A Forgotten Post–9/11 Hoax by James Bovard September 1, 2005 In the wake of the hijacking and crashing of four airliners and the subsequent shutdown of the nation’s airports on 9/11, many Americans were hesitant to return to fly the friendly skies. Speaking on September 27, 2001, at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, President Bush decried the “atmosphere of fear” created by the terrorist attack. He ...
The New Deal and the Courts, Part 4 by William L. Anderson September 1, 2005 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 No matter who is appointed to replace retiring members of the Supreme Court, the larger issues will remain unchanged, as they have been for nearly seven decades — the New Deal Supreme Court has become a permanent fixture in our country. Changes brought about by Franklin Roosevelt’s ...
Changing the Education Paradigm by Scott McPherson September 1, 2005 America doesn’t have a Department of Sustenance. Why not? Eating is one of the most important things we do. Without food, human beings die. Still, we’re content to allow individual citizens and families to choose for themselves how best to fill their tummies. Yet, when it comes to the less — though nonetheless very — important job of education, we’ve ...
Economics for the Citizen, Part 7 by Walter E. Williams September 1, 2005 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 There’s a reggae song that advises, “If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty ...
Book Review: Reclaiming the American Revolution by George Leef September 1, 2005 Reclaiming the American Revolution: The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and Their Legacy by William J. Watkins Jr. (Independent Institute, 2004); 236 pages; $39.95. How do you devise a system of limited government that actually works? It is easy enough to put words ...
Machiavelli and U.S. Politics Part 6: Public Choice and Spending by Lawrence M. Ludlow August 31, 2005 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 Public choice theory Machiavelli would take great comfort in the public choice theory as outlined by economists James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock. Public-choice theory tells us that politicians cannot legislate or spend taxpayer dollars wisely. Why? Because ...
In Iraq Zero Plus Zero Is More than Zero by Sheldon Richman August 29, 2005 Lately, it sounds as if Americans need to continue dying in Iraq because otherwise the previous deaths will be meaningless. George W. Bush says, “These brave men and women gave their lives for a cause that is just and necessary for the security of our country, and now we ...
Pat Robertson Describes U.S. Foreign Policy by Jacob G. Hornberger August 26, 2005 Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has stirred up a firestorm with his call for “taking out” Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. What’s all the fuss about? All that Robertson has done is state publicly what has long been an important part of U.S. foreign policy — assassination of foreign rulers who behave independently of Washington. John Perkins described how ...
The NRA Gets It Wrong by Sheldon Richman August 24, 2005 The concept of individual rights really isn’t complicated, but even some of its defenders get it wrong. Take, for example, the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA, of course, concentrates exclusively on the individual’s right to keep and bear arms, but that is no excuse for failing to ...
The Pentagon Dishonors VMI’s New Market Heroes by Jacob G. Hornberger August 24, 2005 I don’t know how the Pentagon comes up with names for its military operations, but I do know that its recent name for a certain military operation in Iraq — “Operation New Market” — dishonors the memory of the 257 brave young cadets from the Virginia Military Institute who ...
Evolution or Intelligent Design? None of the Government’s Business by Sheldon Richman August 22, 2005 You’d think that with all he has to do — including fighting the global struggle against violent extremism, or whatever they’re calling it this week — President Bush would be too busy to make the really big decisions: such as what ought to be taught in science class. But ...
Machiavelli and U.S. Politics Part 5: War Crimes and Atrocities by Lawrence M. Ludlow August 22, 2005 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 For Machiavelli, there is no deed too ruthless for rulers on the fast track to dictatorship. A prince who wishes to remain in power must not blink at opportunities for cruelty when they can advance his position. ...