Can Iraq Make It?

Greg Mankiw links to a recent working paper by Alesina et al on Artificial States and the discussion that paper motivated on the situation on Iraq.

For my money the most insightful discussions on the difficulties we are facing in the middle east are provided by Chris Coyne in his forthcoming book from Stanford University Press, After War: The Political Economy of Exporting Democracy. 

Chris has, in my opinion, written one of those books like Mises's Socialism or Hayek's Road to Serfdom, that communicates to its readers not only a deep theoretical understanding of the principles of social order and the causes for the breakdown of that order, but a book that is so timely and of such great importance for a particular (and critical) turning point in human history.  Hopefully Chris's warnings will be heeded and he will be spared the fate that Mises endured by having to move from a theorist of economics to a historian of decline.* But one thing is clear, all those in the Austrian and classical liberal camp need to read this work and learn from its careful and subtle presentation of the argument and the evidence on the difficulties encountered with efforts to export democracy and the market economy in US led interventions throughout the world in the 20th and 21st century.

*Hayek described his fate quite differently and said that he was the only person in the 20th century that went senile and then came back!

Comments

[Rafe Champion]

Hutt shared the fate of Mises in a way, he once described his ideas as being forgotten during his lifetime. Still, he lived long enough to see the start of the revival, like Hayek.

[Jüri Saar]

Any idea on when the book will be published? Seems like an interesting read.

[Chris Coyne]

The book will most likely be out some time in 2007. Thanks for the interest.