The Iron Fist Behind The Invisible Hand

Political pamphlets/chapbooks are effective ways of getting ideas out in an effective and inexpensive way. At their best, they are comprised of one or two well crafted essays that explore an idea and link it both to historical expressions and practical applications. Carson’s work is one of the better anarchist pamphlets I’ve come across from a North American writer. He doesn’t come across as either dogmatic or opportunistic. He is very much aware of the work of other theorists and efforts to test these theories in practical expressions. I am not convinced by his arguments, particularly his opposition to patents, but would have to work hard to rebut them. I did enjoy his comparisons between contemporary corporate types and traditional courtiers in a brief section dealing with the current role of the state in subsidising the risks of corporations involved with such harmful technology as nuclear power plants. (Brian Burch)

political pamphlet, $2, Kevin A. Carson, Red Lion Press, Box 174 Succ. D, Montreal QC, H3K 3B9, [email protected]