Lew Rockwell

Central Banking, Inflation and Empire

[audio:http://dissentradio.com/radio/07_08_20_rockwell2.mp3]

Lew Rockwell, founder and president of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, discusses the corruption of the modern conservative movement, the detrimental effects the Federal Reserve System has on the economy, and how it perpetuates the warfare/welfare state.

MP3 here. (40:34)

More here.

Lew Rockwell is the founder and President of the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, Vice President of the Center for Libertarian Studies in Burlingame, California, and publisher of the political Web site LewRockwell.com. He served as Ron Paul’s congressional chief of staff between 1978 and 1982.

What Would War on Iran Do to the Price of Oil?

A number of blogs have apparently picked up on a particular thought in the recent article by Jon Utley, “What To Do With Cheney?” That perhaps Rove’s sudden resignation is because he has been unable to stop the Cheney gang from a coming attack on Iran, and Rove foresees the consequent political disaster for the Republican party. The threat of $5 per gallon gasoline has generated lots of discussion.

Harper’s Website had a discussion of the threat and a Heritage Foundation study of the consequences, done in 2006. The Heritage Study makes it all sound easy, stating that the U.S. Navy would quickly reopen the Straits of Hormuz, that the political pressure to allow drilling in Anwr in Alaska would then become irresistible. Its worst case scenario is a decline of $161 billion in one quarter’s gross national product and a decline of “over 1 million jobs” in the following year.

Heritage makes no allowance for the war getting out of hand, nor for any destruction of Arabian Gulf oil ports or refining and storage facilities. Most of all it make no mention even for the effect upon other nations, as if the U.S. just lived in a self contained world. In fact Japan, South Korea, and China’s economies would have tremendous shortages of fuel with consequent effect to world trade and prosperity. Heritage Foundation was a major promoter of starting the last war and is a big supporter of it even now.

For a serious study of the consequences of war with Iran we refer you to CATO’s “The Costs and Benefits of Preventative War vs. Deterrence” by Justin Logan.

Rep. Ron Paul

Republic or Empire? Easy Choice

[audio:http://dissentradio.com/radio/07_08_17_paul.mp3]

Presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul discusses the economic consequences of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the scars of PTSD and the administration’s betrayal of wounded veterans, how nice it would be if the War Party had to clean up the DU, why the U.S. should withdraw from Iraq as soon as physically possible, the role of the Military-Industrial-Complex in determining foreign policy, the likelihood and possible consequences of war with Iran for our troops in Iraq, our economy, and our liberty, why all the tax money spent militarily “securing” recourses is being wasted due to a mistaken and outdated mercantilist understanding of economics, the failure of the Congressional Democrats to check the war powers of the president, why U.S. intervention on behalf of Israel is bad for us, bad for them and bad for their neighbors, America’s deteriorating relationship with Russia and China and why the U.S. government should stay out of Darfur.

MP3 here. (29:55)

(All my previous interviews of Dr. Paul here and here.)

Dr. Ron Paul is a Republican member of Congress from Texas and candidate for President of the United States.