Explore Freedom

The Roots of the Second Amendment

by Rick Lynch May 1, 2008

With the Supreme Court’s recent decision to take a look at the constitutionality of Washington, D.C.’s gun ban, we see once again, in every medium imaginable, hundreds if not thousands of commentaries, articles, speeches, and essays on the meaning of the Second Amendment. Words by the millions are being cranked out on the precise definition of “militia” in 16th-century ... [click for more]

Socialism and Medicine, Part 1

by William L. Anderson May 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 If the financial popularity of Michael Moore’s latest “documentary,” called Sicko, is an indication of popular sentiment in this country, then the United States seems to be ready for what once was called socialized medicine, but today is better known as “single-payer medicine.” All of the ... [click for more]

Bulldozed by Eminent Domain

by George Leef May 1, 2008

Bulldozed by Carla T. Main (Encounter Books 2007); 276 pages; $27.95. In 2005, eminent domain became a hot national issue with all the attention focused on it because of the Supreme Court’s decision in Kelo v. New London. While property-rights scholars and libertarian activists ... [click for more]

The Demise of Conscience, Part 2

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The demise of conscience among the American people is even more pronounced in the context of the warfare state than it is in that of the welfare state. The best example of this phenomenon can be seen in the invasion and occupation of Iraq. By examining Iraq, we can see ... [click for more]

GOP Statists

by Sheldon Richman April 1, 2008

Any remaining pretense that the Republican Party is the party of free markets has been blown to smithereens in the election season. Even the lip service to free enterprise has become scarce, as the major candidates threw their arms around flagrantly statist economic proposals. This is vividly illustrated by the Bush-Pelosi “stimulus package,” which was ... [click for more]

The Capsizing of American Democracy

by James Bovard April 1, 2008

American democracy is capsizing as a result of the vast increase in the number of government dependents and government employees. This has created a voting bloc that overwhelms every other potential force. H.L. Mencken quipped in the 1930s that the New Deal divided America into “those who work for a living and those who ... [click for more]

The Legacy of Milton Friedman, Part 2

by Doug Bandow April 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 Milton Friedman also was adept at proposing practical solutions to practical problems. He believed strongly in liberty, but he recognized that he needed to promote it practically. Nowhere was his ability in this area more evident than in his work on the All-Volunteer Force (AVF). He served on the official ... [click for more]

Open Borders Work, Part 2

by Philippe LeGrain April 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 Opponents of immigration marshal a battery of objections to opening up borders. They claim that it would cost jobs, pose a huge welfare burden, and threaten Americans’ way of life — even their security. Yet these fears are mostly nonsense. Critics argue that low-skilled immigration is harmful because the newcomers are poorer and ... [click for more]

The Root of All Evil, Part 1

by Gregory Bresiger April 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their Substance. — The Declaration of Independence   You may think you’re safe from ... [click for more]

A History of Libertarianism

by George Leef April 1, 2008

Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement by Brian Doherty (Public Affairs, 2007); 741 pages; $35. With Radicals for Capitalism, veteran libertarian journalist Brian Doherty (whose work is most often found in Reason) gives the world what he calls a “freewheeling history of the modern American libertarian ... [click for more]

The Demise of Conscience, Part 1

by Jacob G. Hornberger March 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 As libertarians have long pointed out, both the welfare state and the warfare state have brought immeasurable damage to our country. With its various programs of confiscatory taxation of income and capital to accomplish its coercive redistribution of wealth, the welfare state has brought standards of living lower than otherwise would ... [click for more]

Independent Migrants, Welfare, and the Law

by Sheldon Richman March 1, 2008

It’s a sad sign of the times that political candidates — even those who profess to be proponents of limited government — feel they have to one-up their rivals in showing how hard they would crack down on people who have the gall to come to the United States without the government’s permission. “Border security” is the odious buzzword ... [click for more]