War on Terrorism

Emergencies, Military Tribunals, and the Constitution

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 20, 2001

President Bush has ordered that people he suspects of being "terrorists" will be tried before military tribunals rather than indicted and prosecuted in the customary judicial manner. Judges and juries (which will consist of the same people) will be appointed by the secretary of defense, trials will be held in secret, and convictions will ...

Patriotism and War

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 15, 2001

In every war, controversies over patriotism inevitably arise. Most everyone would agree that patriotism involves the loyalty that a person has toward his country. But there are two conflicting concepts arising out of the application of that principle. One concept dictates that a citizen has a duty to make an independent, reasoned judgment of whether the ...

Winning the Battle and the War (short version)

by Richard M. Ebeling November 9, 2001

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, have aroused a degree of sympathy for the victims and a demand for justice against the perpetrators that have not been seen in America in relation to any other event for many decades. But in this understandably emotional moment it is necessary for every American to step back and ...

A Republic, If You Can Keep It

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2001

AT THE CLOSE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, a woman asked Benjamin Franklin what type of government the Constitution was bringing into existence. Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Regardless of one’s judgment concerning the type of government that the Constitution brought into existence in 1787, no one can deny that it was truly the most unusual and ...

Terrorism and the Drug War

by Sheldon Richman November 1, 2001

Americans no doubt would be distressed to learn that the U.S. government helped finance the terrorist attacks that killed so many people in New York and Washington. It’s not such a far-fetched thought. According to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, terrorist organizations are financed in part by profits from trading in drugs. “The illegal drug trade ...

Winning the Battle and the War

by Richard M. Ebeling November 1, 2001

THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, have aroused a degree of sympathy for the victims and a demand for justice against the perpetrators that have not been seen in America in relation to any other event for many decades. But in this understandably emotional moment it is necessary for every American to step back and weigh carefully what should ...

Libertarian Splits in the War on Terrorism

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2001

Responses to the September 11 attacks have split the libertarian movement like no other issue I have seen since I discovered libertarianism almost 25 years ago. Limited-government libertarians have always maintained that one of the essential functions of government is to protect the nation from invasion or attack. The corollary to that duty is the government's ...

The Meaning of Freedom

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2001

Today's Wall Street Journal's editorial page reflects how differently libertarians and conservatives view the meaning of freedom. For libertarians, freedom entails the right of people to live their lives any way they choose, so long as their conduct is peaceful. For conservatives, freedom entails the right of government to do just ...

An Indian Novelist Turns Her Wrath on the U.S.

by Gary D. Barnett October 24, 2001

An Indian Novelist Turns Her Wrath on the U.S.

Why Do They Want to Kill Us?

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 20, 2001

Ever since the September 11 attacks, it has almost been taboo, within both the U.S. government and the mainstream press, to openly examine and analyze the three specific reasons that Osama bin Laden has given for his holy war against the U.S. government and the American people. Suppose someone has told me that he intends to kill me. Even though ...

What About the Children?

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 20, 2001

One of the most disturbing aspects of Osama bin Laden's October 7 videotape has been the reaction of U.S. officials to one of his charges -- that the U.S. government has killed a million Iraqi children. As far as I know, not one government official has denied the charge. Why not? It would seem to be rather ...

Government Trust Grows Despite Its Inability to Protect

by James Bovard October 15, 2001

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Americans' trust in government is soaring after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The number of people who trust the government to do the right thing has doubled since last year, and now is more than three times higher than in 1994. According to a Washington Post poll released ...