Economics and Foreign Policy

[ers]

Hello all,

I just finished Atlas for the first time, and for my next couple of books, I'd like to focus more on economics and foreign policy. As far as economics is concerned, I had considered Human Action: A Treatise on Economic by von Mises. Any other recommendations or insight would be appreciated.

As far as foreign policy, I've seen some of the discussions on here but I don't know if there's a good book explicitly on this subject from an Objectivist perspective. Again, any input would be helpful.

Thanks!

[khaight]

I just finished Atlas for the first time, and for my next couple of books, I'd like to focus more on economics and foreign policy. As far as economics is concerned, I had considered Human Action: A Treatise on Economic by von Mises. Any other recommendations or insight would be appreciated.

Human Action is an extremely lengthy and technical work on economics. Unless you have some prior familiarity with the subject it is not a good place to start. If you're a beginner, I recommend starting with Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson. Follow up with George Reisman's The Government Against the Economy. For a moral-historical perspective on capitalism, I recommend Andrew Bernstein's The Capitalist Manifesto. Thomas Sowell's Basic Economics is a more mainstream, but still pro-freedom, economic primer that might also be worth considering.

On the basis of the above, you will be in a much better position to tackle the more comprehensive treatises. Besides Human Action, two others worth examining are Reisman's Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics and Murry Rothbard's Man, Economy and State.

As far as foreign policy, I've seen some of the discussions on here but I don't know if there's a good book explicitly on this subject from an Objectivist perspective. Again, any input would be helpful.

Peter Schwartz has a short monograph entitled The Foreign Policy of Self-Interest: A Moral Ideal for America. There is also the recent collection edited by Elan Journo, Winning the Unwinnable War: America's Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism.

I'm currently working my way through some books by Angelo Codevilla. While he's not an Objectivist, he's a pretty sharp analyst and theoretician of war, and he understands that the way you fight terrorism is by destroying the regimes that support it. I think his books should be read if you want a solid grasp of what's wrong with American war policy. I'm currently near the end of his War: Ends and Means; two other books by him that I'm planning to read are No Victory, No Peace (on the Iraq war) and Advice to War Presidents.

That enough recommendations for you?

[Cole]

If you're a beginner, I recommend starting with Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson.

I second this.

I first read it in high school and it had a huge impact on how I understand economics and government, and ultimately lead to me discovering Ayn Rand. It should be required reading for everybody in government, since it provides a such concise rejection of the popular idea that government is capable of creating jobs.

[Mr. Wynand]

Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal was very helpful for solidifying my most important arguments against statism. I agree Economics in One Lesson was eyeopening as well.

[ers]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone.

The Hazlitt book is on order, and fortunately for me, my wife already has a copy of Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal.