The National-Security State, Not North Korea, Is the Root of Our Woes by Jacob G. Hornberger April 8, 2013 In the current crisis with North Korea, what you see coming out of the mainstream media is the same mindset that characterizes the Pentagon and the CIA. The communists are engaging in provocation and threats of aggression and the U.S. national-security state, just minding its own business, now has to take the time and trouble to respond. Of course, when ...
New FFF eBook: Separating School and State by Jacob G. Hornberger April 4, 2013 A recent controversy broke out over a test administered in Texas public schools, one that has especially roiled conservative statists. The controversy revolved around a test question involving 9/11 that was based on a video shown to Texas public-school students. The test question asked why the United States might be a target for terrorism. The video suggested that the ...
Destroying the Switzerland of Central America by Jacob G. Hornberger April 3, 2013 Leave it to the U.S. national-security state to destroy another country, this one being Costa Rica, known as the “Switzerland of Central America” and whose national slogan is “pura vida”—“pure life.” How is the U.S. government now destroying Costa Rica? No, not with bombs or missiles—at least not yet—but with its much-vaunted drug war, which the Pentagon and the CIA ...
Cold War Dinosaurs in Korea by Jacob G. Hornberger April 2, 2013 Yesterday, the Boston Globe reported: “The US military said Monday it had signed an agreement 2 ½ years in the making to support South Korea in countering North Korean provocations…. By putting the allies’ combined commitment on paper, the agreement will help serve as a deterrent against North Korean provocations.” Well, isn’t that nice? Not even a consultation with Congress, ...
A Laughable Excuse for Invading Iraq by Jacob G. Hornberger April 1, 2013 Among the most laughable excuses for invading Iraq was the one that said that the U.S. government invaded the country to help free the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein’s tyranny. That was the big excuse that was trotted out after the WMD excuse proved to be unfounded. For one thing, there was never any concern for the well-being of the ...
The Living Economics Book Celebration by Jacob G. Hornberger March 28, 2013 Last night The Future of Freedom Foundation hosted a really nice event to celebrate Pete Boettke’s newest book, Living Economics, published by the Independent Institute. The event was held at Founder’s Hall at George Mason University at its Arlington, Virginia, campus. Pete teaches economics at George Mason and is one of the most brilliant Austrian economists of our time. ...
LBJ and Media Complicity with Iraq by Jacob G. Hornberger March 27, 2013 On the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, among the major issues being discussed is the unwavering support that the U.S. major media gave to the invasion. The major media not only placed unconditional trust in the Bush administration’s WMD pronouncements, they also even helped to hype the claims to the American people. Why? Given that it is the ...
Why the Awlakis Were Killed by Jacob G. Hornberger March 26, 2013 While President Obama, the Pentagon, and the CIA have steadfastly refused to say why they assassinated American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, one thing remains beyond dispute: It wasn’t because Awlaki was trying to take away the freedom of the American people. It was instead because he was opposing the U.S. national-security state’s interventionism in the Middle East and neighboring regions. The ...
The Liberal Blind Spot by Jacob G. Hornberger March 25, 2013 One of the distinguishing characteristics of liberals is their inability to focus on the unseen consequences of statist policies. They’re able to see the direct, immediate consequences of such policies but they have a blind spot when it comes to the adverse consequences that cannot be seen. A good example of this phenomenon occurred recently in a book review ...
My Talk at UNC by Jacob G. Hornberger March 22, 2013 On Thursday evening, I had the honor of addressing the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) and the Students for Liberty (SDS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The two groups were working together to oppose the U.S. government’s assassination program as well as foreign interventionism and empire in general. During the day, the students promoted the event ...
Jonah Goldberg on Conservatives and Libertarians by Jacob G. Hornberger March 20, 2013 In his current op-ed, “Fusion Power on the Right,” conservative Jonah Goldberg points to the increasing popularity of libertarianism, especially among young people. In a valiant attempt to embrace the trend, Goldberg argues that there really isn’t that much difference between libertarianism and conservatism. One has to wonder: what planet does Goldberg live on? Goldberg points to Frank Meyer’s attempt ...
When the Supreme Court Declared D.C.’s Minimum Wage Law Unconstitutional by Jacob G. Hornberger March 19, 2013 In last night’s law and economics seminar, we discussed the Supreme Court case of Adkins vs. Children’s Hospital, the 1923 case in which the Court declared unconstitutional a minimum-wage law enacted in 1918 by Washington, D.C. The seminar is an informal one that I’ve been holding for the past couple of years at George Mason University. It’s co-hosted ...
