When Mises Met MMA

It’s not often that you hear the brilliant Austrian school economist Ludwig von Mises referenced in the public sphere. And it is particularly unusual to hear him referenced in the aftermath of two men engaged in brutal mixed martial arts (MMA) combat. But that’s exactly what happened on April 14, when Brazilian fighter Renato Moicano, fresh off his impressive defeat over Jalin Turner at UFC 300, gave Mises a “shout-out.”

Here’s the family friendly version of what Moicano yelled out to the crowd in the post-fight interview with MMA commentator and podcaster supreme Joe Rogan:

“I love America, I love the Constitution… I love the First Amendment… I want to carry… guns. I love private property. Let me tell you something. If you care about your… country, read Ludwig von Mises and the six lessons of the Austrian economic school.”

If you want to listen to the unedited version in all its passionately profane glory, click here, but be warned that it is NSFW (not safe for work).

Now, I did not watch UFC 300 last weekend, as I was attending my favorite sporting event of the year, the Long Beach Grand Prix.

Your editor enjoying the fast action at the Long Beach Grand Prix

I did, however, get a slew of text messages that night about Moicano’s Mises shout-out from multiple friends, who asked me basically the same version of the following: “Did you see that, Jim? Moicano sounds like you!”

That night, I had to look up the clip, as it went viral for its unique and passionate message. Indeed, the clip even made it to intellectual circles, with the likes of Dr. Jordan Peterson commenting on what Moicano said.

“This is unspeakably great,” commented Peterson, who went on to write via Twitter: “What a world. The satirists are Christian; the left shills for Big Pharma and the deadly boxers have become profound economic philosophers.”

And in a testament to the power that social media connections bring, Moicano then replied on his Twitter feed to what Peterson wrote, saying: “I cannot believe Jordan Peterson the man himself retweeted this!!! Thank you so much doctor Peterson.”

The Mises shout-out also was celebrated by the Mises Institute, a thinktank devoted to promoting “Austrian economics, freedom and peace.”

Here’s what the Mises Institute had to say about Moicano’s message:

Moicano’s endorsement of Mises is a credit to the growing Austrian economics movement in Brazil, which has not only enjoyed success within universities and the political system but also culturally. Despite the imposition of socialist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the extreme crackdown on free speech being imposed on the nation through the court system, as highlighted by Elon Musk and journalists on X, the Menos Marx, Mais Mises movement that captivated Brazilian politics in 2016 continues to bear fruits.

Increasingly, MMA has become an arena for free thinkers to push back against progressive ideology across the globe. The UFC was among the first major brands to push against covid tyranny, and a number of its fighters have utilized their podiums for political messages that go against corporate-approved narratives. None, however, are as subversive as promoting the wisdom unique to Mises and the Austrian school.

Now, if you’ve been a reader of The Deep Woods for even a short time, you know that I love to bring the realm of ideas into seemingly disparate fields of human endeavor, and that’s exactly what Moicano did with his Mises shout-out on Saturday night.

But what is all the fuss about? What are these “six lessons” being praised by a professional athlete from Brazil?

As the Mises Institute writes: “The ‘Six Lessons’ Moicano references is the book Economic Policy by Mises, which was one of his most successful popular books. Republished in Brazil as ‘Six Lessons,’ Economic Policy covers important topics such as capitalism, socialism, inflation and more.”

Fortunately, the Mises Institute has made it easy for us to read Economic Policy for free, and I recommend you do so, as it will widen your thinking about the importance of these ideas to a well-functioning society.

Hey, if a mixed martial arts champion can devote time to reading, understanding and promoting Mises, surely you can, too.

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Until They Throw Me in a Box

“I see all these old people who don’t have anything to do but eat, drink and sleep. I will never say ‘retired’ because that’s such a finality that I don’t want to be part of my life. I’ll work until they throw me in a box.”

–Mario Andretti

The racing great always pushed it to the limit during his driving career, and he keeps pushing things to the limit. In the quote here, Andretti basically echoes my thoughts on the subject of “retirement.” I have no plans to retire, ever, because what I have the privilege of doing each day (writing about this beautiful existence) is something that I intend to do until they “throw me in a box.”

Wisdom about money, investing and life can be found anywhere. If you have a good quote that you’d like me to share with your fellow readers, send it to me, along with any comments, questions and suggestions you have about my newsletters, seminars or anything else. Click here to ask Jim.

In the name of the best within us,

Jim Woods