Good stuff from Richard Salsman. Here is a brief excerpt from the lengthy article “From Containment to Pre-Emption: A New, Pro-Capitalist Defense Policy”:
The U.S. war against the terrorist regime in Iraq is a proper and welcome action. In our view it should have occurred long ago. But on the bright side, this war could mark the beginning of a new, pro-capitalist (and bullish) U.S. foreign policy. For this war marks the first time the U.S. government has ever undertaken pre-emptive military action against a regime that threatens America’s national security. All other U.S. military actions have been taken in response to (or in ‘containment’ of) threats that already had developed or nations that already had attacked America directly. Defensive, appeasing policies have caused, in the past century, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans soldiers and –on September 11th– thousands of innocent American civilians….
America’s (and any nation’s) national security is a necessary pre-condition for its economic security. In turn, economic security is the necessary pre-condition for long-term and robust equity gains. It is precisely to the extent that a nation’s producers, savers and investors enjoy security of life, limb and property that they’ll produce, save and invest. Nations that fail to protect such basic rights suffer brain drains, capital flight and poverty. The U.S. foreign policy of pre-emption — which must be extended beyond Iraq — could usher in a new wave of wealth-building. [The Capitalist Advisor, March 31, 2003]