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President of the Ludwig von Mises Institute and editor of LewRockwell.com
Lew Rockwell

Llewellyn Harrison Rockwell Jr. (born 1 July 1944) is an American author, editor and political consultant. A libertarian and a self-professed anarcho-capitalist, he founded (and is chairman of) the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a non-profit dedicated to promoting the Austrian School of economics. He also started a website in 1999, LewRockwell.com, that features articles and blog entries by a number of right-wing libertarian columnists and writers.

Born

1 Jul 1944, Llewellyn Harrison Rockwell Jr., in Boston, Massachusetts

Associations

Mises Institute, Founder and CEO

Archived Articles

Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Author at LewRockwell
Articles from 1990 to Aug 2019, blog posts from May 2003 to the present, podcasts from July 2008 to June 2013

Articles

Block Attacks Rockwell for 'Extremism', by Walter Block, 28 Jul 2006
A tongue-in-cheek commentary by Block on Rockwell's "The Real Cause of Blackouts" (27 July 2006) about California and New York blackouts and his demand for privatizing utilities
He has no sense of proportion, nor balance. Instead, he marks out the most extreme positions on any given subject, and tries to make them sound, horrors!, reasonable. The latest example of this extremist nonsense ... is a horrendous little piece in which he has the temerity to call for the complete privatization of, would you believe it, electrical utilities ... Did Rockwell offer any of these constructive criticisms? To ask this question is to answer it; no, he did not. Instead, he said "What we need today is full, radical, complete, uncompromised deregulation and privatization. We need competition."
A Call to Activism, by Margit von Mises, The Free Market, Jun 1984
Speech delivered on 27 Feb 1984 at a Mises Institute dinner in her honor; relates how she wrote My Years With Ludwig von Mises, then calling her late husband an "activist of the mind" and encouraging others to become likewise
Thank you, Mr. Rockwell, for your most generous and gracious remarks ... Perhaps you will be interested to learn how this book, which you will all receive through the kindness of Mr. Rockwell, came into being ... [L]ast, but certainly not least, think of Lew Rockwell and the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which in a very short time has attracted 14,000 contributors, begun an extensive teaching, fellowship, and publications program, held a very successful conference on the gold standard in Washington, DC, and become integrated with Auburn University.
Libertarianism Rightly Conceived, by Sheldon Richman, The Goal Is Freedom, 2 May 2014
Responds to criticisms made by Walter Block and Lew Rockwell about Charles W. Johnson's "Libertarianism through Thick and Thin" (July 2008) and Richman's "What Social Animals Owe to Each Other" (April/July 2014)
Another critique is provided by Lew Rockwell ... In response to my claim that libertarianism must be about more than force, Rockwell in effect parrots John Cleese: "No it mustn't." But he does a bit more: he makes an argument from authority by citing Murray Rothbard ... "Libertarianism per se has no general or personal moral theory. Libertarianism does not offer a way of life." That's not an argument either, but of course the thick libertarianism that Rockwell is criticizing makes no such claim ... Rockwell then warns that thick libertarianism threatens to repeat a tragic episode in the history of classical liberalism ...
The life and times of Murray N. Rothbard, by Jim Powell
Full title: The life and times of Murray N. Rothbard, who showed why private individuals can do just about everything that needs to be done
Lengthy biographical essay
Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. ... added, "It was Arthur Burns, the 800-pound gorilla in the Columbia University economics department who blocked Murray's dissertation. Burns demanded that Murray re-do all his work. It was only when Burns went to Washington, D.C. and headed [the] Council of Economic Advisors that Murray's unchanged dissertation was resubmitted and quickly approved." ... Rockwell, Jr. remarked that [Rothbard] worked "in a dingy, windowless office ..., surrounded by Marxists. He never once complained, except to wonder why an engineering school couldn't make the elevator work."

