Daily Articles

Slandering America

by Michael Tennant August 1, 2008

Much virtual ink has been spilled in the blogosphere over President Bushs assertion that criticism of the U.S. governments treatment of prisoners in the war on terrorism is tantamount to slander America an assertion he made in a lengthy June 15 interview with Adam Boulton of Britains Sky News. While condemnation of Bushs remark is certainly deserved, most of ...

Do Presidents Have the Right to Kill?

by James Bovard August 1, 2008

Should the president of the United States be exempt from both American and international law? Few people would instinctively say yes. But, in actual practice, presidents of the United States have been legally untouchable for most of the past century for the foreign killings they ordered. Even when their orders resulted in the killing of vast numbers of innocent people, ...

Reaching Out to the Left, Part 2: The Issues

by Anthony Gregory August 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 Communicating libertarian ideals to the Left can be a challenge, but it can also help bolster our own understanding of our principles. Often, libertarians try to appeal to the Left by emphasizing our areas of agreement, which are conventionally seen as mostly including personal liberties and war. But even when ...

Socialism and Medicine, Part 4

by William L. Anderson August 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Obviously, the first fundamental of a free-market system in medical and health care would be the absence of coercion. This precept extends far beyond the question of whether or not people should be forced to purchase government “health insurance.” Indeed, the idea of free markets should ...

On the Limits of Government, Part 2

by Scott McPherson August 1, 2008

Part 1 | Part 2 In 1776 the Continental Congress submitted to a “candid World” the “self-evident” truths that “all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness....” Government, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed, is merely the means to a noble end. ...

Global Warming, Central Planning, and the Free Market

by Bart Frazier August 1, 2008

Global warming is a topic that can turn any gathering of friends into a shouting match quickly, and with good reason. If the direst predictions are true, our civilization is in for a rough ride down the road. But unfortunately, the debate over global warming has been framed in such a way that one of ...

Honesty among Thieves

by Michael Tennant July 30, 2008

The state of Minnesota is prosecuting a 19-year-old college student, Max P. Sanders, for the crime of having offered his vote in this years presidential election to the highest bidder on eBay. He is being charged with this heinous crime, which could land him in prison for as long as five years and cost him as much as $10,000, ...

Memoirs of a Longtime Libertarian

by Ross K. Anderson July 30, 2008

Who is he? What makes him tick? Why should anyone else care? I’m the one who cares and this is why I’m what I am. I am an individual and there is no one like me. Some individuals question some of the thoughts I have so I’ll give some of my background and ...

Ominous Parallels

by Chloe Kissinger July 28, 2008

The economic situation in Zimbabwe is dire. A hamburger costs billions of dollars. Vending machines are breaking down from the sheer volume of coins needed to vend a single soda. Zimbabwean workers can barely make ends meet. Their earnings are not rising fast enough to keep up with the prices, which ...

On Winning and Losing Wars

by Sheldon Richman July 25, 2008

The campaign of presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain has already gotten tedious. In a campaign appearance the other day, he said in his characteristically sanctimonious way, I had the courage and the judgment to say I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me that Obama would rather lose a war in ...

Whats Wrong with Selling Your Vote?

by Sheldon Richman July 9, 2008

Poor Max Sanders. The 19-year-old University of Minnesota student faces five years in jail and a $10,000 fine; he is accused of putting his vote in the presidential election up for auction on eBay. He started the bidding at $10. The charge is bribery, treating, and soliciting. Im confused. Arent all our votes for sale? Each candidate tries to bribe ...

A Pre-Election Terrorist Attack?

by Jacob G. Hornberger July 9, 2008

The political world has been abuzz over McCain advisor Charlie Black’s statement that another terrorist attack on American soil before Election Day would benefit McCain’s chances for winning the election. Since rational thinking will be in short supply after such an attack, I figured it’s probably best to share my thoughts about this subject before ...