Replies

fwiw, although Hayek was an enemy of anything leftist, he did not consider himself a conservative.

Regarding the imposition of democratic freedom in Iraq, which does not have any such tradition, I would like to point out that we were successful in transforming Japan, which also had an extremely different tradition.

Regarding the imposition of democratic freedom in Iraq, which does not have any such tradition, I would like to point out that we were successful in transforming Japan, which also had an extremely different tradition.

I'm not sure that Will is so much preoccupied with "tranforming" Iraq, as he is with the effect of our promoting the notion that nations can be "democratized" by fiat. As I read it, Will thinks this plays into, or is even motivated by, the current assault on the concept of the nation-state (self-government) by the (false) promotion of international law as an alternative to national sovereignty.