Why Do We Have Paper Money? by Jacob G. Hornberger September 26, 2012 Article One, Section 10, of the U.S. Constitution reads: “No state shall … make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.” Article One, Section 8, reads as follows: “The Congress shall have Power … To Coin money, regulate the value thereof….” Keep in mind the dual purpose of the Constitution: one, to call the federal ...
The Military Has Shamed Us with Gitmo by Jacob G. Hornberger September 25, 2012 We should bear in mind what the Pentagon initially had in mind when it established its prison camp and judicial system at Guantanamo Bay after the 9/11 attacks. Its plan was to make its prison camp totally independent from any judicial review or congressional control whatsoever. It was going to be a facility that would under the total control ...
No Presidential Debate on Fundamental Issues by Jacob G. Hornberger September 24, 2012 The real shame of the Obama-Romney race will be the lack of debate on the fundamental issues facing our nation. Alas, the sad reality is that we’ve got a race between two statists who are battling over which one of them will make the better leader of a statist system. And that means that the debates and discussions are ...
Why Support the Troops? by Jacob G. Hornberger September 21, 2012 One of the most fascinating phenomena of our time is the extreme reverence that the American people have been taught to have for the military. Wherever you go -- airports, sports events, church -- there is a god-like worship of the military. "Let us all stand and express our sincerest thanks to our troops for the wonderful service they perform ...
Why We Have a Liberal on Our Tour by Jacob G. Hornberger September 20, 2012 Why is it important to advance ideas on liberty even when the odds against us seems so daunting? One reason is because it is the right thing to do. Another reason is because it’s the only way to achieve a free society. While there is no guarantee that people in society will embrace libertarian ideas once they hear or read them, ...
Less Freedom under Obama and Romney by Jacob G. Hornberger September 19, 2012 It’s a real shame that Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are on the same page on civil liberties, the war on terrorism, and foreign policy. The big losers of this bi-partisan mindset are the American people, who will continue to experience grave infringements on their freedom. Consider the presidential power to assassinate people, including Americans, a power that is exercised ...
Keep Watching Egypt by Jacob G. Hornberger September 18, 2012 The opening sentence of my blog post of last April 23, which was entitled “Americans Should Watch Egypt,” was: “Egypt is developing into a fascinating situation, one that involves the United States. It’s worth paying attention to in the coming months.” In light of developments since then, including the election of Mohammad Morsi to the presidency and the recent angry ...
Constitution Day by Jacob G. Hornberger September 17, 2012 Leave it to the Los Angeles Times to inject a bit of humor into today’s celebration of Constitution Day. The humor comes in the form of an op-ed entitled “The Audacity of Democracy” by Akhil Reed Amar, which sets forth the notion that the enactment of the Constitution was a triumph for democracy. Why is that funny? Because Amar ...
Sinking in U.S.-Created Quicksand in the Middle East by Jacob G. Hornberger September 14, 2012 One thing is for sure: All the love that the U.S. government claims to have generated among the people of the Middle East with its sanctions, invasions, occupations, democracy-spreading operations, and other interventionist actions has failed to manifest itself during the past few days. On the contrary, all we see is tremendous anger, rage, and hatred directed toward the ...
Spending Is the Problem, Not the Deficit by Jacob G. Hornberger September 13, 2012 To understand why this country is in deep financial and economic trouble, all we have to do is examine the reasoning of the editorial board at the Los Angeles Times. The only reason I select the Times to demonstrate my point is that it just published an editorial on the federal spending and debt problem. But its analysis and ...
Which Brand of Patriotism? by Jacob G. Hornberger September 12, 2012 The federal government’s designation of September 11 as “Patriot Day” raises an obvious question: What does it mean to be a patriot, especially in the context of 9/11? The statist version of patriotism entails citizens who rally to their government in time of crisis. When the 9/11 attacks took place, the statist patriot did not hesitate. “We have been attacked,” ...
9/11 and the National Security State by Jacob G. Hornberger September 11, 2012 On the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, let us never forget the role that the U.S. government played in engendering the anger and hatred that produced the attacks. Yes, I know the standard statist response: “You’re a justifier! You’re a justifier! You’re just justifying the 9/11 attacks that killed almost 3,000 Americans.” But that’s nothing more than a clever tactic ...
