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How to Run Wars: A Confidential Playbook for the National Security Elite (Independent Institute Studies in Political Economy) Hardcover – June 18, 2024

by Christopher J. Coyne (Author), Abigail R. Hall (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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A copy of the top-secret memo below recently came into our hands, and we thought we should bring it to your attention!

“Dear National Security Elite:

In an ideal world, the public would simply accept whatever their leaders—you, in other words—told them. They would comply with restrictions and mandates, not as a matter of mere obedience, but as a matter of unquestionable patriotic duty.

But we don’t live in an ideal world.

And with the fate of the world, especially the world’s wars, in the hands of our enlightened, benevolent, and eminently responsible national security elite—in your hands, in other words—we can’t afford to risk opening the conversation to an informed public.

And we certainly can’t risk asking for anything so antiquated as “consent,” either.

Not when the stakes are this high.

You simply must learn:
  • How to control the narrative—every narrative—in your favor;
  • How to completely capture the media and effectively quash dissent;
  • How destroying liberty creates more liberty in the long (long) run;
  • Why top-down economic planning, here and abroad, is your best friend;
  • How to flout international, and of course domestic, law and get away with it;
  • And much, much more...

The danger with any book like this is, obviously, that it may fall into the wrong hands. If any member of the general public should happen upon these pages, the consequences would be fatal.

After all, people may realize that the national security elite—you, in other words—are not, in fact, all-powerful harbingers of peace...

They may realize that you are, literally, a force for good... armed and relentlessly attempting to bend the planet to your noble will.

And that realization would be nothing short of disastrous.

Don’t let this book fall into the wrong hands!”

Merciless in their penetrating analysis, Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail Hall have written the satirical portrait of America’s contemporary military-industrial complex. Drawing inspiration from the 1936 classic How to Run a War, by Bruce W. Knight, this book is a must-read for anyone who would know the truth about America’s endless wars and the people who run them....

The truth might just set us free.

It will certainly make you laugh.

Then—really angry.
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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Independent Institute
  4. Publication date
    June 18, 2024
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1598133926
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1598133929
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From the Publisher

How to Run Wars
How to Run Wars
How to Run Wars

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ramp up the threat index to severe! Pursue your Orwellian dream of selling war as peace! In this satirical gem, Coyne and Hall skewer the would-be warmongers among us.” -- W. J. Astore, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret.), author, Hindenburg: Icon of German Militarism

“An essential and timely contribution to the debate on U.S. foreign policy. I smiled in recognition as each ridiculous claim was skewered, and often laughed out loud at the droll, straight-faced accuracy of the account. But then, immediately, and as with all great satire, I was brought up short: actually, this is not funny. The views being skewered here are all real. Without the kind of close scrutiny you’ll find in How to Run Wars, those destructive and corrosive views will continue to dominate American military doctrine unchallenged.” -- Michael C. Munger, professor of political science, Duke University; author, Is Capitalism Sustainable?

“How to Run Wars works by saying the quiet part out loud. Some readers, even in the liberty movement, might interpret the book literally, without realizing that it is a highly skilled pasquinade, pure lampoonery of the national security state’s duplicitous dupes and many minions. It’s a Babylon Bee for PhDs, a deeply layered onion of dark humor and satirical insight into the destruction of America by the very people charged with protecting it. Be prepared to laugh, and cry.” -- Robert E. Wright, lecturer in economics, Central Michigan University

“Proponents of American hegemony argue that global military interventionism is necessary to protect freedom, liberalism, democracy, and a rules-based international order. But what does it take to run a ‘liberal empire’? Economists Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail R. Hall have spent years studying the American national security state. In this book, they explain how to succeed as a member of the national security elite. Doing so requires propaganda, mendacity, repression of dissent, gross violations of civil liberties, willingness to sacrifice human lives, and flagrant violations of international law. In other words, liberal empire entails violating the very liberal principles it purports to protect. If you want to understand the ugly truths about militarism, this book is a great place to start.” -- Nathan Goodman, senior fellow, F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

