Less freedom at home
By Ron Paul (March 10, 2003)
War has many costs, both human and economic, that must be carefully considered. The greatest cost of war, of course, is the cost in human lives. But the economic costs of war must also be considered.
Inflation is certain during wartime, as the Treasury prints more money to fund military expenses. Furthermore, taxes or deficits necessarily rise when the nation's productivity falls because of war. Estimates of war spending [in Iraq] range from $100 billion to $200 billion, a figure that does not include tens of billions needed for nation-building in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The greatest economic cost of war, however, comes from the expansion in the size and scope of government. Government always grows during wars and other crises. As economist Murray Rothbard noted, government uses crises to "Engineer the great leaps forward" in the size of the state. When the crisis ends, government never returns to its former size.
As government expands, individual liberty necessarily shrinks. True prosperity cannot exist without individual liberty and its corollaries of limited government, property rights, and free markets.
Ultimately, war leaves us with less freedom at home. The sad irony is that while our soldiers have fought for the freedom of Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, and Iraq, the government uses war to steadily diminish freedom here at home.
* Ron Paul is a Republican U.S. Representative from Texas
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Sure could use a trim
By Ron Paul (March 10, 2003)
War has many costs, both human and economic, that must be carefully considered. The greatest cost of war, of course, is the cost in human lives. But the economic costs of war must also be considered.
Inflation is certain during wartime, as the Treasury prints more money to fund military expenses. Furthermore, taxes or deficits necessarily rise when the nation's productivity falls because of war. Estimates of war spending [in Iraq] range from $100 billion to $200 billion, a figure that does not include tens of billions needed for nation-building in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The greatest economic cost of war, however, comes from the expansion in the size and scope of government. Government always grows during wars and other crises. As economist Murray Rothbard noted, government uses crises to "Engineer the great leaps forward" in the size of the state. When the crisis ends, government never returns to its former size.
As government expands, individual liberty necessarily shrinks. True prosperity cannot exist without individual liberty and its corollaries of limited government, property rights, and free markets.
Ultimately, war leaves us with less freedom at home. The sad irony is that while our soldiers have fought for the freedom of Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, and Iraq, the government uses war to steadily diminish freedom here at home.
* Ron Paul is a Republican U.S. Representative from Texas
_________________________
Sure could use a trim
