Source: The Daily Economy
by Vincent Geloso
“As early as 1927, Ludwig von Mises spoke of statism as the ideology that gives primacy to the state over the individual. At that time, he had only glimpsed the beginnings of 20th-century totalitarianism. The worst abuses of Bolshevism were still largely hidden or still ahead, and Italian fascism was in its infancy. He used the French term etatisme to describe this primacy that led the State to take an ‘active and permanent part in economic affairs.’ But as totalitarianism gained ground and with the start of World War II, Mises realised that his definition was too technical — it missed why statists embraced their ideologies. Thus, starting with his (excellent) book Omnipotent Government, Mises began using the term ‘Statolatry’ to describe the sacralization of the state and the power it wields over individuals.” (10/21/24)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/stop-sacralizing-the-state/