Writings

Are the Salad Days for Somalia Over?, Mises Daily, 8 Jun 2006
Comments on the status of Somalia 15 years after the fall of Siad Barre and in the midst of the rise of the Islamic Courts Union
Fifteen glorious years without a central government in Somalia! It was typically described as a "power vacuum," as if the absence of a taxing, regulating, coercing junta is an unnatural state of affairs, one that cannot and should not last. Well, now this "vacuum" is being filled, with an Islamic militia claiming to be in control of the capital of Mogadishu ... So here is a good rule. When a government falls, don't call it a "power vacuum." Call it a zone of liberty and be done with it. If some group claims to be the government, the proper answer should be: "Yeah, and I'm the Duke of Windsor. Get a life."
Related Topics: Somalia, The State
The Bridge of Asses, Mises Daily, 2 Oct 2003
Argues that minimum wage legislation is "the pons asinorum of the relationship between economics and politics", explaining that labor prices (wages) are no different from other prices in the marketplace
Many states have enacted higher minimum wage laws than are imposed by the federal government. The federal minimum is $5.15 per hour, whereas in Washington State it will soon be $7.16. A proposal in Madison, Wisconsin, would raise it to $7.75. "Living wage" legislation in 110 local governments imposes wages as high as $10 ... If we care about reducing unemployment and retaining the conditions for future prosperity, we had better not make the mistake of increasing [the minimum wage]. If Congress had any economic sense, it would repeal all these laws forthwith.
The Case for the Barbarous Relic, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 26 Jul 2006
Argues for a return to the gold stndard by reviewing U.S. political, economic and monetary history; from talk presented in New York City on 21 March 2006
When Mr. Bush went to war, he put little thought into financing it, which signifies fiscal irresponsibility. Under the framers' design, he is supposed to go to Congress to ask for the money, all the money, and if Congress doesn't have it, the war can't go on ... [Keynes] wrote in the introduction to the German edition of his book that the best system for implementing his policies required a total state on the scale that Germany was then creating. That alone should tell us something. It is not a barbarous relic. It is the monetary basis of the future of civilization and freedom.
The Democrats Are Doomed, 9 Feb 2007
Comments on the early slate of Democratic Party presidential hopefuls for the 2008 election and the general ideology and outlook of the Democrats
Those of us who loathe Republicans, especially Republican presidents, have some hope against hope that the Democrats will nominate a candidate who can save us from the certain doom of eternal Republican rule. Sadly, it seems that Bill Clinton, as much as we hated him at the time, was the last of a kind ... [T]he core problem ... is ideological ... Uproot the underlying anti-liberal assumptions of the Democrats, make them Jeffersonian once again, and you would have a viable party. Until then, they will be hopelessly stuck in the mire at the national level, as depressing as that is to admit.
Do Greedy Spinach Merchants Want To Kill You?, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Mises Daily, 6 Oct 2006
Comments on the September 2006 North American E. coli outbreak in spinach, the reaction by merchants and intervention by government agencies
Last month, news of an E. coli infection that originated in a bag of fresh spinach packaged by Natural Selections Foods, kicked off a nationwide frenzy. More than 180 people became sick from eating spinach, 97 of whom were hospitalized. One person died. The company in question is in total meltdown ... We are being conditioned to believe that for every problem, there is a government answer, and nothing lies outside its purview and expertise ... Well, when it comes to the choice between a totalitarian state and the possibility of some rotten spinach, I'll take the latter.
Don't Do It, Google, 2 May 2006
Cautions Google not to take the rumored action of asking the U.S. Justice Department and the European Commission to intervene to prevent Microsoft from setting their search engine as the default in a new version of their web browser
As Microsoft prepares for the new release of the new version of its browser, Google is grousing about one of Microsoft's marketing strategies. Internet Explorer IE7 will likely have a little search bar in the upper right hand corner of the browser, just as Safari and Firefox do now. With it you will be able to access a number of search engines ... No pundit can do Google's thinking, but what about a small link on Google's homepage that says: "Make Google your default search engine"–and so clicking it overrides MS's defaults? That's the way to compete peacefully.
The Education Tax Racket, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 24 Aug 2001
