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Articles by Lawrence Reed
Lessons from the Telegraph
The Obama and Biden administrations thought they knew what the energy of the future will look like, so they squandered billions of your dollars on solar and wind companies that went broke. Too bad they never learned about the failures of government in the early 1800s when politicians thought they knew what the future of communications looked like. Did you know that the federal government first controlled the telegraph business?
In Defense of the Constitution
There’s a fringe view out there that says the Framers of the Constitution exceeded their authority in creating the document because the states called for “revising” the Articles of Confederation, not abolishing and replacing them. No state, however, instructed its representatives that “replacing” the Articles would violate their mission.
Animals We Can Learn From
There’s an old story worth retelling about a band of wild hogs which lived along a river in a wild and remote area. With socialists taking over the Democrats and promising “free” everything, its message is timely. These hogs were a stubborn, ornery, independent bunch. They survived floods, fires, freezes, droughts, hunters, dogs and everything else. No one thought they could ever be captured. One day a stranger came into a town not far from where the hogs lived and went into the general store.
Edith Sampson vs. the Illusions of Communism
The pioneering lawyer and diplomat who stood up to the USSR. In November 1933, the new administration of Franklin Roosevelt extended official diplomatic recognition to Stalin’s Soviet Union. The Soviet dictator’s murderous Holodomor in Ukraine was well underway.
Poisoned History
Dr. Jody Edward Ginn is a Texas historian and museum professional. When he learned about how the taxpayer-funded Smithsonian Institution in Washington has distorted American history to showcase left-wing ideologies, he decided to go find out for himself how bad it is. It’s worse than he expected. At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, he was appalled at what he saw. He told a major news outlet, “It is a museum for activism.
Socialism has never worked. It won’t work in Mamdani's New York
New York City Mayor and self-proclaimed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani promised that “the warmth of collectivism” would do wonders for the Big Apple and prove to be a good example for the rest of the country. So far, the free buses, free child care, government grocery stores, rent freezes and other costly promises are on the back burner while higher taxes are front and center. Mamdani is not the first person to attempt socialism in practice.
How Washington Won the War
Integrity, decorum, respectful discretion, and proper conduct. This essay by FEE’s President Emeritus Lawrence W. Reed is drawn largely from his forthcoming book, “Born of Ideas: How Principles, Faith, and Courage Forged America,” available for pre-order now on Amazon.
How Washington Won the War
Integrity, decorum, respectful discretion, and proper conduct. This essay by FEE’s President Emeritus is drawn largely from his forthcoming book, Born of Ideas: How Principles, Faith, and Courage Forged America, available for pre-order now on Amazon.
Reed: Dwie tak różne rewolucje — dlaczego Ameryka wybrała wolność, a Francja – terror
Źródło:thedailyeconomy.org Tłumaczenie: Jakub Juszczak Dlaczego rewolucja amerykańska zakończyła się sukcesem, podczas gdy rewolucja francuska nie przyniosła oczekiwanych efektów? To doskonałe pytanie, które pojawia się niemal za każdym razem, gdy ktoś wygłasza wykład na temat jednego z tych przełomowych wydarzeń — lub obu naraz. Odpowiedź wymaga przeglądu zagadnień z zakresu filozofii, charakteru, religii i polityki. Najpierw ustalmy założenie leżące u podstaw samego pytania.
Revolutions Worlds Apart: Why America Chose Liberty and France Chose Terror
Why did the American Revolution succeed while the French Revolution failed? It’s an excellent question that comes up almost every time anyone lectures on either — or both — of these fateful events. The answer requires a tour through philosophy, character, religion, and politics. First, let’s establish the premise behind the question itself.
A robber baron who never robbed
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his deep-seated income bigotry when he declared that billionaires should not exist. America has about 1,000 billionaires. You could seize every penny of wealth they own this year, every asset they possess from cash to stock to property, and run the federal government for about as long as a pregnancy. Then next year, you would get nothing from any of them.
