Campaign for Liberty's Foreign Policy Reading List

An Overview

Core:

The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul, ch. 2 (audiobook)

A Foreign Policy of Freedom: ‘Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship’ by Ron Paul

Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire by Chalmers Johnson

Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror by Michael Scheuer

The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War by Andrew J. Bacevich

The Old Right and War:

Ain’t My America: The Long, Noble History of Antiwar Conservatism and Middle American Anti-Imperialism by Bill Kauffman

Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement by Justin Raimondo

The Betrayal of the American Right by Murray N. Rothbard; online here

Prophets on the Right: Profiles of Conservative Critics of American Globalism by Ronald Radosh

Other Important Books:

Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic by Chalmers Johnson

Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq by Stephen Kinzer

The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic by Chalmers Johnson

Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Robert A. Pape

American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy by Andrew J. Bacevich

The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism by Andrew J. Bacevich

War Is a Racket by Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler; online here

The War for Righteousness: Progressive Christianity, the Great War and the Rise of the Messianic Nation by Richard Gamble

The Costs of War: America’s Pyrrhic Victories, ed. John V. Denson

We Who Dared to Say No to War: American Antiwar Writing From 1812 to Now by Murray Polner and Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

Wall Street, Banks, and American Foreign Policy by Murray N. Rothbard; online here

Articles:

“Our Own Strength Against Us: The War on Terror as a Self-Inflicted Disaster” (.pdf) by Ian S. Lustick

“What Do the Terrorists Want?” (.pdf) by James L. Payne

Audio:

Scott Horton’s Antiwar Radio has featured some of the most important intellectuals, journalists, and political figures of our day, and its archive is a treasure trove of knowledge. Scott suggests the following as some of his best and most informative interviews. Access his full archive, subscribe to his podcast, and listen live from 12:00pm-2:00pm Eastern.

Michael Scheuer, 22-year CIA veteran, former head of the agency’s Osama bin Laden unit,
and author of Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror

Robert Pape, author, Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism

Chalmers Johnson, author and professor emeritus of the University of California, San Diego

Philip Giraldi, former CIA officer and columnist, The American Conservative

Ron Paul on Terrorism and more

Patrick Cockburn, Middle East correspondent for the Independent

John Cusack, actor, on his film War, Inc.

Jim Powell, author, Wilson’s War

Ron Paul on Iraq and Afghanistan

Chris Hedges, author, War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning

Carah Ong, Iran Policy Analyst, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector

Larry Velvel, dean, Massachusetts School of Law

Gareth Porter, reporter, IPS News

The Economics of Foreign Policy

Articles:

“We Spend $1 Trillion a Year in Defense” by Robert Higgs

“The Neglected Costs of the Warfare State” (.pdf) by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

“Military Spending / Gross Domestic Product = Nonsense for Budget Policymaking” (.pdf) by Robert Higgs

“Military-Economic Fascism: How Business Corrupts Government, and Vice Versa” by Robert Higgs

“Do We Need to go to War for Oil?” (.pdf) by David R. Henderson

Audio and Video:

“The Myth of War Prosperity” by Robert Higgs

“Taxation, Inflation, and War” by Joseph T. Salerno (video here)

“War and Inflation: The Monetary Process and Implications” by Joseph T. Salerno

“War and the Money Machine” by Joseph T. Salerno

Books:

Depression, War, and Cold War by Robert Higgs

Pentagon Capitalism by Seymour Melman

Continue to: Constitution