Political Theory

Paul Cleveland discusses his recent book, The Great Utopian Delusion.

As with East Germany, a liberalized Cuba would still require decades to catch up to its affluent neighbors, economically. North Korea is an even more extreme case. All these cases illustrate that political changes cannot substitute for the hard work of building wealth.

Subsidies, government quotas, and regulations of workers won't make us richer or better off. Only private owners and entrepreneurs can determine the best way to use labor (and capital). 

Years after his death, more students and scholars than ever are reading and building on the work of Murray Rothbard. Meanwhile, the Conservative movement that so often attacked him is quickly vanishing.

Terrorism gripped the headlines again as terrorists struck Brussels, but this latest colossal security failure for Europe and the West is not likely to lead to an evaluation of the value of state security.

Truly cohesive communities can only exist on a relatively small scale. Most people outside these groups will then be seen as "outsiders." Our goal must be to minimize conflicts with these outsiders, and voluntary exchange is our best option.

My most recent post featured links to a radio episode and magazine article that briefly mentioned the plight of citizens as it related to nutrition after the Castro Revolution. If you are interested in learning more about the consequences of socialism for Cuba I recommend the following ...

Pointing out the follies of Western foreign policy is not to apologize for Islamic radicals. It is simply to point toward a way that the West could make a positive impact in favor of ordinary Westerners right now, with the added benefit of being morally correct as well.

In his children's book on life under the Stalin cult, Breaking Stalin's Nose, author Eugene Yelchin examines a child's encounter of the difference between propaganda and reality.

Studies of the improving Cuban culinary scene after Fidel Castro's stepping down from power reminds us of how socialism actually impoverished the people by making their mundane, ordinary lives much more difficult to live.