Political Theory

The Free Market 24, no. ( 2004)

Traditionally in the US, the management of the social apparatus of compulsion and coercion, or government, is brought to power by an election in which the majority vote attains dominion. Individuals living in such a democratic republic are mollified by blindly assuming that such a form of government is "rule by the people," as indoctrinated.

These are fascinating times in Germany, writes Frank Vogelgesang. In the country which is one of the last survivors of the classic European welfare state and, arguably, the one with the most encompassing public redistribution machine in the name of "social justice," some legal reforms came in early December of last year. Some commentators call the changes revolutionary, while others say they are just smoke and mirrors. What gives?

What possible difference can another book make? Why should anyone care about the message of one book as compared with its many millions of competitors? It comes down to this, writes Lew Rockwell. Though there is an astounding proliferation of words in our time, there is a drastic shortage of something that is essential to the survival of civilization: defenses of liberty against its ubiquitous enemies and its main enemy, the state.

Today's neocons genuinely believe that the key to durable peace is establishing democracies throughout the world. Two problems here: first, it will require lots of warring and, second, even if achieved it will fail because peace depends on governments abandoning unlimited interventionism. As Mises said, "The tragic error of President Wilson was that he ignored this essential point."

A common accusation against libertarianism, writes Llewellyn Rockwell, is that we are unnaturally obsessed with tracing social and economic problems to the state, and, in doing so, we oversimplify the world. If you let the people who say this keep talking, they will explain to you why the state is not all bad, that some of its actions yield positive results and, in any case, the state should not always be singled out as some sort of grave evil.

The Republicans have done it again. With their new Medicare bill, they've made goverment even bigger. James Ostrowski writes that the Republicans have been expanding the size, scope and power of government ever since they first got their mitts on power in 1861.

In a wide-ranging interview Sudha Shenoy comments on her decision to become an economist, the influence of Rothbard and Kirzner, the politics of Hayek, current trends in global trade, US protectionism, the bad turn in economic theorizing, and the need to resolve the conflict between Islam and the West.

President Bush’s invasion of Iraq made many observers gasp with amazement. What could have motivated such hasty and ill-advised action? 

No institution has worked more consistently to obliterate property rights than the federal courts, making certain political groups very happy. Thus, it's no surprise that Democrats on Capital Hill are blocking the confirmation of a judge to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit who — wonder of wonders — believes in property rights.