Comments on: Friendly Societies: Voluntary Social Security and More

By: Of Malice and Straw Men | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Of Malice and Straw Men | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:57:28 +0000

[...] that harms the most vulnerable; and as if free individuals, restricted to peaceful methods such as mutual-aid associations and contract, would be incapable of hedging against the risks of [...]

By: The Good Life, No. 3: Will « Trying Liberty

The Good Life, No. 3: Will « Trying Liberty — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:49:24 +0000

[...] didn’t provide insurance and commercial insurers were unstable, Americans relied on private mutual aid societies. These associations were classically American: friends voluntarily united in order to offer [...]

By: Had Enough Yet? | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Had Enough Yet? | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:27:22 +0000

[...] It’s hard to be optimistic that the mountebanks running the government will do anything sensible in the near future. Until there is a deep rethinking about government, the public will not accept the near-term drastic budget cutting required to head off a fiscal crisis, much less the longer-term structural steps needed to prevent a repetition of what we’ve been through. People will need to understand that while the wish for “social security” in an uncertain world is entirely reasonable, the route to it is not Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security – which tether people to the political class — but freed markets and voluntary mutual aid. [...]

By: The State Is Not Great: How Government Poisons Everything

The State Is Not Great: How Government Poisons Everything — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 23:38:20 +0000

[...] Historical Voluntary Mutual Aid Societies: http://www.thefreemanonline.org/featured/friendly-societies-voluntary-social-security-and-more/ [...]

By: Steven Handel

Steven Handel — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:24:44 +0000

So the market CAN adopt voluntary “socialist” solutions with great efficacy. Awesome, awesome article!

By: Who’s Afraid of Socialism? | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Who’s Afraid of Socialism? | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:25:01 +0000

[...] for wanting the security the welfare state promises. That’s ridiculous. When I lecture about mutual aid, I make the opposite point: The wish to create islands of relative certainty in life’s sea of [...]

By: Food Stamps Lose Their Stigma | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Food Stamps Lose Their Stigma | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:32:16 +0000

[...] Timely Classic “Friendly Societies: Voluntary Social Security And More” by John [...]

By: Less Antman

Less Antman — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:07:36 +0000

@Nick

David Beito’s FROM MUTUAL AID TO THE WELFARE STATE is a superb book about the rise and fall of these organizations.

By: Nick Klein

Nick Klein — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:39:16 +0000

This really is invaluable information. Do you know of any books that were written on this issue? I’m very interested in learning more about these organizations. Thanks.

By: Phebe Pecs

Phebe Pecs — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:57:17 +0000

Thank you for this invaluable information which I will study carefully and follow with coming to Bohemian Hall, to hear you speak, and hopefully, say hello.
I thought (being a writer), that you might want to consider changing a possible error. On line 14, in paragraph 4, you have the phrase “serf-help” and I’m pretty sure you mean “self-help”:
line 14:
“were voluntary serf-help associations, organized by the members themselves. The workers regarded the”
Considering the context….!
Sincerely and respectfully yours, Phebe Pecs