Form: Short Note

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b016lklv/iPM_05_11_2011/The case for Monarchy. Constitutional monarchy, with property rights under the common law is the best form of government yet developed. Hoppe’s forceful argument is that under monarchy we had lower taxes, fewer wars, trade unions, political parties, an active and supportive church, and that’s because as the ‘owner’ of the government, and the territory, the monarch acts as any business person who wants to hand his company over to the next generation – with long and low time preference. Furthermore, any action by the monarch that threatens the viability of the noble family tends to result in the family killing him off (see Mad Ludwig who build the bavarian castles we so admire.) Elected officials tend to treat the country like predators in a tragedy of the commons. THey consume everything like locusts and destroy the traditions and the wealth of the country. Furthermore, there is nothing more warlike than a democracy, and nothing so unwilling to follow through on it’s warlike ambitions.