War and Foreign Policy

Like FDR, George Bush got his war, writes Joseph Potts, but Bush went his Democratic predecessor one better—a big one better.

People have long accused the great liberal tradition of a dogmatic attachment to peace. It would appear that this is precisely what is necessary in order to preserve the freedom necessary for all of us to find true meaning in our lives.

Blaming OPEC has been in political fashion for over three decades, writes Chris Westley.

Father Webster and Professor Cole have spoiled what could have been an excellent book; Laurence Vance, besides much else in his remarkable collection of essays, helps us see what is wrong with it.

Lew Rockwell shares some thoughts on the rise of red-state fascism in America, and the libertarian response.

 Laurence M. Vance discusses War & Morality at the 2005 Austrian Scholars Conference  Author’s Forum.

Black reconstruction after the Civil War did much better than the dire predictions made. The black population recovered quickly. Many moved to urban areas. They deliberately had fewer children. Mortality declined. Income increased. No government assistance was handed out.

There was a sea change in money and banking in the U.S. as a result of the Civil War. Government became the primary regulator. Metal coins gave way to paper. Mistakes of one bank infected others – it was contagion.

Inflation is a giant rip off, a stealth tax stealing purchasing power. Money is not neutral. The first receivers of new money benefit. Savers and those on fixed incomes struggle. From 1857 until the war was a period of “free banking” where the fed had nothing to do with the banks and the states had little control over them. High economic growth and prosperity prevailed.