What Kind of Society Do You Want and How Do You Get It? by Jacob G. Hornberger September 14, 2015 Ask yourself: What kind of society do you want? I would think that most people would answer: I want to live in a free society and one that is prosperous, peaceful, and harmonious. Obviously, those of us Americans living today do not live in that type of society. Yes, I know that there are multitudes of Americans who are convinced that ...
The Way Back from 9/11 by Jacob G. Hornberger September 11, 2015 Given that today is the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it serves as a good day to place that event in the context of how we began as a nation, where we are today, and what we need to do to put things back on the right track. The 9/11 attacks were not the first post-Cold War terrorist attacks ...
Does It Matter Who Is Elected President? by Jacob G. Hornberger September 10, 2015 For the next year, we are all going to have to endure the presidential campaign and its accompanying blowhard speeches, insipid commentaries, and vapid debates. At the same time, many people will be terribly excited over the opportunity they get every four years to elect the person who will wield omnipotent power over their lives. It’s really not surprising that ...
America’s Police State Is Rooted in Four Federal Wars by Jacob G. Hornberger September 9, 2015 Consider the impact on the civil liberties of the American people of four of the non-stop wars that the U.S. government has been waging for a very long time: the war on drugs, the war on terrorism, the war on immigrants, and the war on wealth. These four wars have converted what was once a free country into a ...
Is Iran Right about Washington Post Reporter Jason Rezaian? by Jacob G. Hornberger September 8, 2015 Not surprisingly, the Washington Post is outraged over Iran’s prosecution of Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who is charged with espionage and “aiding a hostile government.” A Post editorial called the charges “patently absurd” and also condemned the manner in which the trial has been held — in secret and with no live witnesses or “substantial evidence” having been presented. ...
The Wretched Refuse of Your Teeming Shores by Jacob G. Hornberger September 7, 2015 Take a close look at those refugees who are fleeing the war-torn Middle East and trying desperately to save their lives by escaping to Europe. Look at their faces. Examine their clothing. Those are the people that Emma Lazarus was describing when she wrote her poem “Colossus,” which is inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in ...
U.S. Officials Boycott China’s Celebration of the Good War by Jacob G. Hornberger September 4, 2015 China is celebrating its victory over Japan in World War II and U.S. officials are having nothing to do with it. While other governments around the world are sending top-level delegations to the celebrations, the U.S. government is boycotting the event. One reason, no doubt, is that U.S. officials view China as a growing threat to their post-Cold War hopes ...
Conservative Thievery by Jacob G. Hornberger September 3, 2015 A state criminal case in Michigan helps show a fundamental moral difference between libertarians on the one hand and liberals and conservatives on the other. Brian Randolph, 23, is charged with robbing a credit union of $8,100. He told police that he needed the money to pay for his baby’s chemotherapy. Let’s assume that he’s telling the truth and ...
Cause, Consequence, and Responsibility by Jacob G. Hornberger September 2, 2015 In a classic case of killing the messenger, China’s communist government is arresting people for publishing news stories about the massive crash of the Chinese stock market. In an editorial on the matter, the New York Times correctly observed, “The crackdown smacks of desperation. China’s communist government is looking for scapegoats for its mistakes.” But why would that surprise anyone? ...
How About Closed Borders Between the States? by Jacob G. Hornberger September 1, 2015 Here is an idea to consider, based on the protectionist and anti-immigration positions held by leading GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and many of his fellow conservatives: Let’s end the system of open borders between the respective states of the Union and impose the same type of controlled system of trade and immigration that Trump favors for America’s international ...
Nicolas Maduro: A New Hero for American Conservatives by Jacob G. Hornberger August 31, 2015 Venezuela’s dictator Nicolas Maduro, who American conservatives have long reviled for his socialism and economic fascism, has suddenly become a new hero to them. How did such a remarkable transformation take place? Maduro has instituted a reign of terror against illegal immigrants in Venezuela, specifically those from Columbia. And that’s enough to make Maduro a new hero to American conservatives, who ...
Should Libertarians Support Socialism and Tyranny? by Jacob G. Hornberger August 28, 2015 With laws come enforcement. Whenever one supports a law, he necessarily supports the enforcement of the law. After all, it wouldn’t make any sense to support a law and oppose its enforcement. That would be like supporting lightning and opposing thunder. This point is an important one for libertarians in the context of the immigration debate. There are obviously lots of ...
