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The First Great Book of the 21st Century by Jack Rain A new and powerful book has just been published. The book is pathbreaking and has the brilliance in its presentation that could lead to a movement that could change the course of history. The book of which I write is Hans-Hermann Hoppe's new book, Democracy: The God That Failed. Hoppe takes us step by step with clarity and wisdom through his book that argues that democracy is a failure. First he explains the methodology employed to reach the conclusions he has reached. Then he explains to us three broad-based myths that currently exist about state, democracy and the current Western welfare-democracies. Of the emergence of the state out of a prior non-statist order, Hoppe teaches us that it is a myth to conclude that subsequent economic and civilizational progress is a result of the emergence of the state. He shows us that the economic and civilizational progress was achieved in spite of the state. The second myth that Hoppe discusses involves the belief that democracy is an advance over monarchy. Hoppe brilliantly shows that democracies results in "morally uninhibited demagogues" climbing to the top versus a monarchy that may even see a relatively docile king ascend to the throne. Hoppe further shows that the differing nature of power in a democracy brings upon a short-term perspective that does not exist in a monarchy, where a much longer term, and more beneficial, perspective is possible. Hoppe also warns that democracies bring upon a radical change in the conduct of war because leaders in a democracy, unlike a monarchy, can externalize the costs of their own aggression. Thirdly, Hoppe shatters the myth that there is no alternative to Western style welfare-democracies. He charges that democracies are not stable. His alternative is what he calls the "natural order." He sees that the "natural order" can be achieved from today's welfare-democracies by a series of secessions. In his Natural Order, insurance companies play an important role as producers of security, and there is no government that would monopolize security and the judicial system He closes his book by explaining how the movement to such a Natural Order can be accomplished from the current welfare-democratic state. This book is both brave and brilliant. I urge you to buy it today. By reading it now, you will be at the beginning of a movement that may last centuries and launch the "Era of the Natural Order." Thank you Professor Hoppe for delivering to us the first great book of the 21st century. November 13, 2001 Jack Rain is a traveler and observer of world events. |