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Defending the Undefendable: The pimp, prostitute, scab, slumlord, libeler, moneylender and other scapegoats in the rogue's gallery of American society
 
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Defending the Undefendable: The pimp, prostitute, scab, slumlord, libeler, moneylender and other scapegoats in the rogue's gallery of American society [Paperback]

Walter Block (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)


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Book Description

0930073053 978-0930073053 June 1, 1991 2
Just how far can the principles of individual liberty be pushed? Walter Block pushes them just as far as he can in defense of the activities of scallywags, rogues, rascals, and scoundrels. From the premise that activities involving force and fraud are outlawed, Block defends all of those "capitalist acts between consenting adults" that horrify right-thinking Americans by showing that they are actually beneficial.

"An outrageously funny yet ruthlessly logical book... If libertarians can't speak out forthrightly for individual freedom in unpopular areas, we haven't the courage of our alleged convictions. This book ought to be the cutting edge of the libertarian movement for years to come." -- D.T. Armentano

"Walter Block argues that some of the most socially offensive members of society--including prostitutes, libelers and moneylenders--are 'scapegoats' whose actual social and economic value is not being appreciated. Startling and illuminating! Block's lucid defenses often convince; sometimes they lead us to sharpen our attack. In either case, the reader cannot fail to be instructed and challenged by this mind-stretching, provocative, and occasionally infuriating book." -- Robert Nozick

"This witty and wonderful book is a veritable manual of the 'joy of freedom.' If we were only half as interested in liberty as in lust, we would not have half the problems we have." -- Dr. Thomas Szasz

"It is a magnificent book, a trailblazer. I would call it 'Drano for Clogged Minds,' except that Drano is neither amusing nor stimulating, and this book is both. Buy two copies--one for yourself and one for the person you want most to catch up with you." -- Roger Lea MacBride

"There are things that I strongly agree with and things that I strongly disagree with, but the book throughout is amusingly and sharply reasoned, courageous and always provocative." -- Henry Hazlitt

"Defending the Undefendable made me feel that I was once more exposed to the shock therapy by which, more than fifty years ago, the late Ludwig von Mises converted me to a consistent free-market position. Some may find it too strong a medicine, but it will still do them good even if they hate it." -- F.A. Hayek

"Until Prof. Block's book, no economist had the courage to tackle the moral and economic status of the dozens of reviled and misunderstood occupations in our society." -- Murray Rothbard


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Product Details

  • Paperback: 232 pages
  • Publisher: Fox & Wilkes; 2 edition (June 1, 1991)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0930073053
  • ISBN-13: 978-0930073053
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,244,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Important intellectual ammunition, August 31, 2002
By 
Jacob H. Huebert (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Defending the Undefendable: The pimp, prostitute, scab, slumlord, libeler, moneylender and other scapegoats in the rogue's gallery of American society (Paperback)
This book is famous for the favorable treatments given to pimps, drug addicts, litterers, counterfeiters, and the like.

Those chapters are certainly worthwhile, but for me the best parts were the clear, concise explanations of why people like the often-vilified "slumlord" and "ghetto merchant" -- who charge high prices for low quality in the inner city -- are actually worthy of praise. The simple economic ideas so clearly explained here are essential for anyone who believes in free markets to understand.

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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars So lucid it can't be true!, September 9, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Defending the Undefendable: The pimp, prostitute, scab, slumlord, libeler, moneylender and other scapegoats in the rogue's gallery of American society (Paperback)
I was expecting a standard Rothbardian treatment of vices and I was shocked at this short, easily read book. I bought it in San Francisco, CA, and was finished with it by the time I stepped onto Illinoisian soil. The arguments are straight Mises - amazingly simple, yet profound. It's hard to explain how such simplicity can be found in each chapter. If you are unconvinced, just read any chapter (many are only two pages long) - concerning the miser, the corrupt cop, the pimp, and the advertiser. This isn't Rothbardian in that Murray Rothbard will argue down to the very philosophic principles to prove his point. As an analogy, you don't need to know the quantum mechanics [Rothbard] of the transistors (semiconductors) to know the functions [Block] of your computer. Sorta.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Introduction to Libertarian Principles, September 5, 1999
By 
eunomius (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Defending the Undefendable: The pimp, prostitute, scab, slumlord, libeler, moneylender and other scapegoats in the rogue's gallery of American society (Paperback)
Although many would describe this book as a "hardcore" or "radical" account of libertarian principles, there is nothing in the book that should be shocking or new to any consistent libertarian. Its main virtue is in its consistent and often even amusing application of basic libertarian concepts. I would say that anyone new to libertarianism should read this book, but if you are already acquanted with the standurd radical texts (Rothbard in particular) there is nothing very new here.
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