From The New York Times, “Richard Cornuelle, Libertarian Author, Dies at 84“:
Richard Cornuelle, a libertarian writer whose best-known book, “Reclaiming the American Dream,” championed volunteerism as a means of addressing social problems like poverty, unemployment, delinquency and urban blight, died on April 26 at his home in Manhattan. He was 84.
Published in 1965, “Reclaiming the American Dream” was Mr. Cornuelle’s first book. In it, he used the phrase “independent sector” to describe the network of existing voluntary associations — foundations, churches, labor unions, trade groups and fraternal organizations — that, he argued, could marshal their resources to solve a range of contemporary ills more efficiently than government could….
In the 1950s, Mr. Cornuelle was vice president and editorial director of the Princeton Panel, a center for the study of American capitalism; he was later executive vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers.
In reading about Cournelle (pronounced Cornell), we discovered a jeremiad against the NAM of the 1970s in his book, “De-managing America: the final revolution (1975).” The tone is harsh, and the passages ask a trade association to be something it is not, but that was 35 years ago. It’s an interesting read.
Peter Boettke, a professor of economics at George Mason University, also cites the book in a tribute to Cornuelle in a blog post, “The Passing of a True Prince of Modern Classical Liberalism: Richard Cornuelle (1927-2011)“: (continue reading…)