Book: Democracy – The God That Failed

A 2001 book that sells rather well as it deals with themes of political economy: "Democracy – The God That Failed: The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy, and Natural Order" by Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Transaction Publishers):

www.transactionpub.com/cgi-bin/transactionpublishers.storefront/en/product/0-7658-0868-4

From the publisher's description: "The core of this book is a systematic treatment of the historic transformation of the West from monarchy to democracy. Revisionist in nature, it reaches the conclusion that monarchy is a lesser evil than democracy, but outlines deficiencies in both. Its methodology is axiomatic-deductive, allowing the writer to derive economic and sociological theorems, and then apply them to interpret historical events. [...]

"Hoppe deconstructs the classical liberal belief in the possibility of limited government and calls for an alignment of conservatism and libertarianism as natural allies with common goals. [...] Having established a natural order as superior on utilitarian grounds, the author goes on to assess the prospects for achieving a natural order. Informed by his analysis of the deficiencies of social democracy, and armed with the social theory of legitimation, he forsees secession as the likely future of the US and Europe, resulting in a multitude of region and city-states."

Clyde N. Wilson, in his review for "The American Conservative", wrote: "Hans-Hermann Hoppe's theoretically disciplined examination of the present sad state of Western governments has received considerable and well-deserved attention. His diagnosis of the disease is superb. His recommended cure – the maximum individual disengagement and community secession from the state – is worth serious consideration by those who have learned that government is now without limits and its growth unstoppable by a mere change of parties."

The book is fully searchable on Google Book Search (including table of contents):

http://books.google.com/books?id=zRyOSljcB0AC&printsec=frontcover

A volume in the libertarian/anarcho-capitalist tradition. I perceive a lack of understanding for the fact that every form of capitalism will, in time, lead to some form of democracy. A permanent separation is impossible.

German-born Hans-Hermann Hoppe is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Distinguished Fellow with the Ludwig von Mises Institute. His doctoral advisor (in Philosophy) at the Goethe University Frankfurt was Jürgen Habermas.