Tweet [1]
Reason’s Lucy Steigerwald eloquently riffs on the dust-up involving MSNBC’s Chris Hayes and his questioning the frequency with which the word “hero” is used to describe soldiers [2]. I’m aware that in agreeing with Lucy’s remarks – and agreeing with much of what Hayes said – I irritate many of the more conservative patrons of Cafe Hayek. My purpose isn’t to irritate. But I have never understood why the same government whose efforts, say, to set minimum wages, to centrally plan the money supply, and to ‘redistribute’ income should be met with deep skepticism suddenly becomes trustworthy and noble when it wages war or otherwise meddles in the affairs of other nations. (Several years ago I went into this matter in somewhat more detail [3].)
The movie clip embedded in Lucy’s post reminds me of this outstanding quotation from the great Richard Cobden, posted here by Liberty Fund’s David Hart. [4]
UPDATE: Robert Wright writes worthwhile words on this issue [5].