It’s the Ayn Rand justification against Rogue Nations that become International Outlaws when murder their own citizens as Iran has done which removes them from the protection of morality.

Ayn Rand argued that any free nation has the moral right to attack a rogue regime (which she defined as a dictatorship or “slave pen”) because such regimes are international outlaws that have forfeited their rights by initiating physical force

Based on her philosophy of Objectivism, the justification for attacking a rogue regime rests on the following principles:

  • Dictatorships Are Outlaws: Rand argued that a government that violates the rights of its own citizens—treating them as property rather than individuals—cannot claim any rights to national sovereignty. She viewed these governments not as legitimate nations, but as “gangs”.

  • The Right of Self-Defense: A free nation has the right to defend itself against potential aggression. A dictatorship, by its nature, survives by looting its own economy and eventually must attack its neighbors to postpone its collapse. Therefore, destroying a dictatorship is considered a preemptive or retaliatory act of self-defense.

  • No “Innocents” Exception: Rand maintained that to win a war against a dictatorship, a free nation must not be weakened by an immoral concern for “innocents” who serve the aggressor state. She argued that in modern war, the citizens of an aggressor state are complicit in the regime’s acts, and destroying the regime may require destroying its enabling population.

  • A Right, Not a Duty: While free nations have the right to topple dictatorships, they are not obligated to do so. The decision to intervene should be based on the self-interest of the free nation, not a moral duty to liberate others at the cost of its own resources.

Key Takeaways on Rand’s View:

  • No Respect for Dictators: Rand stated that “a nation that violates the rights of its own citizens cannot claim any rights”.

  • Force Over Negotiation: She argued that negotiating with dictators is irrational and that they should be defeated by force, rather than appeased, arguing that “they will not be appeased”.

  • Economic Actions: In some cases, she preferred economic boycotts and blockades over direct invasion to force a regime’s collapse without losing American lives.

***************************************

Views: 0