Reed: Ciemna strona raju — krótka historia amerykańskich eksperymentów utopijnych
Źródło:fee.org Tłumaczenie: Jakub Juszczak Poniższy artykuł opowiada historię słynnej utopijnejspołeczności , której istnieniezakończyło się fiaskiem. Aby jednak przedstawić szerszy kontekst, pozwólcie, że najpierw opowiem historię z czasów mojej młodości. Ponad pół wieku temu miałem w gimnazjum kolegę, którego nigdy nie potrafiłem rozgryźć ani wpoić mu odrobiny zdrowego rozsądku. Był prawdziwym marzycielem. Uwielbiał fantastykę naukową.
The Conscience of the Revolution
Two centuries before “women’s lib,” in the run-up to America’s Revolutionary War, Mercy Otis Warren was already a liberated woman by the standards of her day. And she did the liberating herself. With America’s 250th just weeks away, let’s remember the role she played. Warren was an accomplished poet, playwright, pamphleteer, and historian — though much of what she wrote was anonymous, in part to get a hearing where a woman might not otherwise be listened to.
Can a Free Society Survive Without a Spiritual Foundation?
Can a Free Society Survive Without a Spiritual Foundation? By Lawrence W. Reed (The following is adapted from the author’s opening remarks at a panel discussion with Syed Kamall and Florian F. Windberger at LibertyCon Europe in Madrid, Spain, April 24-26, 2026. The question put to the panel is, “Can a free society survive without a spiritual foundation?” My friend Syed’s website is here.) What does it mean to have a “spiritual foundation”?
From Pencils to Smartphones
Retelling Leonard Read’s story for the 21st century. When Liberty International in collaboration with Libertarianism.org engaged me a year ago to apply the insights of Leonard E. Read’s famous 1958 essay, “I, Pencil,” to the smartphone, I eagerly accepted the challenge. All of us involved in the project believed that it was time to “update” the essay by adapting its message to a product everybody uses today. Why?
The Life of Frédéric Bastiat
Frédéric Bastiat, 1848, and the cover of his book “The Law.” Émile Desmaisons/Lithograph by Auguste-Hilaire Léveillé/National Library of France, Public Domain Two hundred and fifty years ago last month, the Scottish philosopher and economist Adam Smith’s monumental work, “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations,” was published. Its lasting impact means that it belongs on any list of the 100 most influential books ever written. We had a problem loading this article.
Reed: Co mówia dzieje Polski i Wenezueli
Źródło:lawrencewreed.com Tłumaczenie: Jakub Juszczak Tłumaczenie za zgodą autora Słońce wschodzi na wschodzie i zachodzi na zachodzie — tak jest od niepamietnych czasów. Nie ma żadnych dowodów na to, że choćby raz słońce wzewszło na zachodzie, a zaszło na wschodzie. Żadnych. To jedna z tych niepodważalnych prawd, których wszyscy kiedyś się uczą, ka tórych nikt nigdy nie zapomina i której nikt przy zdrowych zmysłach nie ważyłby się podważać.
Reed: Życie i twórczość Fryderyka Bastiata
Źródło:fee.org Tłumaczenie: Jakub Juszczak W marcu 2026 mija 250 lat od wydania monumentalnego dzieła szkockiego filozofa i ekonomisty Adama Smitha pt. Badanie o naturze i przyczynach bogactwa narodów. Jego nieprzemijający wpływ sprawia, że zasługuje ono na miejsce na każdej liście 100 najbardziej wpływowych książek, jakie zostały kiedykolwiek napisane. Wybitni nauczyciele wychowują równie wybitnych uczniów.
The Life of Frédéric Bastiat
France’s great classical liberal. Two hundred and fifty years ago this month, the Scottish philosopher and economist Adam Smith’s monumental work, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, was published. Its lasting impact means that it belongs on any list of the 100 most influential books ever written. Great teachers produce great students.
