January 2002
PERSONAL SNAPSHOTS
Forecasts & Strategies

ASTONISHING STORY … MARXIST STUDENTS AND
TEACHER CONVERT TO FREE MARKET!
by Mark Skousen

"All underdeveloped countries are flooded with translations of the writings of Marx, Lenin and Stalin and of the books of all shades of non-Marxian socialism and anti-capitalism.... In no other way can the United States contribute to the improvement of the economic conditions of the underdeveloped countries than by transmitting to them the ideas of economic freedom."— Ludwig von Mises

May I tell you an astonishing story? I have a longtime libertarian friend named Mark Tier. He’s an investment advisor who now lives in the Philippines. Several months ago, he ordered my new book, The Making of Modern Economics, which profiles the great economic thinkers from Adam Smith to Milton Friedman. After Tier finished reading the book, he gave it to Francisco, a 17-year-old student who attends the University of the Philippines.

The Philippines has a highly literate and educated population. Almost everyone reads and speaks English. That’s the good news. The bad news is that for decades the country has been riddled with communist movements and terrorized by left-wing guerrilla groups. The University of the Philippines, called "U.P.," is a hotbed of Marxism.

Influenced by a professor, Francisco joined one of these organizations, the League of Filipino Students. It’s an activist group that claims to "fight for the poor." In fact, however, it’s a front backed by the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, which is dominated by leftist guerrillas.

Francisco was convinced to sign up for a two-week mountain retreat where he would allegedly experience the virtues of peasant life. In reality, of course, it’s an indoctrination camp. Then he picked up my book and read the chapter titled "Marx Madness Plunges Economics Into a New Dark Age." He read it, and he reread it. The impact was overwhelming. The next day, he canceled the trip and quit the League. The results didn’t stop there. Francisco typed the chapter into his computer and e-mailed it to his professor! He worried that the professor might flunk him because of his radical new ideas. But he began talking to other League members and gave them copies of the Marx chapter. Three of them pulled out of the trip, even giving up their bus tickets.

Remarkably, his sociology professor wasn’t mad. In fact, she gave Francisco the top grade in the class! And she immediately went on sabbatical and is rethinking her own view of the world.

The e-mail of the Marx chapter spread like wildfire across the campus. Francisco is getting a lot of thank-you notes and inquiries. Not surprisingly, the Marxist professors are enraged.

Action to Take: Want to make a difference in the world? See why this chapter and others are making a difference. Ideas do have consequences! The Making of Modern Economics is an entertaining and educational way to understand the way the world works. The second printing has just arrived. The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) is offering a discount on the hardback, only $39.95 (normally $74.95) or paperback, only $24.95 (normally $29.95), plus $5 shipping & handling. Call Kathy Walsh at 800/960-4FEE, ext.209, or e-mail kwalsh@fee.org.

FEE ACQUIRES LAISSEZ FAIRE BOOKS

Good News: The Foundation for Economic Education is pleased to announce that we are the new owners of Laissez Faire Books, the largest distributor of books on liberty in the world, thanks to the generous gift of Andrea Rich. Laissez Faire Books is a million-dollar book business with book buyers in 90 countries. For more details, go to www.laissezfairebooks.com and www.mskousen.com.