“Coyne and Hall eviscerate the national security elites with merciless satiric wit. These elites want to send your children to war, and they need you misinformed and obedient to get away with it. Don’t let them. Read this book. Learn their ways. See the truth. Your children’s lives depend on it.” -- Roger Koppl, professor of finance, Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University

About the Author

Christopher J. Coyne is Professor of Economics at George Mason University, Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute and Co-Editor of The Independent Review. He is the author or co-author of In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace (2022, Independent Institute), Manufacturing Militarism: U.S. Government Propaganda in the War on Terror (2021, Stanford University Press), Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of U.S. Militarism (2018, Stanford University Press).

Abigail R. Hall is an associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa and a Senior Fellow with the Independent Institute. She is the coauthor of The Political Economy of Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the War on Terror (2023, Cambridge University Press), Manufacturing Militarism: US Government Propaganda and the War on Terror (2021, Stanford University Press), and Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of US Militarism (2018, Stanford University Press).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independent Institute
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 18, 2024
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Updated edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1598133926
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1598133929
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

About the author

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Christopher J. Coyne

Christopher J. Coyne

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Christopher Coyne is Professor of Economics at George Mason University and the Associate Director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center. He is the Co-Editor of The Review of Austrian Economics and The Independent Review. He also serves as the Book Review Editor for Public Choice.

Chris is the author or co-author of In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace (2022, Independent Institute), Manufacturing Militarism: U.S. Government Propaganda in the War on Terror (2021, Stanford University Press), Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of U.S. Militarism (2018, Stanford University Press), Doing Bad by Doing Good: Why Humanitarian Action Fails (2013, Stanford University Press), Media, Development and Institutional Change (2009, Edward Elgar Publishing), and After War: The Political Economy of Exporting Democracy (2007, Stanford University Press).

He is also the co-editor of Exploring the Political Economy and Social Philosophy of James M. Buchanan (2018, Rowman & Littlefield International), Interdisciplinary Studies of the Market Order: New Applications of Market Process Theory (2017, Rowman & Littlefield International), Future: Economic Peril or Prosperity? (2016, Independent Institute), The Oxford Handbook of Austrian Economics (2015, Oxford University Press), Flaws and Ceilings: Price Controls and the Damage They Cause (2015, Institute for Economic Affairs), and The Handbook on the Political Economy of War (2011, Edward Elgar Publishing).

In addition, Coyne has authored numerous academic articles, book chapters, and policy studies.

In 2016 he was selected as a recipient of George Mason's University Teaching Excellence Award.

Chris's personal web page is www.ccoyne.com

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4.5 out of 5 stars
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A Satirical Critique of American Foreign Policy Run Amok
5 out of 5 stars
A Satirical Critique of American Foreign Policy Run Amok
"How to Run Wars" is likely my favorite book of the year. Coyne and Hall take you on a thinly veiled satirical romp through the structure of the American national security apparatus, touching on everything from journalist capture to the abuse of the JROTC program. In its pages, you'll find a "guide" to how to perpetuate the strategic failure of the last several decades of American attempts to impose a liberal international order, during which the authors offer real education on some of the most appalling behavior and grievously illiberal acts of the national security state in Washington - often jokingly presented as "good ideas to save democracy." It's a tongue in cheek way to present some truly dark and disturbing realities about our nation's policies and future trajectory - well worth the read.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Robert Clarke
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Satirical Critique of American Foreign Policy Run Amok
    Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    "How to Run Wars" is likely my favorite book of the year. Coyne and Hall take you on a thinly veiled satirical romp through the structure of the American national security apparatus, touching on everything from journalist capture to the abuse of the JROTC program.

    In its pages, you'll find a "guide" to how to perpetuate the strategic failure of the last several decades of American attempts to impose a liberal international order, during which the authors offer real education on some of the most appalling behavior and grievously illiberal acts of the national security state in Washington - often jokingly presented as "good ideas to save democracy."

