The Market Redistributes Wealth by Jacob G. Hornberger October 29, 2008 Given all the political talk about socialism and the redistribution of wealth, we would be remiss if we didn’t notice how effective the market process is in redistributing wealth. The rationale for the progressive income tax and the estate tax is that such taxes provide the federal government with the means to ...
What About Syria’s and Pakistan’s Sovereignty? by Jacob G. Hornberger October 28, 2008 President Bush has been making a big hullabaloo over the fact that the Iraqi regime has not signed on to an agreement that would authorize U.S. forces to remain in Iraq after December 31. Bush says that if an agreement is not signed between him and the Iraqi government, he will cease military operations ...
Interventionism, Not Muslims, Is the Problem by Jacob G. Hornberger October 27, 2008 One of the popular post-9/11 sentiments has been the one that holds that Muslims are bent on conquering the world. The notion is that Muslims hate Christianity and Western freedom and values and that such hatred is rooted in the Koran and stretches back centuries. Thus, the United States has been drawn, reluctantly, into ...
The Pentagon’s Bizarre “Judicial” System by Jacob G. Hornberger October 24, 2008 The Pentagon’s legal response to Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld’s crisis of conscience shows, once again, what a farce the “judicial proceeding” is that it has established at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Vandeveld, a military prosecutor and a devout Catholic, came to the realization that he could no longer participate in the Pentagon’s system, partly because ...
Becoming Desperate in Iraq by Jacob G. Hornberger October 23, 2008 It seems that President Bush’s wish to enter into an agreement with Iraqi officials to extend the U.S. occupation of Iraq is reaching a point of desperation. After all, for years Bush has steadfastly opposed a fixed timetable for Iraq. Yet, in his quest to achieve an occupation agreement with Iraq, guess what he has ...
What about the Sanctity of Mortgage Contracts? by Jacob G. Hornberger October 22, 2008 Among the solutions for dealing with the mortgage crisis is a government-imposed moratorium on foreclosures. Lost in all the discussion is the principle of sanctity of contracts. When two sides voluntarily enter into a contract for a loan, then they should be expected to comply with its terms. That’s what a contract is all about. ...
Socialists and Fascists in America by Jacob G. Hornberger October 21, 2008 Amidst all the gloom and doom of the financial crisis, the presidential race is providing a bit of hilarity. Conservatives John McCain and Sarah Palin are calling liberal Barack Obama a socialist because he believes in using the federal government to redistribute wealth. Obama’s reaction is just as funny — he’s shocked — yes, ...
American Dictatorship and Iraq by Jacob G. Hornberger October 20, 2008 Thousands of Iraqis marched in Baghdad on Saturday to protest the draft agreement between President Bush and the Iraqi government that provides for the continued U.S. occupation of Iraq and the ultimate withdrawal of U.S. forces. The protestors were calling for the Iraqi parliament to reject the proposed agreement, arguing that U.S. forces should ...
Tatum O’Neal: Another Drug War Triumph by Jacob G. Hornberger October 17, 2008 The war on drugs can claim three more major victories. No, I’m not referring to how U.S. officials have busted another drug lord or made another record drug bust. We’re all accustomed to those types of “triumphs” after 35 years of drug warfare. I’m referring to the drug busts of the O’Neal family. The actor ...
Why Not Full Federal Ownership of Everything? by Jacob G. Hornberger October 16, 2008 I’ve got a fantastic idea! It will almost certainly appeal to two large segments of American society — those who thirst for security and those who thirst for political control. My hunch is that both John McCain and Barack Obama and their supporters will immediately embrace my idea as soon as they hear about ...
They Are All Socialists Now by Jacob G. Hornberger October 15, 2008 The Great Immigration Debate between Peter Brimelow and me that was held at the Heartland Institute’s recent anniversary dinner has now been posted on Heartland’s website. It is here. The theme of the debate was: “Immigration Policy for a Free Society: Open Borders vs. Controlled Borders.” The video contains the entire evening’s ...
Interventionism Destroys Freedom by Jacob G. Hornberger October 14, 2008 In his book The Crisis of Interventionism, Ludwig von Mises pointed out that one government intervention will inevitably lead to more interventions. Why? The initial intervention will inevitably produce a crisis that public officials will say needs to be addressed with new interventions. Ultimately, the continuous series of interventions leads to a totally ...
