Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Roman Kireev
“Wherever one observes the transformation of society into one where access to economic opportunity is increasingly contingent upon credentials, one sees the unmistakable hallmark of state interference with the spontaneous order of the market. The moment violence interposes itself between man and his capacity to labor, trade, and create, he no longer lives in a market but under a system of privilege. Protection, in the statist sense, is not about safeguarding the individual; it is about disabling him. Take the case of a man offering surgical services: if he proves himself competent—through outcomes, patient satisfaction, and reputation — that is the only proof the market needs. … Yet, under a statist regime, incompetence is protected by the very credentials meant to eliminate it.” (01/19/26)