Reed: Tyrania, o której należy pamiętać
Źródło: fee.org Tłumaczenie: Jakub Juszczak Krótkie, ale krwawe interregnum Wang Manga (9-23 r. n.e.). Uzbrojony w oręż oraz wyposażony w monopol na jego użycie zgodnie z funkcjonującym prawem, jeden mężczyzna (lub kobieta) może wyrządzić światu ogromną krzywdę. Dodajmy do tej mieszanki jego ego, arogancję i zapędy dyktatorskie, a krzywda może rozprzestrzenić się daleko i szeroko, nawet na całe pokolenia.
How Rome’s Middle Class Lived-and What Happened When It Fell
For most of us, especially those of us who think about it a lot , the Roman Empire conjures up famous names of such men as Caesar, Augustus, Nero, Marcus Aurelius, and a few others of the imperial elite. We might also think of grand structures like the Colosseum, the Appian Way, and the Pantheon, or massive spectacles from gladiator duels to races at the Circus Maximus.
How Rome's Middle Class Lived — and What Happened When It Fell | The Daily Economy
For most of us, especially those of us who think about it a lot, the Roman Empire conjures up famous names of such men as Caesar, Augustus, Nero, Marcus Aurelius, and a few others of the imperial elite. We might also think of grand structures like the Colosseum, the Appian Way, and the Pantheon, or massive spectacles from gladiator duels to races at the Circus Maximus.
A Hero Americans Must Never Forget
Have you ever received a letter that changed your life? We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.
A Hero Americans Must Never Forget
Image: bronze statue of Nathan Hale by Bela L. Pratt, | Credit: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress Reflecting on Nathan Hale (1755–1776). Have you ever received a letter that changed your life? On July 4, 1775, a full year before the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, a 20-year-old Connecticut man named Nathan Hale received such a letter.
Give God Grateful Thanks for Our Founders, by Lawrence Reed
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Classical China’s Gifts to the World
The “Four Great Inventions”: the compass, paper, printing, and gunpowder. Sinologists speak of the “Four Great Inventions” of China. The infamous “one-child policy” is not one of them; that is a political contrivance of more recent times and is producing a demographic catastrophe (see The Ultimate Central Planning Nightmare). The Four Great Inventions are the compass, paper, printing, and gunpowder.
Are We Good Enough for Liberty?
Are We Good Enough for Liberty?, a book by Lawrence W. Reed Lawrence W. Reed asserts that individual character—integrity, responsibility, and moral courage—is the indispensable foundation of a truly free society, arguing that liberty demands more than rights; it demands virtue. Through practical examples and reflective essays, Reed explores how personal ethics shape public culture and the health of liberty, urging readers to embody the principles they advocate.
The Spirit of a Pioneering Pilot
AD The story of Harriet Quimby (1875–1912). Commentary The best-known female aviator (“aviatrix” in the parlance of bygone years) is undoubtedly Amelia Earhart. A record-setting pilot and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, she is assumed to have died in 1937 in the Pacific while attempting to circumnavigate the globe.
The Spirit of a Pioneering Pilot
The story of Harriet Quimby (1875–1912). The best-known female aviator (“aviatrix” in the parlance of bygone years) is undoubtedly Amelia Earhart. A record-setting pilot and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, she is assumed to have died in 1937 in the Pacific while attempting to circumnavigate the globe. But before Amelia Earhart, there was Neta Snook, who taught Earhart how to fly.
A Tribute to Ed Feulner
The legacy of a movement builder. Every good founder nurtures his institution, especially in its earliest years, just as he would his own newborn child. Long hours and sleepless nights are to be expected. Navigating setbacks, finding new sources of revenue, forming a competent staff, and keeping them all on the same page: those are among the endless challenges of building a successful organization. Many who try will fall short in talent or perseverance.