    It's a tongue in cheek way to present some truly dark and disturbing realities about our nation's policies and future trajectory - well worth the read.
    Customer image
    Robert Clarke
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    A Satirical Critique of American Foreign Policy Run Amok

    Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2024
    "How to Run Wars" is likely my favorite book of the year. Coyne and Hall take you on a thinly veiled satirical romp through the structure of the American national security apparatus, touching on everything from journalist capture to the abuse of the JROTC program.

    In its pages, you'll find a "guide" to how to perpetuate the strategic failure of the last several decades of American attempts to impose a liberal international order, during which the authors offer real education on some of the most appalling behavior and grievously illiberal acts of the national security state in Washington - often jokingly presented as "good ideas to save democracy."

    It's a tongue in cheek way to present some truly dark and disturbing realities about our nation's policies and future trajectory - well worth the read.
    Images in this review
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    One person found this helpful
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  • Aeon J. Skoble
    5.0 out of 5 stars Solid political analysis in satire form
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This book is terrific. Authors Coyne and Hall could have easily written a straightforward book about the ways in which national security concerns are leveraged to promote war and the security state, eroding civil liberties and economic freedom - they know this material very well. But in a genius move, they chose to use satire: the book is presented as a memo to national security elites, like "here's how you can get away with totally unsupportable things, quash dissent, and trick people into supporting you - and make sure this book isn't widely released!" The satire angle is very effective as a way of presenting this important material. Highly recommend. Well sourced, but accessible to general audiences.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • sterling
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Vital Introduction to an Undervalued Issue
    Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2024
    Format: Hardcover
    This is a straightforward and entertaining account of one of the largest budgetary crises in our country today. Full of sharp one-liners and useful data to prepare you for the hyper-political cocktail party you've been dreading, you'll drop bombs on the supercilious nincompoops who dare to question what the most wasteful line-item in the federal budget truly is. But seriously, this is a handy introduction to an ongoing concern for those who fear both the increase in the federal debt and the rising body count. Whereas in the past radicals and mainstream journalists alike were keen to criticize the overspending and lack of oversight in America's military, modern commentators have allowed other concerns to drift to the forefront and have allowed the military a political blank check. With a book like this hitting the stands, that is not likely to continue. Looking forward to more work from these clever and insightful souls.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Mary Kate Lindsey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Caustic critique full of shocking take-aways
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
    Format: Hardcover
    A satirical breakdown of how every major institution at the DOD's disposal is used to make Americans blindly support their every effort in the name of national security. If something rubs you the wrong way about modern warfare and international policy (or even your experience at TSA) but you aren't quite sure why, this book will leave you with a plethora of data and case studies about why "war is a racket" as Major General Smedley Butler said (p. 144). From working with movie studios, the NFL, and social media companies to the legislation passed to allow unspeakable action at home and abroad in the name of "democracy," this book goes deep on the dark aspects of national security policy while remaining a caustic, accessible, entertaining read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in taking a closer look at US policy - foreign and domestic - related to war.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    1.0 out of 5 stars A Well Constructed Strawman
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I picked this up to complement some of what I was reading, and I was pretty disappointed. I was hoping for an actual argument or something at the very least thought provoking. What I got was nothing but false equivalencies built into straw man arguments.

    I did not read the entire book. Perhaps it gets better in the second half.

    If you're looking for a sarcastic way to stroke your own beliefs, this book is for you. If you'd like something thought provoking, I'd look elsewhere.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • The SGM
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Rehash of history
    Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Anyone who has been around for a few years and is nowlegable of world happenings will feel refreshed because this is a rehash of the news and history.
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  • t lindsey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Overdue
    Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2024
    Format: Hardcover
    Definitely a commitment and passion for the issues at hand. Recommend!
    3 people found this helpful
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