Quote Of The Day

"My mother taught me as a child that you don’t take other peoples’ property without asking. She also taught me that we are all endowed with the ability to improve our lot in life. It’s an individual’s responsibility to be a good steward of her talents by using them to enrich herself and her society. As my interest in economics matured I read books describing the structures of wealthy societies. In them, I recognized the basic principles my mother taught me. The difference between a country like my native Kenya and a wealthy country like the U.S. is not difficult to identify. In countries where basic property rights are respected as law, people prosper. In places where this idea is disregarded, people suffer. I am also greatly affected by the work of French political economist Frederic Bastiat and, in particular, his book The Law. Bastiat based his idea of justice on respect for private property rights. His words sparked my interest in studying African laws and their relation to individuals’ ability to prosper." — June Arunga, Kenyan-born libertarian journalist, lawyer, and filmmaker, on the rule of law, private property rights, and prosperity