Discusses a complaint from a director of the Arkansas Department of Education about the boom in homeschooling possibly influencing property taxes used to pay for government schools
So there's this guy named Ray Simon. He's director of the Arkansas Department of Education, and he's got a complaint about the boom in home schooling. The way he sees it, this trend is a threat to our, or at least his, way of life. "A third of our support for [government] schools comes from property taxes," Ray tells ... Time ...
Time only seems to have one complaint against [homeschoolers]: "Home schooling may turn out better students, but does it create better citizens?" ... [I]n translation: do home-schooled students care more about supporting a failed government system than anything else?
An Empire Built of Paper, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., The American Conservative, 27 Mar 2006
Review of Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic Financial Crisis (2006) by William Bonner and Addison Wiggin
Two hundred years ago, when the United States was a modest commercial republic, the president could take a walk down Pennsylvania Avenue—by himself—and talk to anyone who approached him. If he wasn't on a walk outdoors, he was most likely at home, and you could speak to him by knocking on the door of the White House ... Bonner and Wiggin teach us the lessons of empire, with ... wisdom, and irony. "A great empire," they note, "is to the world of geopolitics what a great bubble is to the world of economics. It's attractive at the outset but a catastrophe eventually. We know of no exceptions."
Enemy of the State, Mises Daily, 24 Nov 2006
Review of Raimondo's biography of Rothbard, An Enemy of the State, analyzing several of the conventional critiques of Rothbard that are countered in the book; includes quote of Rothbard to Robert Kephart about Rothbard's life choices
The more time you spend with Austrian economists or libertarian intellectuals, the more you realize that Murray Rothbard's influence has been underestimated. No, his name is not a household word but his influence is felt in another way: those who read him experience what amounts to the intellectual challenge of their lives ... As Raimondo concludes: "Whether it is exercised upon the minds of this generation, or the next, the liberating force of Rothbard's ideas is gathering momentum. He built a monument to liberty, a mighty edifice that towers over the horizon and cannot be ignored—... an inspiration to the revolutionaries of tomorrow."
Entrepreneurship and Social Progress, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Mises Daily, 20 Dec 2006
Discusses the two usage senses of entrepreneurship, the attributes of an entrepreneur in the "more narrow and heroic sense" and contrasts politicians with entrepreneurs
The Christmas season makes us unusually conscious that we live in times of relentless innovation. It's true that we can be overwhelmed by it all, but would we have it any other way? Unfortunately, some would. They oppose the free-market process that makes improvement possible ... People have been led to believe that shutting down entrepreneurship and the marketplace will improve the world ... [T]hat way lies barbarism ... Do your part to reverse the damage they have already caused, by celebrating entrepreneurs and the system of economics that enables their dreams to become our social reality.
Foreword, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., A Foreign Policy of Freedom, 2007
Examines the historical precedents for the Paulian view that American foreign and domestic policy both be conducted in the same non-interventionist manner
Ron Paul has always believed that foreign and domestic policy should be conducted according to the same principles. Government should be restrained from intervening at home or abroad because its actions fail to achieve their stated aims, create more harm than good, shrink the liberty of the people, and violate rights ... May this treatise stand as an example of how to fight for what is right even when everyone else is silent ... May public and intellectual opinion someday rise to its level of intellectual sophistication and moral valor.
The French Employment Fiasco, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Mises Daily, 11 Apr 2006
Discusses the business and labor situation in France where a 2006 law deregulating job contracts led to protests and a repeal of the law
Americans can only be mystified by the protests that rocked France and led to a cave in by the government. A small economic reform that would have meant the start of much-need liberalization has been repealed. The change in labor law would have permitted employers to fire workers, age 25 years or younger, in the first two years of employment ... In short, France is in the bind that Eastern Europe and Russia found themselves in in the late 1980s. If young workers were thinking like true progressives, they would topple the statues of Rousseau and Robespierre and put up some to Turgot and Bastiat.
