Explore Freedom

Bush’s Secret Surveillance State

by Anthony Gregory December 26, 2005

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place ... [click for more]

Wartime Attacks on Civil Liberties

by George Leef December 1, 2005

Perilous Times — Free Speech in Wartime by Geoffrey R. Stone (Norton, 2004); 730 pages; $35. If it is true to say, as Randolph Bourne did, that war is the health of the state, it is equally true to say that war is the ... [click for more]

Southwest Airlines Did Not Censor

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 14, 2005

A recent decision by Southwest Airlines to throw two passengers, a husband and wife, off a flight holds a valuable lesson about private-property rights, censorship, and the Bill of Rights. The reason the couple was grounded was that one of them wore a t-shirt containing a photo of President Bush, ... [click for more]

Book Review: Reclaiming the American Revolution

by George Leef September 1, 2005

Reclaiming the American Revolution: The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and Their Legacy by William J. Watkins Jr. (Independent Institute, 2004); 236 pages; $39.95. How do you devise a system of limited government that actually works? It is easy enough to put words ... [click for more]

The NRA Gets It Wrong

by Sheldon Richman August 24, 2005

The concept of individual rights really isn’t complicated, but even some of its defenders get it wrong. Take, for example, the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA, of course, concentrates exclusively on the individual’s right to keep and bear arms, but that is no excuse for failing to ... [click for more]

A Conflict of Paradigms

by Jacob G. Hornberger August 1, 2005

Understanding the true nature of a free society entails asking ourselves two basic questions: What does it actually mean to be free, and what is the legitimate role of government in a free society? Reflecting on those two fundamental questions might provide the way out of the ... [click for more]

A New Federal War on Dissent?

by James Bovard August 1, 2005

On October 15, 2003, the FBI sent Intelligence Bulletin #89 to 17,000 local and state law-enforcement agencies around the country. The bulletin warned of pending marches in Washington and San Francisco against Bush’s Iraq policy and stated, While the FBI possesses no information indicating that violent or terrorist activities are ... [click for more]

The Most Important Argument against the Draft

by Anthony Gregory July 11, 2005

As neoconservatives and some “liberals” contemplate bringing back the draft, it is time for all friends of liberty to prepare for a national debate of the utmost importance. Restoring conscription would be a monumental assault on individual liberty in America, one of the worst asaults since the ... [click for more]

“Liberal” Court Okays Eminent Domain Abuse

by George Leef July 1, 2005

On June 23, the Supreme Court delivered its much-anticipated decision in Kelo v. City of New London. The case squarely presented an important constitutional issue — whether it is permissible for units of government to use the power of eminent domain to ... [click for more]

Max Boot’s Recruiting Plan Deserves the Boot

by Jacob G. Hornberger June 17, 2005

Max Boot, one of the most ardent boosters of the U.S. government’s invasion of Iraq and one of the most pro-empire proponents you’ll ever find, is lamenting the difficulty that military recruiters are having in signing up young American men to give their lives for foreign democracy and ... [click for more]

The Backdoor to Military Rule in America

by Jacob G. Hornberger June 1, 2005

Without any doubt, the most dangerous threat to the freedom of the American people in our lifetime lies with what might be called the Padilla doctrine, an exercise of such raw military power that, if upheld, will totally transform life in America as we know it. Unfortunately most Americans remain blissfully unaware of the ominous implications of this doctrine. On ... [click for more]

Foreign Policy Threatens Our Freedom

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 25, 2005

There are four important pending U.S. terrorism legal cases, which separately and together present ominous and dangerous threats to the freedom of the American people. The Jose Padilla case Padilla is an American civilian who was initially arrested at the international airport in Chicago and held as a “material witness” in ... [click for more]