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Wanjiru Njoya 
To Marxists, everything is inherent and inevitable. Human beings are inherently constrained to act as they do by their prevailing material conditions, leading inevitably to class conflicts. They view human beings as captive to the ideology of their class. Karl Marx argued that, owing to inherent class conflict, individuals cannot view problems objectively—or even individually … Read more
In his book Intellectuals and Race, the great economist Thomas Sowell excoriates intellectuals for their role in promoting statist social engineering schemes. Sowell defined “intellectuals” as “a particular occupation—namely, people whose work begins and ends with ideas. It is an occupational designation, rather than an honorific title, and implies nothing about the mental level of those … Read more
The Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution brought a decisive end to slavery in the United States in 1865. The amendment enshrines important principles of justice—self-ownership, individual liberty, and equality before the law. The amendment declares that, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been … Read more
In “Abolition: An Acid Test,” Murray Rothbard criticized libertarians who defended slavery as part of their defense of property rights. Those libertarians had argued that slaves were classified as property and, therefore, abolishing slavery would be tantamount to expropriation of the slaveowners’ property. This was indeed one of the arguments put forward by slaveowners who … Read more
It will not have escaped many people’s attention that one of the main strategies in America’s “reckoning on race and Southern identity” involves depicting the Confederate battle flag as a symbol of racial oppression. Against this, Patrick J. Buchanan argued that: What the flag symbolizes for the millions who revere, cherish, or love it, however, is the heroism … Read more
Owing largely to a campaign led by Florida, many people are now aware of the fallacies of Critical Race Theory. In recent months, some states have banned the “divisive concepts” of CRT. For example, in Alabama, it was reported that: The bill has examples of divisive concepts such as “individuals, by virtue of race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, … Read more
In a 2022 article titled “Will the U.S. Supreme Court ever get around to overruling the shame of Dred Scott?” the surprising proposition is advanced that the1857 Dred Scott case is “still precedent” in the United States, and that “racist lawyers and racist judges can (blatantly or discreetly) rely on it in their arguments and rulings.” Like … Read more
Many people are familiar with the divisive concepts of Critical Race Theory (CRT). The best-known examples are the notion of “white privilege” and the redefinition of racism as “power plus privilege.” These concepts have been widely rejected, and even banned from public schools in some states. However, less often remarked upon is CRT’s more pernicious … Read more
There will never come a time when all human beings are in full ideological agreement, which is why free speech is of paramount importance to peaceful co-existence. Free speech is the only foundation on which men who disagree with each other can debate their opposing ideologies, or even hurl insults at each other if so … Read more
An activist historian in the United Kingdom, who rose to prominence as a supporter of Black Lives Matter, recently expounded to the Times on what he sees as the proper role of historians: “I think [the job of historians] is to try to stand there at this arsenal of dangerous ideas and to make it more difficult … Read more
In Against the State, Lew Rockwell explains how the constant expansion of state power is often justified as a necessary means of achieving the dreams and visions of voters. In its relentless pursuit of power, the state has a strong incentive to focus on the problems that are likely to resonate most deeply with voters and, … Read more
Murray Rothbard conceptualized liberty as an emanation of property rights and self-ownership. Freedom of association is, therefore, best understood as “a subset of private property rights.” Just as property rights are absolute and limited only by respect for other people’s property rights, freedom of association is absolute and constrained only by other people’s freedom to … Read more
The presumption of liberty is an established liberal tradition according to which any restrictions on individual liberty require justification. Gerald Gaus and Shaun Nichols depict this as a principle of “natural liberty,” a “general presumption in favor of freedom of action.” As they explain, if natural liberty is a general presumption we expect, it to … Read more
As Democrats and Republicans both express support for tariffs, the economic implications of protectionist policies are once again at the forefront of public debate. Both parties differ on the size of their proposed tariffs, but the New York Times reports that “both Democrats and Republicans are expressing support for tariffs to protect American industry, reversing decades of … Read more
Ludwig von Mises depicts the aim of revolutionary socialism as: “to clear the ground for building up a new civilization by liquidating the old one.” One of the main strategies in liquidating a civilization involves dismantling its legal and philosophical foundations. This role is fulfilled by activists who embark upon “sabotage and revolution” by subverting the meaning of words: “The … Read more