As the"War on Terror" has pushed libertarians to declare their relative dovishness or hawkishness, it's worth remembering, as Mark Brady so admirably and often reminds us here at L&P, that classical liberalism's commitment to free trade was part and parcel of its broader opposition to imperialism and war. Cato's Dan Griswold gives a nice overview of both the argument and the evidence that increased free trade has reduced the frequency of conflict over the last few decades. He concludes:

"Advocates of free trade and globalization have long argued that trade expansion means more efficiency, higher incomes, and reduced poverty. The welcome decline of armed conflicts in the past few decades indicates that free trade also comes with its own peace dividend."

Now, if only those on the left who are both anti-war and in favor of limits on free trade could see how the latter undermines the former...