National Security State

America’s National-Security State

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2023

The following is a nonverbatim transcript of a talk that I delivered on September 1, 2023, at the young scholar’s segment of the annual conference on foreign policy sponsored by the Ron Paul Institute and held at the Dulles Hilton in Virginia. The biggest mistake America has ever made was the conversion of the federal government to a national-security state. ...

Guns for Hire: America’s Crisis State Goes Global

by John W. Whitehead October 13, 2023

“Political parties exist to secure responsible government and to execute the will of the people. From these great staffs, both of the old parties have ganged aside. Instead of instruments to promote the general welfare they have become the tools of corrupt interests which use them in martialling to serve their selfish purposes. Behind the ...

A State of Martial Law

by John W. Whitehead June 30, 2023

“What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?”—Thomas Jefferson The government is goosestepping all over our freedoms. Case in point: America’s founders did not want a military government ruled by force. Rather, they opted for a republic bound by the rule of law: the U.S. ...

How Police Use Public-Private Partnerships to Spy on Americans

by John W. Whitehead January 20, 2023

“We live in a surveillance state founded on a partnership between government and the technology industry.”— Law Professor Avidan Y. Cover In this age of ubiquitous surveillance, there are no private lives: everything is public. Surveillance cameras mounted on utility poles, traffic lights, businesses, and homes. License plate readers. Ring doorbells. GPS devices. Dash cameras. Drones. Store security ...

How We Got a National-Security Police State, Part 3

by Jacob G. Hornberger January 1, 2023

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 On February 26, 1993, terrorists detonated a truck bomb in the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City. While the bombing did not bring down the Twin Towers, as the terrorists intended, it did kill six people and injured over a thousand. That terrorist attack was no different in ...

The Surveillance State Is Making a List, and You’re On It

by John W. Whitehead December 14, 2022

He sees you when you’re sleeping He knows when you’re awake He knows when you’ve been bad or good So be good for goodness’ sake! —“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” You’d better watch out—you’d better not pout—you’d better not cry—‘cos I’m telling you why: this Christmas, it’s the Surveillance State that’s making a list and checking it twice, and it won’t matter whether ...

How We Got a National-Security Police State, Part 2

by Jacob G. Hornberger December 1, 2022

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The coin of the realm in any national-security state is fear. In order to induce people to surrender their rights and freedoms, officials have to inculcate deep fear within them. Thus, national-security officials are constantly coming up with official foreign enemies, opponents, rivals, and adversaries, as well as crises, to ...

Techno-Authoritarianism Is Here to Stay

by John W. Whitehead November 16, 2022

“If this government ever became a tyranny, if a dictator ever took charge in this country, the technological capacity that the intelligence community has given the government could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back.” — Senator Frank Church The votes are in. No matter who runs for office, no matter who controls ...

How We Got a National-Security Police State, Part 1

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2022

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The biggest mistake America has ever made since the inception of our country was the conversion of the federal government from a limited-government republic to a national-security state. It is the reason that all of us have been born and raised under what can only be called a national-security police ...

The U.S. Government Is Waging Psychological Warfare on the Nation

by John W. Whitehead June 8, 2022

“Have you ever wondered who’s pulling the strings? … Anything we touch is a weapon. We can deceive, persuade, change, influence, inspire. We come in many forms. We are everywhere.”— U.S. Army Psychological Operations recruitment video The U.S. government is waging psychological warfare on the American people. No, this is not a conspiracy theory.

The Power to Assassinate

by Jacob G. Hornberger March 1, 2022

The power to assassinate has become so deeply entrenched within the national-security branch of the federal government that hardly anyone gives it a second thought. State-sponsored assassinations now occur on a regular basis, especially in the Middle East. Most everyone, especially the mainstream press, treats them in a nonchalant, ho-hum way. Hardly anyone questions where this extraordinary power to ...

The Surveillance State Has a Naughty List, and You’re On It

by John W. Whitehead December 8, 2021

Santa’s got a new helper. No longer does the all-knowing, all-seeing, jolly Old St. Nick need to rely on antiquated elves on shelves and other seasonal snitches in order to know when you’re sleeping or awake, and if you’ve been naughty or nice. Thanks to the government’s almost limitless powers made possible by a domestic army of techno-tyrants, fusion centers and ...