Harry Browne, RIP, 3 Mar 2006
Discusses the impact and influence of Browne's first book, his involvement in Libertarian politics in the 1990s and his outspokenness after 9-11
How sad to hear the news that Harry Browne (born June 17, 1933), author and long-time spokesman for libertarian causes, died March 1, 2006. He was a man of great principle who courageously and consistently stood up for liberty even when his position clashed with mainstream political culture and public opinion ... Harry Browne emerges as a giant. He was talented, dignified, sincere, and dedicated, and he showed genuine courage in the face of fantastic pressure to get him to cave in. All lovers of liberty should be grateful for him, his life, his writings, and his legacy. We will all miss you terribly, Harry.
Henry Hazlitt, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 1998
Biographical and bibliographical essay
If you want to know where American supporters of free markets learned economics, take a look at Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. A brilliant and pithy work first published in 1946, at a time of rampant statism at home and abroad, it taught millions the bad consequences of putting government in charge of economic life ... The great voice of Henry Hazlitt ... is now stilled. But he will not be forgotten. In a time dominated by prevaricators and planners, and a nation threatened once again by statism, Hazlitt's written legacy will continue to inspire writers and scholars.
How Empires Bamboozle the Bourgeoisie, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Mises Daily, 28 Oct 2006
Speech at the Mises Institute Supporter's Summit; comments on two issues related to the U.S. population reaching 300 million: what kind of economy is needed to support that population and do all these people need to live under the same central government
The US Population just passed an important demographic marker this year. It finally reached 300 million. The reactions to the news were predictable. Many on the Left celebrated the growing diversity of the population, while many on the Right came to the defense of rising population ...
This country and this world need a voice that addresses the questions that others ... fail to ask ... Academia is in desperate need of thinkers who understand what liberty means. The human population needs liberty in order to continue to grow in numbers and well-being, and liberty needs champions to make it so.
If the State Falls, Does Society Crumble?, Mises Daily, 25 Jan 2007
Discusses the situation in Iraq four years after the 2003 invasion and evaluates the question of "just how integral is the state to society?"
The lessons of Iraq pose challenges for our understanding of the state. Consider the gap that separates the Bush administration's original theory with the reality on the ground today. The idea was that the Iraqi government would be "decapitated," and that once Saddam and his few henchmen were crushed, the country could breathe free and get on with the business of building a great society ... So long as the US insists that Iraq be a single nation under one government, it will inspire chaos and killing. Bush was wrong, ... not in overthrowing the state but in hoping to create and control a new one.
Related Topics: George W. Bush, Iraq, Society, The State
Immorality, Inc., by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Mises Daily, 31 Jul 2006
Argues that the lawlessness and violence in occupied Iraq is due to the immorality of modern day warfare and questions the claim that the U.S. invaded Iraq "to bring about freedom"
Washington, DC, in the 1980s was called the "murder capital of the world," but that designation now belongs to Baghdad, where the number of people killed since the end of the war is approaching 42,000 ...
War promotes the view that only suckers fall for moral precepts, that human life is neither here nor there, that private property is nothing more than what you can grab and keep. This is what makes the claim so absurd that the US invaded in order to bring about freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. The war taught the advantages of all the opposite values.
Related Topics: Ethics, Government, Iraq, Socialism, War
The New Communism, Mises Daily, 13 Aug 2001
Comments on the antiglobalization protests, such as at the G8 Summit in Genoa, the WTO meeting in Seattle and the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the protestors manifesto and intentions
The political and ideological forces that gave rise to Bolshevism at the turn of the century are similarly inspiring the movement that looted and burned last month in Genoa, and, before that in Quebec City, Davos, and Seattle. The experience of both causes shows how violent fanatics can gain a political stronghold, and influence the course of history, provided they choose their issues carefully ... The New Bolsheviks, already entrenched in academia and NGOs, are a growing force in world politics. Civilization is fragile, and if the protestors get their way, we will find out just how fragile.
