For a Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy: Apathy, Selfishness, Common Sense, and Arithmetic!

Sydney Smith on Military Adventures and Attempting to Protect Mankind

Via Murray Rothbard comes a great Sydney Smith quote. Rothbard informs that “Canon Sydney Smith [was] the great classical liberal and anti-interventionist in early nineteenth century England. When Lord Grey, the Prime Minister, was moving toward a foreign war, Sydney Smith wrote the following letter to Lady Grey, in 1832.”

For God’s sake, do not drag me into another war! I am worn down, and worn out, with crusading and defending Europe, and protecting mankind; I must think a little of myself. I am sorry for the Spaniards – I am sorry for the Greeks – I deplore the fate of the Jews; the people of the Sandwich Islands are groaning under the most detestable tyranny; Baghdad is oppressed, I do not like the present state of the Delta; Tibet is not comfortable. Am I to fight for all these people? The world is bursting with sin and sorrow. Am I to be champion of the Decalogue, and to be eternally raising fleets and armies to make all men good and happy? We have just done saving Europe, and I am afraid the consequence will be, that we shall cut each other’s throats. No war, dear Lady Grey! – No eloquence; but apathy, selfishness, common sense, arithmetic! I beseech you, secure Lord Grey’s swords and pistols, as the housekeeper did Don Quixote’s armour. If there is another war, life will not be worth having.

‘May the vengeance of Heaven’ overtake the Legitimates of Verona! but, in the present state of rent and taxes, they must be left to the vengeance of Heaven. I allow fighting in such a cause to be a luxury, but the business of a prudent, sensible man is to guard against luxury.

There is no such thing as a just war, or at least, as a wise war.

From Economic Policy Journal, here.

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  2. Rothbard Said It First
  3. Rothbard Was a System Builder
  4. Politicians: Act for Your Sake If Not for Ours!
  5. ‘The Only Economic History to Deal With Jewish Economic Thought’

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