David R. Henderson

David R. Henderson is a research fellow with the Hoover Institution and an emeritus professor of economics in the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School. He is author of The Joy of Freedom: An Economist’s Odyssey and co-author, with Charles L. Hooper, of Making Great Decisions in Business and Life(Chicago Park Press). His latest book is The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (Liberty Fund, 2008). He has appeared on The O’Reilly Factor, the Jim Lehrer Newshour, CNN, MSNBC, RT, Fox Business Channel, and C-SPAN. He has had over 100 articles published in Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, Red Herring, Barron’s, National Review, Reason, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Hill, and the Christian Science Monitor. He has also testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources. He blogs at Econlog.econlib.org and I Blog To Differ.

Should We Judge Government?

Recently I ran into a colleague from the Naval Postgraduate School, where I teach, and got into an interesting conversation. It highlighted the differences between how I think of the world and how many pro-U.S. government people, and pro-government people in general, think of the world. That’s why I’m sharing it with you. I’m not … Continue reading “Should We Judge Government?”

Ford: A Lincoln and an Imperial(ist)

One of the late Gerald Ford’s favorite sayings during his first few weeks of office was that he was "a Ford, not a Lincoln." Ford meant it as a statement of his humility. Ford’s humility was, in fact, one of his best character traits. But in pardoning Richard Nixon a month after becoming president, Ford … Continue reading “Ford: A Lincoln and an Imperial(ist)”

How to Undercut Chávez Peacefully With Less Military, Not More

Imagine you’re selling a product and a large gang – call it Gang A – comes along and tells you to stop and threatens to kill you, or at least destroy your property, if you don’t. Gang A, though far way geographically, is very well-funded: I’ll tell you why in a minute, but I’ll give … Continue reading “How to Undercut Chávez Peacefully With Less Military, Not More”

Milton Friedman: A Tribute

“In the course of his [General Westmoreland’s] testimony, he made the statement that he did not want to command an army of mercenaries. I [Milton Friedman] stopped him and said, ‘General, would you rather command an army of slaves?’ He drew himself up and said, ‘I don’t like to hear our patriotic draftees referred to … Continue reading “Milton Friedman: A Tribute”

Who Is ‘We’?
Part Two

In one of my early columns on Antiwar.com, “Who Is ‘We’?,” I pointed out that people often mistakenly use the term “we” when talking about the actions of government officials. So, for example, if the government of country X bombs people in country Y, many people who live in country X will say, “We bombed … Continue reading “Who Is ‘We’?
Part Two”

Oil, Nuclear Power, and Iran:
A Lesson in Opportunity Cost

Imagine that you have an oil well that contains enough oil to supply annually three times the amount you would ever want to use in a year. Suppose that one of your main current uses of oil is to generate electric power for your ranch. Would you want to buy electric power from someone else, … Continue reading “Oil, Nuclear Power, and Iran:
A Lesson in Opportunity Cost”

The Nuclear Taboo

It’s fitting, on the first anniversary of my Antiwar.com column, to go back to the first issue I wrote about: the awarding of the 2005 Nobel prize in economics to game theorist Thomas Schelling. In particular, I want to highlight Schelling’s acceptance speech of Dec. 8, 2005. The speech, which is also the lead article … Continue reading “The Nuclear Taboo”

George Shultz’s Unconvincing Case for the War on Terror

In a recent article, "Sustaining Our Resolve" (Policy Review, August/September 2006), George Shultz, former secretary of state under Ronald Reagan and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, argues for keeping up the war on terror. He also argues that if we are to counter some of the "delusional" conspiracy talk that goes on in … Continue reading “George Shultz’s Unconvincing Case for the War on Terror”

Centanni and Wiig Escape: A Celebration and Lessons Learned

My favorite war movies are the ones where people – soldiers or civilians – escape from a prison camp or a concentration camp. I saw The Great Escape when it first came out in 1963, and have seen it at least five times since. I still remember my mother, as soon as we got home … Continue reading “Centanni and Wiig Escape: A Celebration and Lessons Learned”

Should the US Nuke Iran and Syria?

In a recent article, “Will the U.S. Defend Itself?”, economist Walter Williams seems to make a case for nuclear war on Syria and Iran. His case cries out for a response. Here’s mine. I preface by noting that Williams and I both earned our Ph.D.s in economics at UCLA and that he is one of … Continue reading “Should the US Nuke Iran and Syria?”