Related Topics: Communism, Imperialism
On Evil Acts, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Mises Daily, 19 Apr 2007
Analyzes the typical mainstream ("liberal") and conservative responses to acts of violence such as the April 2007 Virginia Tech shooting
Events such as the massacre at Virginia Tech set off national discussions on the problem of evil. There are two aspects to this: moral and social. Another way to put it is: how does such an impulse come to reside in a particular person and unleash itself in ghastly ways? ... We do not have to side with either liberals or conservatives. We only need to say that whatever is the intrinsic nature of man, the market will find the best possible means to deal with it, and whatever the outcome of that market process, it cannot be made better by involving the state.
The Political Hoax Exposed, Mises Daily, 10 Sep 2006
Compares the positions of the Democrat and Republican candidates for governor of Alabama regarding increasing the minimum wage, to demonstrate their lack of understanding of economics
It's political season again, and what a show it is. Politicians specialize in this. They affect a know-it-all posture and carry a bag of solutions to every problem, natural, human, and divine. They work to perfect the ability to fob off their solutions as sound reasoning even when they are snake oil or sheer poison. ... If Alabama really wants to convert itself into a haven for prosperity and worker well-being, it would — as a start — repeal any and all wage legislation, and nullify all federal legislation when it is proposed. To support the minimum wage is to wear your economic ignorance on your sleeve.
Putting Opponents on the Hot Seat, 3 May 2006
Foreword to Building Blocks For Liberty: Critical Essays, a collection of essays by Walter Block
Murray Rothbard, in his life, was known as Mr. Libertarian. We can make a solid case that the title now belongs to Walter Block, a student of Rothbard's whose own vita is as thick as a big-city phonebook, and as diverse as Wikipedia. ... There is one final trait of Block that might be overlooked: his humility. In a world of academics with inflated egos and selfish ambitions, Block displays constant sincerity, even a kind of naïveté in believing that the truth demonstrated with patience and logic should be enough to carry the day.
Related Topic: Walter Block
Read Rothbard, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 29 Jul 2013
Bibliographical review of 11 of Rothbard's major works, including suggested reading order, plus three additional titles
We've just completed another successful Mises University, the summer instructional seminar for students hosted by the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Interest in Austrian economics continues to grow: we could accept fewer than one-third of qualified applicants ...
Let me conclude with a couple more titles, neither of which requires prior knowledge, and which people interested in American history may find especially valuable ... Don’t forget, too, the Rothbard archive at LRC. A tremendous intellectual experience awaits you. Enjoy!
Regime Libertarians, 12 Jul 2005
Criticizes the "Iraq Exit Strategy: America's Path Forward" proposal, made by the Libertarian National Committee on 29 June 2005, and suggests the name "Regime Libertarians" for those who make that kind of proposals
If you haven't seen this, it is really an outrage. It is a plan for dealing with the Iraqi fiasco that involves gradual withdrawal of troops from Iraq only to station the troops in Turkey, Bahrain, Egypt, and Oman, followed by new foreign aid to Iraq (at "substantial cost to the American taxpayers") ... To be confident in the miracle of human liberty means having the courage to call for the government to ... go away ... [T]he government's fear of public opinion ... is the best restraint on power. Is it asking too much that the LP be part of the radical opposition, rather than aspire to be part of the inner circle of power?
Selling Ideas, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 21 Dec 2005
Discusses the 2005 incident involving Bandow and Jack Abramoff and reminds us of previous incidents of left-vs.-right attacks (and vice versa), concluding with quotes from Mises' Liberalism (1927)
Sometime in the 1960s, when the left was crushing the right in public opinion polls and politics, the right came to believe that it needed to do a better sales job. But there are good and bad ways to sell ideas. In the good way, you can work to make your ideological product more appealing to various market segments, from academics to regular voters ... Only those who demand no privileges from government, and who desire only that society be left alone, can make the claim to impartiality. I'll end with this strong reminder from Mises about the difference between liberalism and antiliberalism ...
Sic Semper Tyrannis, The American Conservative, 23 Apr 2007
