A Balance of Titans

What if America could be stronger, safer, and spend half as much on national defense?

The military-industrial complex is broken. Corruption, waste, and catastrophic hubris are out of control, and the result has been a perilous and expensive defense strategy—all at the expense of the American taxpayer. If we don’t change course now, the cost won’t just be measured in dollars, but in lives and liberties.

Enter Ivan Eland, Director of Independent Institute’s Center on Peace & Liberty and acclaimed foreign policy expert. A Balance of Titans: Peace and Liberty in the New Multipolar World lays out a much-needed, rational, strategy-first approach to national security, one that protects vital interests without bankrupting the nation or dragging America into endless wars. His theory of Independent Internationalism is principled and pragmatic, championing diplomacy and restraint over empire and endless war. With a proposed budget that slashes military spending by more than 40%, this book is a must-read for all Americans who believe in a smarter, saner path to American security in a multipolar world.

Ivan R. Eland is Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute and Director of the Independent Institute’s Center on Peace & Liberty. Dr. Eland is a graduate of Iowa State University and received an M.B.A. in applied economics and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Washington University. He is the author of War and the Rogue Presidency, Eleven Presidents, Partitioning for Peace, Recarving Rushmore, The Empire Has No Clothes, No War for Oil, The Failure of Counterinsurgency, and Putting "Defense" Back into U.S. Defense Policy.