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Liberalism in the Post 9-11 World

Originally published in Indian Journal of Economics & Business

In this paper, Boettke and Coyne argue that negative sanctions are unsuccessful and in many cases counter productive in reducing terrorism. Further, the authors postulate that efforts to impose democracy in weak and failed states via occupation and reconstruction have largely failed. Only by returning to a position of principled non-intervention can the war on terror ultimately be won.

The current approach to the war on terror is largely ineffective. Central to this approach are negative sanctions against actual and potential terrorists coupled with attempts to spread democracy through war, occupation and reconstruction. In this paper, Boettke and Coyne argue that negative sanctions are unsuccessful and in many cases counter productive in reducing terrorism. Further, the authors postulate that efforts to impose democracy in weak and failed states via occupation and reconstruction have largely failed. Only by returning to a position of principled non-intervention can the war on terror ultimately be won.

Read the paper at Christopher Coyne's website.

Boettke, Peter J. and Christopher Coyne. "Liberalism in the Post-9/11 World." Indian Journal of Economics & Business, Special Issue (2007): 35-53.

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