Analyzes how the U.S. Presidency has been transmogrified from the role proposed by the Federalists
Maybe the authors of the Federalist Papers were liars. Maybe they were just engaged in political propaganda in order to shove through the Constitution. In secret, perhaps, they were plotting a Leviathan state with a president who can do all that the Bush administration claims he can, which pretty much amounts to whatever Bush wants to do ... the advocates of executive rule ... are saying things that if they had been said to that founding generation ... would have prevented the Constitution from ever being passed. ... let's live up to the Constitution, and stop the dissembling, especially in the name of "conservatism."
The Six Faces of the Terrorist; The One Face of Bureaucracy, Mises Daily, 18 Aug 2006
Wonders how much more will Americans tolerate the searches and commands of the Transportation Security Administration agents, contrastring "public sector" security to private security and comparing the TSA to the welfare bureaucracy
It's not enough that the Transportation Security Administration wastes hours upon endless hours of time. It's not enough that they confiscate our Chapstick and toothpaste and claim that it is for our own protection. It's not enough that we must fork over our ID at five different checkpoints before boarding a plane ... This is how it must be because the bureaucracy exists and thrives outside of society and at society's expense. If you don't like it, and if you believe that the most suspicious persons of all work for the TSA, you had better furrow your brow in private. A public display might result in detention.
Socialized Medicine in a Wealthy Country, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Mises Daily, 2 Dec 2006
Talk given at LRC Health and Wealth Conference; discusses the view of socialized medicine held by left-socialists, examining the problems that existed in Soviet-controlled countries as well as current U.S. problems
With the Democrats taking charge in Congress, we will surely hear talk of mandatory national health insurance, more spending for health care for the poor and elderly, and more taxes on individuals and business to pay for the whole scheme. This is admi-ttedly not that different from ... Republicans ...
We need to rethink the meaning of medical insurance, which, if it exists at all, should only apply to catastrophic cases ... The path for progress here, as in every aspect of economics and civilization, lies with privatization, the elimination of restrictions and welfare, and freedom itself.
Standing armies, political mischief, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., WorldNetDaily, 5 Oct 2000
Discusses a poll by the Wall Street Journal about a possible "October Surprise" that would bolster the presidential aspirations of Al Gore
Since Labor Day, the Wall Street Journal has been running an online poll asking readers for their predictions of a Clinton-Gore "October Surprise," that is, a trumped-up event requiring executive intervention to make the president and his party look good, and thus boost Gore's election chances ... America was born in love of liberty and opposition to a standing army. The two go together ... But if Clinton does pull a military stunt to put Gore in office, the remnants of militant internationalism within the Republican party won't survive.
The State in the Dock, 26 May 2006
Reflects on the then ongoing trial of Saddam Hussein (2004-2006) and wonders what would happen if other heads of state, including George W. Bush, were put on trial
People tell me that Saddam Hussein is a very bad man. Probably he is. Ok, really he is. He is egregiously immoral and ghastly. Should he be put on trial? Can such a trial be fair? This is where it gets complicated. If all heads of state who commit violent acts were to be tried as criminals, we would live in a very different world. It would be a world without governments as we know them ... Many people think Bush is the worse president ever ... And let's not be naïve: many, many people in the US and around the world would love to see him in the dock. As it is, we will have to settle for history as the judge.
That Death Toll, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 21 Jun 2006
Comments on White House Press Secretary Tony Snow's remark ("It's a number") about the death of the 2,500th American soldier in the 2003 Iraq War
There is something morally creepy about the way the White House responded to the news ... that the 2,500th American soldier has died in Iraq. "It's a number," said White House Press Secretary Tony Snow. Yes, and so is 5,000, and 10,000, and 15,000. Is there no amount of American bloodshed that would trigger a reassessment of the ideological fantasy ...? ... Yes, we've all heard the clichés about the greater good. I've never met a serial killer, a sniper, or the leader of a suicide cult. But I'm willing to bet that they too believe that they served a greater good.
Related Topics: George W. Bush, Iraq War, War
