The Pentagon’s Power to Arrest, Torture, and Execute Americans by Jacob G. Hornberger February 28, 2007 Also see: “The Critical Dilemma Facing Pro-War Libertarians” “It Can't Happen Here” “The Islamo-Fascist Rationale for Abandoning Liberty” The president and the Pentagon now wield the omnipotent power to arrest, torture, and execute any American they label an “enemy combatant.” It is impossible to overstate the significance of this power. ...
FFF Conference: “Restoring the Republic: Foreign Policy and Civil Liberties” by Jacob G. Hornberger January 5, 2007 On June 1–4, Friday morning through Monday noon, The Future of Freedom Foundation is hosting one of the most exciting and important conferences of our time: “Restoring the Republic: Foreign Policy and Civil Liberties.” Featuring 24 of the nation’s top libertarian, liberal, and ...
Personal Preference and Local Tyranny by Scott McPherson November 22, 2006 Encouraged by a 13-year-old court ruling, the City of Concord, New Hampshire, two months ago banned businesses from displaying electronic signs. Already that ban has caused controversy, with a local businessman suing the city in federal court. The city bases its decision on a 1993 ruling by the state supreme court, which ...
Eminent-Domain Chutzpah by Sheldon Richman October 30, 2006 Talk about chutzpah! A development company is thinking about suing Florida and the city of Riviera Beach for refusing to use eminent domain to provide land for upscale condominiums and a marina. Viking Inlet Harbor Properties was assured the city would condemn a number ...
Habeas Corpus: The Lynchpin of Freedom by Jacob G. Hornberger October 11, 2006 In the recently enacted Military Commissions Act, Congress acceded to President Bush’s request to remove the power of federal courts to consider petitions for writ of habeas by foreign citizens held by U.S. officials on suspicion of having committed acts of terrorism. While it might be tempting to conclude that ...
The Perils of Emergency Power by James Bovard September 1, 2006 The New York Times reported on June 23 that President Bush invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify warrantless searches of Americans and other peoples financial data. According to Treasury Undersecretary Stuart Levey, the U.S. government may have conducted hundreds of thousands of warrantless searches of Americans and others personal financial data. The Bush administration used broad ...
Lies and Leviathan by James Bovard August 1, 2006 Big government requires big lies and not just on wars but across the board. The more powerful government becomes, the more abuses it commits and the more lies it must tell. Interventions beget debacles that require cover-ups and denials. The more the government screws up, the more evidence the government is obliged to bury or deny. The government becomes ...
Better Surfing Comes with Property Rights by Bart Frazier July 1, 2006 Property rights have long been recognized as a cornerstone of individual liberty and economic prosperity. As long as people are secure in their right to use, alter, and trade their belongings as they see fit, freedom and an ever-increasing standard of living are the result. However, not all rights to property are clearly defined. When property rights are unclear ...
A Man’s Home Is His Castle by Wendy McElroy July 1, 2006 The Castle is a tacky tract house in Melbourne, Australia, where the quirky Kerrigans live in the firm belief that they are the luckiest family in the world. Their house is so close to the airport that planes almost scrape their roof. But instead of complaining, patriarch Darryl feels lucky to have such an up-close view of man’s conquest ...
Fear Is the Coin of the Realm by Jacob G. Hornberger May 15, 2006 Uh, oh! A new study reveals that “fears that the deadly strain of bird flu would move through Africa and Europe in flocks of wild birds have so far proven unfounded....” That means one less fear that the feds can use to frighten grown-up American men and women as an excuse ...
Bush’s Bogus Theory of Absolute Power by James Bovard April 7, 2006 The Bush administration has a theory to explain why the Founding Fathers secretly intended for the president to have boundless power. Even though the new unitary executive theory is nowhere in the Constitution, White House officials continually invoke it to justify scorning federal law. The fact that the administration is getting away with this charade symbolizes how docile much ...
Bush’s Wiretap Crimes and the FISA Farce by James Bovard March 1, 2006 President Bush proudly announced last December that he is violating federal law. He declared that in 2002 he had ordered the National Security Agency to begin conducting warrantless wiretaps and email intercepts on Americans. He asserted that the wiretaps would continue, regardless of the law. Bush claims that he must ignore ...