Ryan and Zach talk about how the realities of expensive industrial warfare are still relevant. The Pentagon's fantasy of precision techno-war doesn't apply to wars with peer countries like Russia or China.  Recommended Reading"In a war of attrition, you want an economist as defense minister" - The Bell: https://Mises.org/WES_21_A "The Economics of War" by Murray Rothbard: https://Mises.org/WES_21_B "The Economics of War" by Matthew McCaffrey: https://Mises.org/WES_21_C "Defense, Controls, and...

Washington Post conservative George Will trots out every tired slogan and bromide in the book to claim that Putin is Hitler and the Ukraine war is a fight for civilization.  Recommended Reading"So, 112 ignoble, infantile Republicans voted to endanger civilization" by George Will: Mises.org/WES_20_A "Piers Morgan vs John Mearsheimer" Mises.org/WES_20_B Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.

Many signs are now emerging that NATO and the West are slowly withdrawing support from Ukraine in its war with Russia. How much longer can the war continue?  Recommended Reading"Intercept of German generals planning Taurus strike on Crimean bridge": Mises.org/WES_19_A "Army aims to double 155mm shell production by October" by Sam Skove Mises.org/WES_19_B "The deception behind America’s support for Ukraine" by Malcom Kyeyune: Mises.org/WES_19_C "Draft-dodging plagues Ukraine as Kyiv faces...

Ryan and Zach take a look at how the Pentagon is now lobbying for a "national defense industrial strategy." In a new report, the Pentagon calls for more central planning and socialism in the name of national defense.  Recommended ReadingThe National Defense Industrial Strategy (PDF): Mises.org/WES_18_A Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.

Ryan and Zach review a new book on the basics of the "classical liberal" theory of international relations. Drawing on the work of Mises and Hayek, Edwin van de Haar's new IR book provides a useful and insightful summary of how a pro-freedom foreign policy differs from the usual foreign policy in Washington.  Additional Resources "Human Nature and World Affairs: An Introduction to Classical Liberalism and International Relations Theory" by Edwin van de Haar: Mises.org/WES_17_A "Mises on...

Ryan and Zachary make some guesses about where things are headed in 2024 for both Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war. How long will the US try to keep the Ukraine war going, and what is Israel's plan for Gaza?  Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.

Ryan and Zachary discuss the basics of Just War Theory and whether a "moral war" is possible.  They also discuss the theory's origins in natural law, and how the theory relates to pacifism, wealth, and war crimes.  Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES. Additional Resources "Get the US Out of the Middle East" by Ryan McMaken: Mises.org/WES_15_A "American History Is a Preview of the Israel-Palestine End Game" by Ryan McMaken: Mises.org/WES_15_B "Ethnic Interest Groups...

Ryan and Zachary look at how interest groups representing Ukrainians, Iraqis, Israelis, and others have often lobbied for US intervention in foreign wars that in no way benefit the American population overall. Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES. Additional Resources "Get the US Out of the Middle East" by Ryan McMaken: Mises.org/WES_14_A "The Liberty Movement’s Pro-War Fifth Column" by Ted Galen Carpenter: Mises.org/WES_14_B George Washington's Farewell Address:...

Ryan and Zachary rank the GOP candidates at the debate. They range from "least terrible" (Ramaswamy) to "utterly awful" (Haley and Pence).  Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.

Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost look at the many factors behind Ukraine's failure to defeat Russia or move closer to NATO membership. Ukraine is sadly caught between a cynical NATO and a Russia that is in it for the long haul.  Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.

Ryan and Zack look at how China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are reshaping the Middle East into a region where the United States no longer dominates. This is a good thing for ordinary Americans. Additional Resources "Thanks to Sanctions, the US Is Losing Its Grip on the Middle East" by Ryan McMaken: Mises.org/WES_11_A "The Petrodollar-Saudi Axis Is Why Washington Hates Iran" by Gary Richied: Mises.org/WES_11_B "Peace is Breaking Out in the Middle East… and Washington is Not Happy!" by Ron Paul:...

