World History

Jeff Riggenbach died today.

When liberty and capitalism were born over a millennium ago, states were small, decentralized, and weak. By restoring natural rights and civil society, the state will recede once again.

Both theory and the empirical research shows a competitive marketplace is incongruous with racism, but the Left insists capitalism is "inherently" racist. 

Many observers of international affairs assume that larger, more populous states are necessarily more powerful. But the reality is wealth and economic development are the most critical factors in securing true military power.

What seems to me the great strength of Pankaj Mishra's new book is its demonstration that the atrocities of imperial conquest and rule prefigured the horrors of the European wars of the twentieth century and later wars of conquest as well.

Manent insists that if political leaders don’t lead society, we will have a society that isn’t led by political leaders. So what?

Many observers of international affairs assume that larger, more populous states are necessarily more powerful. But the reality is wealth and economic development are the most critical factors in securing true military power. 

"These days most people tend to equate freedom with the possession of inalienable individual rights, rights that demarcate a private sphere no government may infringe on. But has this always been the case?"

Manent insists that if political leaders don’t lead society, we will have a society that isn’t led by political leaders. So what?

Fascism is the system of government that cartelizes the private sector, centrally plans the economy, exalts the police state, denies fundamental liberties to individuals, and makes the executive state the unlimited master of society.