Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.'s Blog, page 480

Descent Into Madness: Dostoevsky and the End of the West

Our society is coming to resemble a dystopian “peoples’ paradise” in its darkly disturbing features. Think back to iconic works of literature like Arthur Koestler’s Darkness At Noon and George Orwell’s Nineteen-Eighty-Four. Are we not living in a society which is little more than a cross between the nightmare visions of Koestler and Orwell? Do we not live in a society where dissidents are branded as “domestic terrorists,” “insurrectionists,” or “racists,” and face imprisonment for heretofore uni...

Tucker Carlson – President Putin Interview – Philosophical Take

While I have many opinions as to the purpose of last night’s interview between President Putin and Tucker Carlson, the one that is most impactful with me is the disparity with which the West sees the world;  pods of hostile people warring for eternity – vs. the East/Russia which sees the world as a means of growth and evolution, like a bag full of candy.   His lack of care what happens inside the boundaries of a country’s government is as it should be – sovereign respect.   By contrast, the West...

A Move on Rafah Might Be the Spark That Ignites a Bigger Explosion

The Middle East is short of exploding.

Report: Egypt warns Israel Rafah offensive may lead to suspension of peace treaty – Times of Israel, Feb 10 2024

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have added their voices to a rising tide of criticism of a planned Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip’s southern city of Rafah, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that such a campaign was forthcoming.

Netanyahu announced Friday that he had ordered the Israeli military to present the cabinet with a pla...

A Tale of Two Countries

In the Post-Enlightenment Age, Westerners have come to understand government to have two primordial functions: 1) provide a fair and unbiased judicial system, and 2) protect and defend the country from invasion. Whatever other functions are granted to a governing body, these two are the raison d’être for creating the government in the first place.

The word “invasion” stems from the Latin intrudere, meaning “to thrust in, force in,” with the clear implication of an outside entity applying force t...

The Uses of Fear and Loathing

Reflecting on the history of war, James Madison once remarked, “Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended.”

Fear of foreigners—foreign invaders, armies, and diseases—has always been a handy tool for rulers who aspire to expand their power, wealth, and scope of their activities in the world. When peoples’ minds are gripped by fear, they become credulous, compliant, and willing to support just about any action their rulers wish to undertake.

Since ...

We Are on the Brink of a Catastrophe

Jerome Powell’s 60 Minutes portrayal of the national debt crisis as a distant concern starkly contrasts with the urgent reality we face. Peter Schiff doesn’t mince words in his most recent podcast when he highlights the immediate threat:

It’s not a problem for the future. This is not a long-term problem anymore; this is a short-term problem that could blow up any minute. It’s this generation that’s going to pay the piper, not some future generation. It’s happening right now.”

In his last podcas...

Biden’s Blunders vs. Trump’s Turmoil: A Political Showdown

Political Echos of the Past

Here’s a fun family factoid I recently learned: my parents’ first date was on the occasion of RFK (Sr., not Jr.) visiting BYU in 1968 for a presidential campaign tour across Utah campuses. My dad, a part of the BYU student leadership, served as RFK’s chauffeur for the day, even taking him skiing at Sundance. This early breakfast date led to a marriage that, 55 years later, has resulted in 4 children, 20 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. What a start to the...

I’m Running an Experiment

From the Tom Woods Letter:

It’s impossible to know the exact number of falsehoods we are expected to believe, but it’s a lot.

I am therefore unlikely to go out of business.

Let’s take the Federal Reserve System. If you criticize it, you’ll be told that thanks to the Fed’s wise management of the economy we’ve had fewer and shallower recessions since it was created than we had before, and more economic stability. Do you want to return to the wildcat 19th century? Etc.

This response stops many of o...

Lincoln Dissected

Thomas DiLorenzo, the President of the Mises Institute, has already reviewed Paul C. Graham’s Nonsense on Stilts: The Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s Imaginary Nation (Shotwell Publishing 2024) in characteristically excellent fashion, but the book is so insightful that some further comments are warranted. It is clear that Graham has a philosophical turn of mind and is a master of linguistic analysis.

His skill is amply on display in his dissection of Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural, delivered...

Ron Paul for President

A few days ago, Ginny Garner sent me a message. Ginny wrote:

“Lew,

We know Biden is not a man of peace. This week Trump did not tell the Nevada Caucus rally audience he opposed sending billions for the war in Ukraine, instead he said European nations should contribute more. And, after a long pause, RFK Jr. when questioned by comedian/podcaster Dave Smith said he didn’t know if he was concerned about Israel’s influence over American foreign policy. So much for RFK Jr. being the antiwar candidate....