Dear Nation: It Won't Work

"When the course of civilization takes an expected turn, when instead of the continuous progress which we have come to expect, we find ourselves threatened by evil [or economic crisis] we blame naturally anything but ourselves. Have we not all striven according to our best intentions, and have not many of our finest minds incessantly worked to make this a better world? Have not all of our efforts been directed towards greater freedom, justice, and prosperity? If the outcome is so different than our aims, if instead of freedom and prosperity, bondage and misery [and tough economic times] stare us in the face, is it not clear that sinister forces must have foiled our intentions, that we are the victims of some evil power which must be conquered before we can resume the road to better things?

However much we may differ when we name the culprit, whether it is the wicked capitalist or the vicious spirit of a particular nation, the stupidity of our elders, or a social system not yet overthrown -- we are all certain of one thing: that the leading ideas which during the last generation have become common to most people of good will and have determined the major changes in our social and cultural lives cannot have been wrong."

-F.A Hayek


P.S. Is all change good?