Language, like the old common law and other customs, is a decentralized, undesigned, spontaneous institution. It serves humanity well. Nothing is perfect, of course, but no alternative—if one were conceivable—could hold a candle to it. One of the downsides is that...
Foreign Policy
Kamala Harris Isn’t Listening to U.S. Intelligence on Iran
by Ted Snider | Oct 10, 2024 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy, Politics
Who is “America’s greatest adversary?” That is the question 60 Minutes asked Vice President Kamala Harris. “I think there’s an obvious one in mind, which is Iran,” was her answer. She gave two reasons for her verdict: "Iran has American blood on their hands" and "what...
We Must Reject the Failed Hawkish Consensus on Iran
by Daniel Larison | Oct 10, 2024 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy
No matter who wins the presidential election next month, American policy towards Iran seems likely to remain extremely hostile and confrontational. Both campaigns seem determined to out-hawk each other. The Iran policy debate in Washington, such as it is, is focused...
American Neocons Get Their Iran War as Congress Sleeps
by Ron Paul | Oct 8, 2024 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy
Over the weekend, the Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Kurilla, arrived in Israel to “coordinate” with the Israeli military and plan a military strike against Iran. Think about that for a moment: one of the highest-ranking officers in...
TGIF: Tariffying Trade-Warmonger Trump
by Sheldon Richman | Oct 4, 2024 | Economics, Foreign Policy, Justice, Libertarianism, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
"The word tariff, properly used, is a beautiful word. One of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard. It’s music to my ears." —Donald Trump The once and possibly future president threatens to wage economic warfare against countries and companies everywhere if they...
Don’t Oversell China’s Economic Crisis
by Joseph Solis-Mullen | Oct 3, 2024 | Economics, Featured Articles, Foreign Policy
Recent headlines regarding China’s economy have painted a grim picture. From sagging stock markets to the continuing, multidimensional real-estate crises, there is no shortage of negative news coming out of the world’s second-largest economy. Yet while these...
What Did the Vice Presidential Debate Teach Us?
by Dan McKnight | Oct 3, 2024 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy, Politics
Tuesday night was the final debate before the November election, and it was the first time a significant number of Americans were formally introduced to the vice-presidential nominees, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Like me, Vance was a U.S....
Orwell’s War: When War is the Path to Peace
by Ted Snider | Oct 2, 2024 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy
The freshly elected President Barack Obama probably never imagined that he would be delivering his Nobel Peace Prize lecture by defending war. But there he was, in December 2009, doing just that. “I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy...