Timur Kuran
"Religious Obstacles to Democratization in the Middle East: Past and Present”

Timur Kuran is a Turkish economist, Professor of Economics and Political Science, and Gorter Family Professor in Islamic Studies at Duke University. His teaching and research draw on multiple disciplines, including economics, political science, history, and legal studies.

Presented by:
George Mason University Economics Society
&
The Future of Freedom Foundation
fff@fff.org
(703) 934-6101

Law and Economics Seminar -- Session 3

Join the Economics Society for the third session of our Law and Economics Seminar. We will be continuing our discussion on the Lochner v. New York case. Hope to see you there!

Where: HUB Room 3
When: Monday, November 26 at 6:00 pm

Join the Facebook Event!

Law and Economics Seminar -- Session 2

Join the Economics Society tonight for the Second Session of our Law and Economics Seminar. We will be continuing the discussion on the Lochner v New York case. Hope to see you there!

Join the Facebook event!

Claudia Williamson Video

For those who missed the lecture last night, here is Claudia Williamson on "The Trouble with Aid".

Economic Liberty Lecture Series - Claudia R. Williamson from The Future of Freedom Foundation on Vimeo.

An Analysis of Economic Freedom TONIGHT

Please join the GMU Economics Society and Mason Liberty as we welcome instructor Andy Gillette as he presents on topics and relationships concerning Economic Freedom TONIGHT.

Dewberry Hall: Bottom Floor of the Johnson Center
6:00pm - Zero-price refreshments!
6:30pm - Lecture



Andy Gillette is a Program Manager and Instructor at the Charles Koch Institute. For over four years, Andy has taught numerous classes ranging from classical-liberal philosophy to Austrian economics to Market-Based Management® (MBM®), a management philosophy that applies the principles of free societies within the organization. Andy graduated from Wichita State University (whose mascot is a shock of wheat) with degrees in English literature and entrepreneurship. After starting and managing Effective Tutoring, Inc.—a tutoring corporation focused on mathematics—Andy joined the Charles G. Koch Foundation in 2007 before transitioning to the Koch Institute this year. In addition to teaching, Andy has worked with multiple teams and organizations in a consulting capacity to help them implement aspects of MBM and achieve better results. He resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife Genevieve.

Charles K. Rowley Video

Check out the video from the FFF event with Charles Rowley:

Charles K. Rowley "Liberty and the State: A Virginia Political Economy Perspective" from The Future of Freedom Foundation on Vimeo.

This Week's Upcoming Events

GMU Economics Society Meeting
Wednesday, September 22nd, at 5:00pm
Enterprise 318


Atlas Liberty Café with Peter Boettke
Wednesday, September 22nd at 10am
At the Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC

The Atlas Economic Research Foundation hosts monthly Liberty Café’s. This month’s Liberty Café will focus on the Wall Street Journal article, "Spreading Hayek, Spurning Keynes." George Mason University Professor of Economics Dr. Peter J. Boettke will discuss the current economic crisis, its causes and a free market response. To RSVP for the event, please contact Anca.Rusu@atlasnetwork.org.

A couple of us will be going in together - we're taking the Mason to Metro shuttle at 8:40am and then taking the metro in - if you'd like to join, meet at the Mason to Metro Shuttle Stop right by Rappahannock Parking Deck. Email me at liya02@gmail.com for details or questions.

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145624268808425#!/event.php?eid=154405574577515&ref=ts


Cato on Campus: Balancing Liberty and Security in an Age of Terrorism
Friday, September 24th at 4:00pm
At the Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Come out to the FIRST DC Forum For Freedom Event at the Cato Institute. The event will be featuring David Rittgers, Legal Policy Analyst, Cato Institute; and Michael German, National Security Policy Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union; moderated by Chip Bishop, Manager of Student Programs, Cato Institute.

This will be a great opportunity to meet the Cato Scholars as well as other students from George Washington University, Georgetown, American, Maryland—and more! There will be a FREE reception to follow. To register: http://www.cato.org/events/100924sf.html

If you want to metro in, a bunch of us will be meeting at at the Mason to Metro shuttle at 2:40pm and taking the metro in - if you'd like to join, meet at the Mason to Metro Shuttle Stop right by Rappahannock Parking Deck. Email me at liya02@gmail.com for details or questions. The dress code is business casual. After the event & reception, there will be the Mason Liberty Social (see next event below for details).

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145624268808425#!/event.php?eid=152252314795032&ref=ts


Mason Students For Liberty Social
Friday, September 24th at 6:30pm
Hunan Number 1 - 3033 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA

Hunan happy hours have been a great way for Mason and DC area liberty groups to come together! Come join Mason Liberty again this year for great discussion and networking-Friday, September 24th at 6:30 pm. If you’ll be at the Cato for Campus Event on Friday, all of us will be heading to the social after the Cato event. Hope to see you guys there!

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145624268808425


Economics Society Discussion Group
Wednesday, September 29th at 5pm
Enterprise 318

Next week’s reading will be the first History of Economic Thought paper of the semester before we dive into specific schools of thought. Email us so we can send you the paper!