America: The Roman Connection – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
(Editor’s Note: As America begins its 250th year, it is fitting to draw attention to the great people and ideas that made it possible. Neither the Declaration of Independence of 1776 nor the Constitution of 1787 appeared out of the blue. A remarkable intellectual enlightenment preceded them. In this essay for The American Spectator, economist and historian Lawrence W.
A Tyranny to Remember
Wang Mang’s brief but bloody interregnum (9–23 AD). Armed with weapons and a monopoly on the use of legal force, one man (or woman) can do a world of harm. Add ego, arrogance, and dictatorship to the mix, and the harm can spread far and wide, even across generations. One tyrant’s fancies become curses upon society, the effects of which may linger long after the tyrant is gone. This is an iron law of the human experience. The ancient Chinese emperor Wang Mang provides a prime example.
The Chinese FDR - FEE
Reshaping the economy in Imperial China. For 4,000 years, from 2070 BC to 1911 AD, one imperial family after another ruled China. The longest period in which a single family exercised power was 790 years, while the average tenure was 228 years. Most Westerners are familiar with the Tudors, Stuarts, and Windsors of England, or the Romanovs of Russia, but few are aware of the names of Chinese dynasties such as the Zhou, Han, or Ming, let alone the notable figures associated with them.
The Inspiring Teresa Teng
AD The pop star who stood for freedom. Commentary After the Soviet Empire expired in the 1989–1991 period, commentators worldwide revealed the autopsy results. The patient died of terminal socialism, a disease characterized by backward economies, massive shortages, and the absence of competition in both political and economic life.
The Inspiring Teresa Teng
The pop star who stood for freedom. After the Soviet Empire expired in the 1989–91 period, commentators worldwide revealed the autopsy results. The patient died of terminal socialism, a disease characterized by backward economies, massive shortages, and the absence of competition in both political and economic life.
FEE’s 80th Shaped by FEE’s 21st
Meditating on a 1967 pamphlet by Leonard E. Read in light of FEE’s upcoming 80th anniversary. At a speaking engagement last November on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, an old friend gave me a pamphlet published in 1967 by FEE. His name is Dr. Pete Crabb, and he teaches Economics at NNU. Titled Reflections on Coming of Age: FEE Faces the Future, the pamphlet’s author was none other than FEE’s venerable founder, Leonard E.
Paper Money as a Weapon of War
Think of HMS Phoenix as a miniature Federal Reserve on the sea. Ships of Britain’s massive Royal Navy, the largest in the world, inflicted great damage on American ports, property, and vessels during the years of the Revolution (1775–1783). Perhaps none of those ships wreaked more havoc than HMS Phoenix, and it accomplished its devious work not with a cannon but with a printing press.
Sí, Marx defendió la violencia y la represión política
Hace poco me sorprendió un extenso artículo que leí (muy extrañamente) en el Wall Street Journal. Jacob Berger es profesor de filosofía en el Lycoming College de Williamsport, Pensilvania. El 23 de enero escribió un artículo en el WSJ titulado «Por qué los seguidores de MAGA deberían leer a Marx», en el que escribió: Dada la historia de regímenes comunistas asesinos como la Rusia de Stalin, la China de Mao y la Camboya de Pol Pot, es tentador deducir que Marx fomentó la tiranía.
Give Me Liberty!
Commentary In St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, delegates from around the colony gathered to discuss matters that would rile Britain’s distant King and set Virginia on a path to rebellion. It was March 23, 1775. One man, a homeschooled and self-taught lawyer who became a prominent planter and a member of the colony’s House of Burgesses, rose to speak.
DOGE Exposes Waste and Constitutional Drift
President Donald Trump in his first address to Congress highlighted some of the wasteful spending targeted by the Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE under Elon Musk is tasked with eliminating waste, ending fraud, identifying harmful regulations, and holding the bureaucracy accountable.
