The Importance of Incentives in Government

On this edition of Parallax View, Christopher J. Coyne, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, joins us to discuss his book In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace (Independent Institute; 2022). As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War, Christopher and I discuss the dangers and pitfalls of military adventurism as well as why we should not forget the lessons of the War on Terror when we discuss U.S. foreign policy and international relations today.

Among the topics covered in this conversation:

- American Empire and the National Security State

- The concept of the "Deep State" beyond it's most sensational, conspiratorial usages

- Drone warfare as "mechanized terror" or terrorism in the eyes of the countries effected by U.S. drone attacks

- The connection between the War on Drugs, the failed Afghanistan War, and U.S. foreign policy

- How war abroad created restrictions on liberty at domestically

- Antiwar arguments for the Right and the Left

- Republicans calling for war on Mexico and right-wing China hawks

- Libya and the overthrow of Gaddafi

- U.S. foreign policy, immigration, and Latin America; a libertarian argument for why the U.S. shouldn't overthrow socialist countries

- And more!