Be sure to come out to the discussion group and bring your questions!

Additionally, we’ll start using the Econ Discussion Group on Facebook, so be sure to join that as well: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=160522500628158&ref=ts



Reminders:


Students for Liberty Mid-Atlantic Conference
Saturday, October 9th
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Have you registered for the Students For Liberty Mid-Atlantic Conference yet? If you haven’t be sure to do so ASAP! Join Students For Liberty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania birthplace of the Declaration of Independence as Drexel University’s Student Liberty Front hosts the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional Students For Liberty Conference. Come meet fellow students as we improve our knowledge and understand of individualism and free markets. The Mid-Atlantic Conference is your opportunity to meet other students interested in similar ideas and some of the biggest names in the liberty movement. Leave with the skills necessary to be a leader for liberty on campus, a stronger intellectual framework, connections to new friends and organizations dedicated to liberty, and a revitalized vision for the future of the freedom movement. As of now, there are over 100 registered students – you don’t want to miss out!

Registration and attendance is FREE, as are all of the events and meals during the day-long conference. Several members of the GMU Econ Society have already registered, and we're planning on carpooling up there - so if concern over transportation is holding you back, worry no longer! If you have registered for the conference and need a ride, email us back ASAP so we can start planning. And if you’ve registered and would LIKE to drive, let us know how many you’re able to take. The drive is about 2-2 ½ hours. Additionally, accommodations will be taken care of as well – just be sure to note that in your registration application and they will get you connected to stay with students at Drexel. To find out more about the conference and to register, visit: http://politicalconferences.org/2009/10/philadelphia-conference/.

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1188099640258#!/event.php?eid=110082322375037&ref=ts


Fall 2010 Economics Department Welcome Reception
Thursday, September 23, 3-4:30pm
Economics Department, Enterprise 354

Econ majors and minors are invited to come enjoy refreshments and meet professors and advisers. This is a great way to meet other economics students, as well as a way to get to talk to your professors outside of a classroom environment. There will also be a raffle...you can win some free books (possibly signed by some of your professors)!

The Great Depression and the Current Recession: Similarities and Differences

We will be hosting Dr. Robert Higgs to speak at the 2nd installment of the Economic Liberty Lecture Series for the Fall 2009 semester. The topic of the lecture will be "The Great Depression and the Current Recession: Similarities and Differences."

The event will be held in the the JC Cinema (bottom floor of the JC), on Monday, October 5th starting at 5:30pm with a free pizza dinner, followed by the talk with Q&A at 6pm, and then a social hour at Brion's Grille afterward. Brion's Grille is located across the street from George Mason (address: 10621 Braddock Road, Fairfax, VA 22030).

Schedule:
5:30 pm - Dinner
6:00 pm - Talk with Q&A
8:00 pm - Social Hour at Brion's Grille
ADMISSION: FREE

Location: George Mason University, Fairfax Campus
Johnson Center Cinema

SPEAKER: Robert Higgs
Robert Higgs is Senior Fellow in Political Economy for The Independent Institute and Editor of The Independent Review. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University, and has taught at the University of Washington, Lafayette College, Seattle University, and the University of Economics, Prague. He has been a visiting scholar at Oxford University and Stanford University, and a fellow for the Hoover Institution and the National Science Foundation.

Presented by:
GMU Econ Society
www.gmueconsociety.blogspot.com

The Future of Freedom Foundation
www.fff.org

Liberty Fund has an Interactive Room Too Good Not to Share

Most know Liberty Fund for their catalog of books and online library. Now how about a chance to tour their online interactive GOODRICH ROOM. The room's walls have different names throughout history that have helped lead the argument on Liberty. From the Amagi and Gilgamesh to the Declaration of Independence. Each historical figure opens a new tab with a small historical note and its importance for liberty.

If you knew about the catalog but did not know about the online library, then it is time to get acquainted. It is a large database of online materials and difficult to decide where to begin. Liberty Fund has made easier and given us a starting point, HERE. You can log on to create reading lists, share with others, and view other members lists. Can it get any better?

ENJOY!

Thanksgiving

The GMU Economics Society would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Jump over the break for a brief history to why we celebrate Thanksgiving.

William Bradford & America’s (First) Failed Flirtation with Socialism

by Rick Williams Jr.
November 6, 2005

Both state and federal governments in the United States ought to take a very simple lesson from America's first failed experiment with socialism.

The Pilgrims are generally credited with starting the Thanksgiving tradition. What many people forget to attribute to them, however, are business and political practices that would've set America's future on a much different path. America, in fact, would be a very different place today, if not for the actions of one brave man.

It is common knowledge that the Pilgrims settled in America in 1620 for religious freedom. Driven by a desire to worship their Creator free from the decrees of mother England, they risked all they owned to establish a colony at Plymouth and further of the gospel of Jesus Christ. William Bradford left no doubt as to the Pilgrims' intentions:

"…they cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying good foundations, or at least of making some way towards it, for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remote parts of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work."

