Political Theory

We are continually told that democracies guard against war. But that view abstracts from the U.S. imperial experience. James Ostrowski compares the rhetoric to the reality.

The teachings of Carl Menger and Ludwig von Mises offer the answer to those who say we should dismantle civilization to meet the supposed needs of nature. A very powerful speech by George Reisman.

Michael Prowse of the Financial Times was a Misesian. Then he read Durkheim and saw new light. Martin Masse explains why this now-famous conversion was wholly unnecessary.

The writings of the great French economist explain why the recent conflict with China has ended through diplomacy and peace rather than belligerence and war, writes Llewellyn Rockwell.

Think about it: a major motion-picture, "Enemy at the Gates," that dares to lump nazis and communists into one reprehensible leftist dung-heap. Lawrence Reed wonders if he is dreaming. 

Most readers of this journal will, I suspect, find the arguments of David Schmidtz much more congenial than those of his coauthor in this discussion of welfare.

President Bush stands accused of using his supposedly superhuman powers to drive us into recession. William Anderson wonders whether he will also be accused of casting spells to bring down the Dow.

There was a time when the word reform described a process of renewal, of change, and of taking new steps towards correcting a problem. With the rise of campaign finance reform, that is no longer the case.

Attachment to tradition and free-market sensibilities are often thought to be in conflict. What, then, are we to make of the new Richard Weaver collection that recommends Ludwig von Mises to all students? 

Frank Chodorov proposed a sure fix for every case of waste, fraud, and abuse in government: abolish the program. William Stepp explains.