Ryan and Zack talk about some of the details from the recently leaked Pentagon documents. They reveal dysfunctional American foreign policy and just how much contempt the US regime has for its own allies. Additional Resources "What the leaked Pentagon documents reveal — 8 key takeaways" by Paul Adams, Jean Mackenzie, and Antoinette Radford (BBC News): Mises.org/WES_10_A "Fact Sheet on U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine"  (U.S. Department of Defense, 19 April...

Ryan and Zachary talk about how wars are not nearly as cheap or economically harmless as many Americans seem to think. Rather, taxpayers must give up enormous amounts of resources to fund wars halfway across the globe that have little to do with actual defense. Americans are still paying interest on the trillions spent on Washington's many lost wars of recent decades. Additional Resources "On Paying for the Costs of War and War Loans" by Ludwig von Mises (1918): Mises.org/WES_09_A "The...

Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost talk about the recent freak-out over the Chinese balloon, American foreign-policy moralism, and what sort of "threat" a balloon really represents. Also discussed is nuclear deterrence, American domestic spying, and why most states—including allies—spy on each other. Additional Resources "So Much Hot Air: The (Fake) China Threat Strikes Again!" by Joseph Solis-Mullen: Mises.org/WES_08_A Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.

Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost discuss new estimates of just how costly a US-China war over Taiwan would be. Things are made even worse by the fact the US is already shopping most of its weapon stockpiles to Ukraine. The US government simply refuses to acknowledge that scarcity exists. Additional Resources "The First Battle of the Next War: Wargaming a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan" by Mark F. Cancian, Matthew Cancian, and Eric Heginbotham: Mises.org/WES_07_A "Taiwan Is Not Ukraine" by Zachary...

We know that "bring the troops home" is too much for America's foreign policy establishment. But if they can't handle that, a good first step would be to at least "bring the troops home" to the western hemisphere and the Americas. A new Monroe doctrine would be a less bad foreign policy paradigm than what we have now. Additional Resources "Wall Street, Banks, and American Foreign Policy" by Murray N. Rothbard: Mises.org/WES_06_A Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.

On this episode of War, Economy, and State, Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost take a look at the Biden administration's new National Security Strategy. The Biden plan is to intervene everywhere and always across the entire globe. In fact, the plan absurdly says "nothing is beyond" the US's capacity to remake the global order. Additional Resources "National Security Strategy, October 2022" (PDF): Mises.org/WES_05_A Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.

On this episode of War, Economy, and State, Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost check in on the Russo-Ukrainian war to examine Russia's strength, the US's blank check, and the prospects of World War III.  Additional Resources "NATO: Our International Welfare Queens" by Ryan McMaken: Mises.org/WES_04_A "A Brief History of Pundits Encouraging Nuclear War" by Ryan McMaken: Mises.org/WES_04_B "The NATO Treaty Does Not Give Congress a Bye on World War III" by Michael J. Glennon:...

Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost discuss some of the strategic problems and historical oddities surrounding the relationships between the US, China, and Taiwan. Additional Resources "Can China Conquer Taiwan?" Radio Rothbard with Ryan McMaken, Zachary Yost, and Tho Bishop: Mises.org/WES_03_A "The World at War" by Ralph Raico (Video): Mises.org/WES_03_B "Victory Without Battle: A Smarter Vision for US-Taiwan Policy " by Zachary Yost (PDF): Mises.org/WES_03_C Be sure to follow War, Economy,...

Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost examine some reasons why early Americans hated the idea of a professional standing army, and some of the tactics used to decentralize military power in the US and Switzerland. Recommended Reading "Why We Can't Ignore the Militia Clause of the Second Amendment" by Ryan McMaken: Mises.org/WES_02_A "The Second Amendment's Authors Would Hate Today's Huge Federal Military" by Ryan McMaken: Mises.org/WES_02_B "Opposing Standing Armies: A Great American Tradition" by...

In the first episode of this new podcast, Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost discuss NATO, Turkey, Russia, and why the USA needs to leave it all behind. Be sure to follow War, Economy, and State at Mises.org/WES.