In March, commentator Scott Greer wrote a piece “Keeping the Empire” that critiqued my understanding of foreign policy. Greer’s argument was serious and I have attempted to deliver a thoughtful response. 

In essence, I hold that the American regime was founded on the defense of the natural rights of men—a view of justice that holds in all times and all places. This view of justice precluded empire, which I describe as rule without consent. 

As I show in this episode, the Founders and their heirs consistently articulated the core purpose of government as the protection of person and property (life and liberty). This fundamental equality of men requires the consent of the governed. Early American foreign policy was devoted to preserving these two key features of our regime. 

This foreign policy was devoted to neutrality, non-intervention, and national defense. It made America wealthy and powerful beyond all possible imagining. In the 20th century, however, the American government tossed this view aside in favor of a missionary philanthropic foreign policy aimed at global uplift. 

I hold that this shift has been bad for the safety and happiness of the American people.