War Loses, Again, 8 Nov 2006
Reflects on the results of the 2006 U.S. mid-term elections, both what voters thought about the Iraq War and lost opportunities by the Republicans in reducing economic interventions
More than three years ago, George Bush unleashed the dogs of war on Iraq, perhaps hoping that he would take his place among the "great" war presidents. It's strange how these guys imagine themselves written about in history books in the manner of Washington, Lincoln, and FDR ... The state in all its forms is the enemy, and both parties are part of the problem. You think it can't happen? That there are too many interest groups dedicated to the permanence of power and planning? The election of 2006 shows that short-term economic interests alone do not always dictate the political future.
War, the God That Failed, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 15 May 2004
Contrasts the general reaction to the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse vs. the mass deaths caused by the 2003 Iraq War, and the rationalizations made about the war with excuses made by early Bolsheviks
Thinking back to the scandals of the Clinton years, when all of America was supposedly shocked and horrified at the thought of the president and the intern, the 1990s seem to be the Age of Innocence. The Oval Office was relatively unstained as compared with the torture-sex scenes from a Bush administration-run prison in Iraq ... The Bush administration still has time to apologize to the world. The US could seek friendship and reconciliation and trade, and genuinely mean it and stick to it. We could become again the country that the founders wanted us to be. Now that's an ideal.
Related Topics: Communism, Iraq War, Terrorism, War
The War the Government Cannot Win, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., 1 May 2007
Discusses how government cannnot win the war on terror because economic law is more powerful than the state; talk given at the Wisconsin Forum in Milwaukee
Ludwig von Mises said that the great accomplishment of economists was to draw attention to the extreme limits on the power of government. His point was not merely that government should be limited, but that it is limited by the very structure of reality. It cannot make all people rich by its own initiative ... We must regain our confidence in our capacity for self-governance ... Even if the public sector cannot and will not prepare for a future of liberty, we can. Let us look for and work toward the triumph of liberty unencumbered by leviathan and its wars.
We Need an Angel Like Clarence, Mises Daily, 28 Dec 2006
Attempts to counter the despair felt by some in the freedom movement by examining, by example, the "unseen" benefits of libertarian activism over the past century
As the war drags on and the state expands its reach in nearly every area of life, I'm detecting another moment of despair sweeping through libertarian ranks. Why aren't all our efforts making a difference? What are we doing wrong? Are we just wasting our time with our publications, conferences, ... recruitments of thousands of young people? ... The angel Clarence says in It's a Wonderful Life that "Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" It's something for anyone who advocates liberty to think about before he bails out.
Why the Republicans Are Doomed, 21 Feb 2007
Discusses Republican behavior at both the presidential and grassroots level, arguing that they take their societal view from Hobbes
Imagine that you are blindfolded and told that the food you are about to eat is ice cream. It turns out to be chicken liver. Or imagine that you think you are diving into warm water but instead it turns out to be near-freezing. This is pretty much what it is like to be governed by Republicans ... Republicans ... live intellectually in a world long past, a world of warring states and societies made up of fixed classes that fought over ever-dwindling resources, a world unleavened by enterprise and individual initiative. They ... gladly fuel the basest of human instincts: nationalism, jingoism, and hate.
The Wisdom of LeFevre, The Free Market, Jul 2001
Discusses various aspects of LeFevre's thoughts, e.g., the distinction between true and artificial government, patriotism, and includes excerpts from a draft new Declaration of Independence
In 1957, a businessman and radio personality named Robert LeFevre (1911-1986) founded a very special institution in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In his private studies, he had discovered the libertarian intellectual tradition. He noted the dire need for an institution that would educate people from all walks of life in the philosophy of freedom ... Though he was concerned with political topics, his hope was a world without politics, which to him meant a world without the coercion inherent in all collective action. It was his own creative interpretation of the message of his intellectual mentors, among which he counted Ludwig von Mises.

