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The Republican Path to the Welfare/Warfare State

by Laurence M. Vance April 4, 2012

Republicans are fond of issuing proposals setting forth things they say they want to do. Back in 1994, when they were trying to take over the House for the first time in 40 years, it was the “Contract with America.” When the Democrats controlled the House in 2010, the Republican minority on the House Budget Committee introduced ... [click for more]

The Greatest Threat to our Freedom, Part 3

by Jacob G. Hornberger March 30, 2012

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The most significant aspect of the case of Jose Padilla is not the horrific treatment to which he was subjected but the fact that what was done to him can now be legally done to every other American citizen. On May 8, 2002 — about eight months after ... [click for more]

The U.S. Military and Massacres

by Tim Kelly March 29, 2012

The murderous rampage of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales in Afghanistan has received much deserved media attention. Sgt. Bales’s shooting spree, killing 17 Afghan civilians, was quickly condemned by the Obama administration as a horrible incident and an aberration that was in no way representative of the “exceptional character” of the U.S. military. It is a matter of state ... [click for more]

Ten Years of Torture

by Andy Worthington March 29, 2012

Ten years ago, on the evening of March 28, 2002, the Bush administration officially embarked on its “high-value detainee” program in the “war on terror” that had been declared in the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, when Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn (more commonly identified as Abu Zubaydah), was captured in a house raid ... [click for more]

Health Insurance Mandate: Immoral, Unnecessary

by Sheldon Richman March 28, 2012

The Obama administration argued to the U.S. Supreme Court this week that people must be compelled to buy medical insurance (designed by the government) or the national medical-insurance market will fail. Thus, Obamacare advocates say, the insurance mandate is consistent with the powers delegated under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The argument, however, contains a fatal flaw. If ... [click for more]

When Did Facebook Become Congress?

by Wendy McElroy March 27, 2012

A March 23rd headline in the tech zine ZDNet caused a buzz on the blogosphere. It reads, “Facebook: Legal Action against Employers Asking for Your Password.” The article explained, “The social networking giant is considering using the law to protect its 845 million users.” The two legal routes being considered are: (a) getting politicians to pass a law ... [click for more]

Obama Codifies Indefinite Detention

by Sheldon Richman March 27, 2012

In yet another reversal of his professed commitment to the rule of law, President Obama says he will sign the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which formalizes his authority to imprison terrorism suspects indefinitely without charge or trial. Where is the “progressive” outrage? George W. Bush and Obama both claimed that the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) ... [click for more]

Welfare for the Masses

by Laurence M. Vance March 27, 2012

When Americans think of U.S. government welfare programs they generally think of programs such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Other welfare programs include Head Start; the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); Medicaid; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); energy assistance; housing assistance; and ... [click for more]

Defusing the Middle East Would Lower Gas Prices

by Sheldon Richman March 23, 2012

Republicans see rising oil and gasoline prices as an opportunity to score political points on President Obama. To be sure, Obama is partly responsible for the rise in world prices and could do something about it. The irony is that Republicans would emphatically oppose the one measure that would be most effective in easing the pressure on prices right ... [click for more]

The Crash of 2008 and its Implications

by Scott B. Sumner March 22, 2012

On March 19, 2012, Scott B. Sumner gave the following speech at The Future of Freedom Foundation’s “Economic Liberty Lecture Series.” The speech can viewed below in its entirety. Scott Sumner is Professor of Economics at Bentley University. His areas of interest are macroeconomics, monetary theory and policy, and history of economic thought. He has published articles in the ... [click for more]

The “Taliban Five” and the Forgotten Afghan Prisoners in Guantánamo

by Andy Worthington March 22, 2012

In the last three months, much discussion has focused on the possibility that, as part of negotiations aimed at securing peace in Afghanistan, the United States would release five high-level Taliban prisoners in Guantánamo. Almost entirely forgotten are 12 other Afghan prisoners at Guantánamo who are mostly so insignificant that they have no one to lobby for them and ... [click for more]

RT Russia Today: Time US Stopped Undeclared Wars Policy (video)

by Jacob G. Hornberger March 21, 2012

Moscow's ready to back a UN resolution on Syria, as long as it contains no ultimatums aimed at Assad's regime. That's according to the Russian Foreign Minister, who's voicing strong support for the UN special envoy's road-map to peace in the conflict-torn country. The UN Security Council is set to consider voting on a draft statement on Syria later ... [click for more]