Show Notes

Episode 148. War, Peace, and the State (by Murray Rothbard)

In this episode of the Forge of Freedom podcast, Alex Ooley discusses the essay 'War, Peace, and the State' by Murray Rothbard. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the principles of war and peace and the morality of state aggression. Alex highlights the absurdity of conscription and the dehumanization of soldiers. He argues that war should be limited to defensive violence against aggressors and condemns the use of modern weapons of mass destruction. Alex also discusses the role of the state in war and the need for peaceful coexistence between states.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:57 Challenging Mainstream Propaganda and Grappling with Rothbard's Essay

10:45 The Importance of Moral Principles in Foreign Policy

18:16 The Need for Disarmament: Abolishing Modern Weapons of Mass Destruction

22:24 The State's Monopoly of Violence and Domestic Tyranny

41:21 New Chapter

Takeaways

Understanding the principles of war and peace is crucial for evaluating the morality of state aggression.

Conscription is an absurd and despotic practice that violates individual liberty.

War should be limited to defensive violence against aggressors, and the use of modern weapons of mass destruction should be condemned.

The state's monopoly on violence and taxation enables it to wage war and maintain domestic tyranny.

Peaceful coexistence between states should be the goal, and disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, is essential.

Keywords

war, peace, state aggression, conscription, morality, defensive violence, modern weapons, peaceful coexistence

Resources

"War, Peace, and the State." Mises Institute, accessed August 18, 2024,

https://mises.org/articles-interest/war-peace-and-state

Rothbard, Murray N. Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature, and Other Essays. Auburn, Alabama: Mises Institute, 2000.

https://mises.org/library/book/egalitarianism-revolt-against-nature-and-other-essays

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