Interviews

Chris Hedges on Reporting on War—And Paying For It, by Lew Rockwell, Bill Moyers, NOW with Bill Moyers, 7 Mar 2003
Conducted two weeks before the invasion of Iraq; topics include: the economy, the budget deficit and national debt, inflation, Republican vs. Democrat presidents, tax cuts, war spending, World War II and the depression, Sadam Hussein and unemployment
MOYERS: Welcome to NOW. If you're thinking about money, bills, the job and your pension and not just the war you belong to the largest party in America, the party of angst ... With me now to talk about all this is Lew Rockwell. Mr. Rockwell is a libertarian free market conservative and President of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. That's the organization he founded to advocate and promote the philosophy that the solution to our fiscal and social woes begins with smaller government. Mr. Rockwell has been a congressional aid, a book editor, a magazine editor, and is now the editor of his own web site.
Do You Consider Yourself a Libertarian?, by Lew Rockwell, Kenny Johnsson, 25 May 2007
Interview by Kenny Johnsson for the short-lived "The Liberal Post" blog; topics discussed include libertarianism, statism, war, elections, taxes, anarchism and the U.S. Constitution
Johnsson: Do you consider yourself a libertarian?
Rockwell: Most certainly. What are the choices? Conservative is obviously out, even though the media describe us this way. The term's heritage dates to the Tory party in Britain, the very mercantilist-landowners who resisted change ...
Johnsson: Do you agree with Ron Paul that we should go by the Constitution and that's it?
Rockwell: ... [T]he one that really deserves more attention is the Declaration of Independence. Now here is an inspiring document that shows us where we should go in the future!
Lew Rockwell Interview, by Lew Rockwell, Scott Horton, The Scott Horton Show, 17 Sep 2005
"Scott and Lew Rockwell discuss Austrian economics and the evils of the welfare and warfare states."
Rockwell and Woods on Rothbard, the Man and His Work, by Lew Rockwell, Thomas Woods, The Tom Woods Show, 17 Sep 2014
Tom Woods interviews Lew Rockwell to have him give an overview of Murray Rothbard's life and work
Related Topic: Murray N. Rothbard
Rockwell on Libertarianism, by Lew Rockwell, Jedrzej Kuskowski, 20 Apr 2007
Interview for the Polish libertarian website Liberalis; topics discussed include libertarianism, the Internet, movement leaders, the State, Ron Paul, the Libertarian Party, left-libertarians, Milton Friedman, immigration and Poland
KUSKOWSKI: Your site, LewRockwell.com, is greatly popular ... What has your experience shown you to be the most important for a growing movement ...?
ROCKWELL: The movement is growing beyond belief, in all sectors of society and in nearly all countries, so far as I can tell ... Libertarians have always believed that getting the ideas out there is the most important step we can take ...
ROCKWELL: The biggest strategic error is collaborating with the powers that be, as if the people in charge ... can be convinced by libertarian arguments ... We need to come to terms with the fact that we are ultimately a revolutionary movement.
September 11 and the Anti-Capitalistic Mentality: An Interview with Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., for Frontpagemag.com, by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., Myles Kantor, FrontPage Magazine, 12 Mar 2002
Discusses the insights of Mises' The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality particularly with regard to the attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 Sep 2001
Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., is president and founder of the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama and editor of LewRockwell.com. Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) was a major economist and thinker whose historic treatises include Human Action and Socialism. The mission of the Ludwig von Mises Institute is "to restore a high place for theory in the social sciences, encourage a revival of critical historical research, draw attention to neglected traditions in Western philosophy, and promote the free and enterprising commonwealth."

Interviews (interviewer)

America's Slow-Motion Fascist Coup, by Naomi Wolf, Lew Rockwell, The Lew Rockwell Show, 30 Oct 2008
Lew interviews Naomi Wolf and is in turn questioned by her, discussing a variety of topics about America's current government
The Health of the State, by Ralph Raico, Lew Rockwell, The Lew Rockwell Show, 17 Aug 2008
Lew talks with Raico about war, U.S. foreign policy, the role of Commander in Chief and related topics
Related Topic: War

Books Authored

Speaking of Liberty
    by Lew Rockwell, Mises Institute, Dec 2003
Partial contents: Economics: The Marvel That Is Capitalism - Why Austrian Economics Matters - War: Free Trade versus War - Ludwig von Mises: Mises and Liberty - Ideas: An American Classical Liberalism - The Sinful State - Interviews and Tributes
Related Topic: Liberty

Videos


Money, Banking and the Federal Reserve, by Mises Institute, Ron Paul, Lew Rockwell, Murray N. Rothbard, Joseph Salerno, 1996
Explains the origins of money and banking, how and why the Federal Reserve was created and the effects it has had on society. Dedicated to Murray Rothbard.

Podcasts

The Lew Rockwell Show
Archives from July 2008 to Aug 2019
The Scam Called the State, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Lew Rockwell, The Lew Rockwell Show, 30 Jul 2008
Rockwell asks Hans-Hermann Hoppe to explain why we allow the State to exist and whether there is any hope in opposing it
Related Topic: The State

The introductory paragraph uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lew Rockwell" as of 6 Jun 2018, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.