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Nineteen Public Bads of Empire, Nation Building, and the Like

Originally published in The Independent Review

Although some writers have argued that imperialism can supply a “public good,” such as the enforcement of a secure property-rights regime, few have examined systematically the many “public bads” that tend to accompany this sort of foreign interventionism.

Although some writers have argued that imperialism can supply a “public good,” such as the enforcement of a secure property-rights regime, few have examined systematically the many “public bads” that tend to accompany this sort of foreign interventionism. A comprehensive list of the potential social harms associated with empire, nation building, and the like is long overdue.

Read the article at the Independent Review.

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