Remembering Oscar dePriest
On June 12, 1929, America’s First Lady Lou Hoover hosted one of several social gatherings at the White House for the spouses of newly elected members of the US House of Representatives. The tea party for congressional spouses was a polite and quiet tradition, a courtesy that Presidents’ wives hoped would encourage goodwill between the legislative and executive branches of government. But this one produced an uproar. What was the problem?
Remembering the Ides of March
In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, a fortune teller warns the Roman potentate to “Beware the Ides of March.” In the calendar of the time, this meant the 15th. Caesar paid little heed, and on March 15, in 44 BC, he was assassinated by senators eager to restore the fading Republic. If I had been in Rome on that date, I might have applauded the deed. Caesar, after all, was no friend of the liberties of the Republic.
Remembering the Ides of March
Commentary In Shakespeare’s play, “Julius Caesar,” a fortune teller warns the Roman potentate to “Beware the Ides of March.” It was a warning that something awful might happen to him on that date which, in the calendar of the time, meant the 15th. Caesar paid little heed and on March 15, in 44 B.C., he was assassinated by senators eager to restore the fading Republic. If I had been in Rome on that date, I might have applauded the deed.
Yes, Marx Advocated Violence and Political Repression
Commentary I was recently taken aback by a lengthy piece that I read (very oddly) in the Wall Street Journal. Jacob Berger is a professor of philosophy at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He authored an article in the WSJ on Jan. 23 entitled “Why MAGA Folks Should Read Marx,” in which he wrote: “[G]iven the history of murderous communist regimes like Stalin’s Russia, Mao’s China and Pol Pot’s Cambodia, it is tempting to infer that Marx encouraged tyranny.
Yes, Marx Advocated Violence and Political Repression
Image Credit: John Jabez Edwin Mayall - Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 2.0 We have the receipts to prove it. I was recently taken aback by a lengthy piece that I read (very oddly) in the Wall Street Journal. Jacob Berger is a professor of philosophy at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
MAGA Can Learn From Marx and Communism? Please!
I was recently taken aback by a lengthy piece that I read (very oddly) in The Wall Street Journal. Jacob Berger is a professor of philosophy at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He authored an article in the WSJ on January 23 entitled “Why MAGA Folks Should Read Marx," in which he wrote, [G]iven the history of murderous communist regimes like Stalin’s Russia, Mao’s China and Pol Pot’s Cambodia, it is tempting to infer that Marx encouraged tyranny.
Reflecting on the Gold Democrats
The official platforms of American political parties are often short on substance and long on platitudes. Sometimes they are a mishmash of contradictions and promises that won’t be kept. Almost nobody reads them even in the year of their adoption, let alone a century later. Except for me. I’m a history buff. Among the many platforms I’ve read over the years, I do have some favorites. One was that of a faction of the Democratic Party known as the Locofocos (see “Additional Reading” below).
DOGE and Joe Dodge
The stark numbers documenting Washington’s shameful profligacy should petrify anyone concerned about financial sanity and America’s future. The shortfall between revenues and spending in the most recent fiscal year exceeded $1.8 trillion, a sum larger than the entire federal budget in Ronald Reagan’s first year as president. Interest on the national debt now consumes more taxpayer dollars than national defense.
Equality: Good or Evil?
Memorize the following line, teach it to your children, and shout it from the rooftops every chance you get. It’s one of the most important truths you’ll ever learn or teach: Free people are not equal, and equal people are not free. Your first reaction might be, “I thought equality was supposed to be a wonderful thing, something we should all strive for, but this sounds like a rejection of it.” As the old saying goes, the devil is in the details.
Albert Gallatin and the Free Trade Convention of 1831
Author’s Note: This is the third of three essays about America’s longest-serving Treasury Secretary, Albert Gallatin (here are Part 1 and Part 2). All three are dedicated to my good friends, the Eddy Family of Spicewood, Texas—faithful supporters of FEE and direct descendants of the great man himself, Albert Gallatin. In the year 1831, Albert Gallatin celebrated his 70th birthday.
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