In his 1944 book Omnipotent Government, Ludwig von Mises provided a detailed analysis about how the protectioni

In Shakespeare’s Henry VI, a rebel alarmingly named Dick the Butcher says: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” But wait—don’t we need lawyers to safeguard the rule of law and uphold justice? In his essays on justice, the philosopher Chaim Perelman set out to “analyze scientifically the concept of justice.” His aim was “to distinguish the variety of its meanings and uses,” revealing the ambiguity and conceptual confusion that pervades the quest for justice.

Following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, many critics of Kirk posted content on social media in which they said rude things about Kirk—and even about his family members—while expressing delight about Kirk’s death.  Not surprisingly, many of Kirk’s supporters—and many other ordinary people—found these comments offensive and reprehensible. 

Western media painted a rosy picture of the transition away from the apartheid system in South Africa. South Africa was widely described as a country with a promising and hopeful future. Unfortunately, 35 years later, reality is telling a different story. Lackluster economic growth has led GDP per capita to lag dramatically. Having previously been almost double the average GDP per capita of other so-called “emerging markets,” South Africa now falls below their average.

[The Liberal Mind by Kenneth R. Minogue. (Liberty Fund, 2008[1963]; 207 pp.)]