Bradford was born in the small English village of Austerfield in 1590. His parents died when Bradford was a young child. Bradford's grandparents, along with some uncles, raised the young orphan and taught him the trade of "husbandry." William was a sickly boy and, in addition to studying history, philosophy, theology, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, the young lad looked to the Scriptures for comfort. Bradford embraced Christ and, as he grew, he increasingly came under the influence of the Separatists. Despite the disapproval of his family, Bradford fully accepted their beliefs. He united with the Separatists and, due to the persecution in England; he fled with the sect to Amsterdam in 1608. It was from Amsterdam, at the age of 30, that Bradford and the Pilgrims decided to strike out for the New World.

The Pilgrims knew that the new Colony would need a means of support—an economy. King James I of England also knew this. As the late and renowned free-market economist Kirk Russell noted:

"When the Pilgrim leaders sought from the king of England, James I, his permission to settle in America, James asked his chief secretary, 'What profit might arise in the part they intend?' 'Fishing,' the secretary replied. 'So God have my soul,' declared King James, 'tis an honest trade. 'Twas the Apostles' own calling.'"

So the Pilgrims' plans were to catch fish, dry them, and ship them back to England—hopefully at a profit. This group of highly intelligent and highly motivated men presented their plans to a group of British merchants known as The Virginia Company. The Pilgrims were able to secure from these merchants an investment of 7,000 English pounds—a large sum of money in those days. With this money, the Pilgrims were able to purchase supplies, seed for crops, tools, and also hire a ship to carry them across the Atlantic—the Mayflower.

On December 16, 1620, the tiny ship loaded with "tools and weapons, a stock of dried and salted foods, a few goats, pigs, and chickens" landed at Plymouth Rock. Their hardy Christian faith and work ethic enabled them to hang on with tenacity, despite battles with the elements and Indians. The Pilgrims also experienced the devastating "Starving Time" when half of them perished from malnutrition, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. This time of want was due primarily to their unbiblical economic system.

For the first two years of the settlement, the colonists labored under an economic system that they called, "The Common Course and Condition." This was a primitive and simple form of socialism. The family households commonly shared whatever products they could produce. If one family worked diligently, rising early, working hard until sundown, and produced a bumper crop, while his neighbor lay in bed until noon and produced little, they shared equally the sum of both. There was no incentive to work hard and apply one's God-given talents and abilities. This system produced consistent shortages. There was never enough food for everyone. It also produced squabbles among the colonists. There was resentment and envy—predictable results in socialist economies. Fortunately, the colonists had elected a young, but wise and godly governor for the colony—William Bradford. In 1623, Bradford recognized the failure the "Common Course." Bradford would later write that this failed economic system "was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment."

Bradford had a better plan. Each family would be given a piece of land based on the size of their family. Larger families received larger tracts. Each household was allowed to grow corn for their own families and to do with it what they wished. The results were phenomenal.

"This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use."

While under the original system, the women of the colony had complained that they were "oppressed." The Pilgrims experience proved that a biblically based economic system could provide liberty and a "family-friendly" means of production: "The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn." Bradford had recognized that "the primary agency of economic planning is the family, as the primary owner of property." Bradford realized that the family and ownership of the means of production were an unbeatable economic formula. This recognition caused the economy of the fledgling settlement to flourish and when 60 more settlers arrived in 1623, there was more than enough food for them as well. And despite continued challenges from Indians, pirates, and sometimes harsh weather conditions, the little colony prospered as God blessed their steadfast faithfulness.

Bradford's unwavering faith in God amazed even the Indians. During one particularly dry season, the colonists had no other option but to pray for rain. Bradford would later write how God abundantly answered that prayer:

"The rains came, without wind, or thunder or any violence and by abundant degrees it wetted the earth and soaked the crops. Within a quick period of time, the decayed corn and other fruits began to wonderfully revive. Even the Indians were astonished to behold the transformation. And afterwards all through the hot summer months, God sent seasonable showers. Through God's blessings, He caused a fruitful and liberal harvest to our comfort and rejoicing."

A group of Puritans would also establish a colony in Salem in 1630 and the economic foundations laid by these two groups would eventually make America the financial powerhouse it is today.

William Bradford went to be with his Savior on May 9, 1657 at the age of 68. The lessons Bradford and the Pilgrims have taught us have allowed them to become "stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work" and made America the primary source of funding for missionary endeavors around the world. It is a lesson our nation so desperately needs to revisit.

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Richard G. (Rick) Williams, Jr. is an insurance industry professional, writer, and publisher – www.VirginiaGentleman.com – living in rural Virginia with his family.

Williams is the author of The Maxims of Robert E Lee for Young Gentlemen (Pelican - 2005) - a Conservative Book Club selection - and Christian Business Legends (Business Reform Foundation - 2004).

His articles have appeared in the Washington Times’, Homeschooling Today Magazine, and on several popular web-sites. Williams also writes a regular column, Business Lessons from History, for Business Reform Magazine.

Williams served twelve years in Virginia government as a magistrate and as a political appointee of Virginia Governor George Allen. Williams may be contacted at: contact@virginiagentleman.com.

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