Hans-Hermann Hoppe/Critique of his position on the war in Ukraine
First-person commentary translated by Quill from the Russian text reproduced on Liberpedia. Original source: VK post. The reproduced text does not identify its author by name.
What are the leading libertarian theorists saying about the war that has been going on in Europe for almost three months?
Practically nothing. They are silent, as though there were more important things to do in the civilized world.
Hoppe mentioned Ukraine in passing in an interview on 4 April. But it would have been better if he had not done so and disgraced himself.
Hoppe said that Ukrainians have “no chance of winning the war” against the stronger Russian army, so they would be better off “surrendering”.
Ultimately, this does not matter, because “one corrupt gang simply replaces another”. After all, Ukraine has never “been an exemplary democratic Western state”. “In terms of corruption, it was worse than Russia. Economic productivity per person in Ukraine is lower than in Russia. The leaders in Ukraine are corrupt.”
Perhaps I could have understood this point of view before the war began. Ukrainians—or, more precisely, the inhabitants of that particular territory—had been occupied long before Putin’s troops invaded: by the “Ukrainian” state. When choosing a side in a mafia struggle over territory, it is reasonable to prefer the occupiers who are likely to plunder and control the population less.
For example, the American occupation of West Germany, rather than a Nazi or Soviet occupation, was a relative benefit for its inhabitants. One can argue about whether the Russian or Ukrainian mafia was less predatory and repressive before the war, although even then I would have preferred the Ukrainian authorities, mainly because of free media, freedom of assembly, visa-free travel to Europe, the existence of a political opposition, and similar pleasant little things.
However, it became clear from the first days that this was not simply a conflict between two gangs.
The Russian bandits began actively bombing residential neighborhoods, carrying out mass shootings of civilians, raping and looting. This is a war declared by Russia against peaceful Ukrainian property owners. In that situation, the libertarian choice is obvious: full support for Ukrainians and the forces helping them fight for their lives.
Hoppe compares the war in Ukraine with the war between North and South in America. The latter was “tremendously brutal”, because the Northerners “deliberately targeted the civilian population that they wanted to destroy”. And that, according to Hoppe, is precisely what Putin is not doing in Ukraine.
Apparently, Hoppe learns about events at the front exclusively from RT.
Yet, according to his own criterion—the deliberate killing of civilians—the good and evil sides in Putin’s war in Ukraine are perfectly obvious.
Hoppe’s remarks once again cause, to put it mildly, bewilderment and shame.
Editorial source note
The date 4 April is retained from the Russian original. The linked English transcript was published on 16 April 2022 and credits Leonhard Paul as translator. The commentary’s statements and quotations are reproduced here as the author’s argument.
