Nation States have the right to band together to Protect Life and Property from Aggressors

From Eric Dondero:

There is a new website in the pro-defense libertarian community. It is called, "Natural Rights Libertarian."

An excerpt from his piece "Natural Rights Libertarianism and Foreign Policy" Mark Friedman, Sept. 10:

the international sphere closely resembles Locke’s state of nature because there is no single power that can claim a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. Rather, there are a large number of states, all acting in what they perceive to be their self-interest, with varying degrees of ruthlessness and willingness to resort to unprovoked violence. Locke held that in a state of nature any peaceful party may justly punish an aggressor, even though the aggressor has not specifically acted against him/her, because an unpunished aggressor represents a clear and present danger to the entire community. See Second Treatise, Chap. III, sec. 16-8. I think Locke’s reasoning is sound.

An unconstrained aggressor imposes two serious costs on those who wish to abide by what Locke called the law of nature, i.e. showing due regard for the equal rights of other persons. First, a party willing to take the life or property of one innocent victim is not likely to stop there. Accordingly, criminals cause fear in even those not directly harmed by their aggression.

Second, the persistence of criminality imposes significant material costs on peaceful parties. Because of the anxiety referenced above, blameless persons will be required to beef up security for themselves and their loved ones. Individuals wishing to conduct mutually-beneficial trade may be prevented from doing so because the goods or the payment will be stolen. Farmers may not plant crops because thieves will seize the harvest, and so on.

Given these considerations, if a peace-loving person in a state of nature is entitled to punish a criminal who has not attacked him directly, then it also seems clear that they may band together in defensive alliances to deter, resist or punish aggressors in a coordinated way. On this same logic, this principle should also apply today to peaceful states, and this conclusion also seems to potentially justify foreign bases, alliances, etc.

Friedman is a retired attorney with a law degree cum ladae from Georgetown Univ.