Clausewitz, the UN Charter, and the Libertarian View on War

The ongoing war in Ukraine has given many Western analysts a reality check. Indeed, the realism of Carl von Clausewitz’s classic “On War” has come back in force. The Prussian military theorist famously wrote that : “War is nothing but a continuation of politics with the admixture of other means”. Though this observation may seem strange or even shocking to modern Western ears, it is the role war has mostly had throughout history.

Clausewitz served in the Russian army during the Napoleonic war of 1812 and his influence in Russia is felt to this day. Indeed, Russia’s approach to the war in Ukraine has the imprint of Clausewitz in the sense that it sees military action as a political instrument, along with other such instruments, such as diplomatic and economic ones.

The Inflation Reduction Act : Another Unfair and Unjustified State Intervention

Taking advantage of their current majorities in Congress which likely won’t last beyond the midterms, and after 18 months of marathon negotiations, the Democrats finally passed yet another plan to artificially and unfairly dope the U.S. economy. The $430 billion plan was signed into law by President Joe Biden soon after.

Antiwar Criticism and the Formation of Collective Opinion

There are themes in the West that are difficult to question without running the risk of receiving sharp criticism. For the following themes, for example, there is a position considered "correct" by Western collective opinion: "Welfare State", "climate policy", "multicultural society", or "Covid-19 vaccination". It is implied that the “acceptable” position to each one of these themes can and should be adopted without any prior critical analysis at the individual level.

Finland and Sweden in NATO: Disregarding the Benefits of Neutrality

Finland's and Sweden’s recent decisions to apply for NATO membership is a major win for the military alliance, but a far more dubious one for these two countries. NATO badly needs a success at this moment, since neither the economic war on Russia nor the conflict in Ukraine seem to be going the West’s way. Whether officially adding two more Nordic countries would have a real military advantage for NATO remains to be seen, but at least it would be a clear Public Relations win.

Why the Sanctions Against Russia Must Be Opposed

The Western sanctions against Russia seem to shock very few Westerns. Yet, for several reasons, these sanctions should at least be the subject of lively debate in Western societies.

Firstly, these sanctions are illegal from the standpoint of international law (only the Security Council can approve economic sanctions, according to Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations). They could legitimately be considered an act of war by Russia, with all the terrifying consequences that such an interpretation could have. Thus, regardless whether Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is considered a violation of international law, such an economic war waged by the West in Russia cannot be justified on the part of nations that do not have defense agreements with Ukraine and which are not at war with Russia. Two wrongs don't make a right.