Explore Freedom

Clinton’s State of Mind Address

by Sheldon Richman February 1, 1997

President Clinton tells the American people that the "era of big government is over" and that "government is not the solution," but considering what he had to say in his State of the Union Address, he surely does not believe it. Clinton's speech was little more than a laundry list of things ... [click for more]

More Washington Gibberish

by Sheldon Richman September 1, 1996

That recent spike in gasoline prices provided more examples of the strange tongue spoken in the nation's capital. I call it Washington Gibberish. On the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota called the price increase a "crisis." Republican Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, sitting at his side, did not disagree. He joined Dorgan in calling ... [click for more]

Washington Gibberish

by Sheldon Richman January 1, 1996

If English is ever declared the official language of the United States, the biggest upheaval will be in Washington, D.C. That's because they don't speak English in Washington. They speak gibberish. You may not realize that, because gibberish has the same-sounding words and grammatical structure as English. When you hear gibberish, you think you're hearing English. But you're not. ... [click for more]

Income Taxation

by Gerald F. Scully August 1, 1995

In 1913, the minimum marginal tax rate was 1 percent on income of $300,000 or more (measured in 1993 dollars). The top marginal tax rate was 7 percent on income above $7.5 million. Very few people had incomes that met the filing requirement. As a fraction of the ... [click for more]

Taxation

by Jim Russell December 1, 1994

Like many who consider themselves libertarians, I have concluded that taxation, in any form for any purpose, is theft. I agree with the nineteenth-century economist Frederic Bastiat, who called it legal plunder. It ought to be abolished. When I state my position on this matter to others not versed in libertarianism, they invariably jump to the conclusion that I am ... [click for more]

A Warning from the Past

by Charles Adams March 1, 1994

In A.D. 476 Odovacar, a German commander in the Roman army, sacked Rome and took over the imperial throne. That date is usually cited as the end of the Roman Empire. As a political force, Rome did end about that time, but the spirit of Roman civilization had ... [click for more]

The War on Cash and Privacy

by Donald S. McAlvany March 1, 1994

In the former Soviet Union, if the government wanted to apprehend and imprison someone who had committed no crime, they charged him with the catchall crime of "hooliganism." In America, the catchall crime used against organized crime figures or other Americans has for years been RICO statutes or ... [click for more]

Serfs on the Plantation, Part 4

by Jacob G. Hornberger September 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 David Koresh and his followers challenged the cult of the omnipotent state. And for that, they paid the ultimate price — death at the hands of United States governmental officials. The message was a powerful one for American serfs: "As long as you behave and obey, ... [click for more]

Serfs on the Plantation, Part 3

by Jacob G. Hornberger August 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 The welfare state was collapsing under its own weight in the later stages of the Roman Empire. Those who were on the dole were demanding more dole. Those who were paying the taxes were demanding lower taxes. The authorities were in a quandary. If they promised ... [click for more]

Serfs on the Plantation, Part 2

by Jacob G. Hornberger July 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 In ancient Rome, the political authorities used three primary means to discourage or quell rebellions among the citizenry. First, they would give more welfare to the people, thereby making them more docile and content. Second, they would create foreign crises by which they could rally the ... [click for more]

Serfs on the Plantation, Part 1

by Jacob G. Hornberger June 1, 1993

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Bill Clinton wants Americans to sacrifice more. Larger "contributions" to the government will save the welfare state and the managed economy, Clinton tells the citizenry. Sacrifice more, and permanent prosperity will be just around the corner. Most Americans see through the sham and deceit of the term ... [click for more]

The Hand in Your Pocket

by John T. Flynn June 1, 1993

Perhaps one of the most monumental frauds in our history is the politicians' trick of making the ordinary citizen believe that the income tax is a scheme to soak the rich. The harsh fact is that the so-called "little man" or "common man" on whom the politicians lavish so much affection, is the lad who pays the great mass ... [click for more]