Daily Articles

Freedom and the Fourteenth Amendment

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2005

One of the long-standing debates within the libertarian movement involves the Fourteenth Amendment. Some argue that it is detrimental to the cause of freedom because it expands the power of the federal government. Others contend that the amendment expands the ambit of individual liberty. I fall among those who ...

The NRA Gets It Wrong

by Sheldon Richman November 1, 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 relate that right ...

How the Feds Took Over Farming

by James Bovard November 1, 2005

I appreciate all the feedback from readers from last month’s article, “Harebrained Pot and Wheat Decisions.” That piece showed how the Supreme Court this year justified banning medical marijuana on the basis of a 1942 Supreme Court decision involving wheat subsidies. This essay will seek to answer some of ...

Lysander Spooner, Part 2

by Wendy McElroy November 1, 2005

Part 1 | Part 2 The right of people to defend themselves against the usurpation of government was the central theme of Spooner’s next major work, An Essay on the Trial by Jury (1852), which some consider his masterpiece. Benjamin Tucker stated the gist of Trial by Jury: “No man should be punished for an offence unless ...

Minimum Wage, Maximum Intervention, Part 1

by Laurence M. Vance November 1, 2005

Part 1 | Part 2 Many workers in my state of Florida received a pay raise this past May. No, Floridians did not suddenly become more productive and demand a salary increase because they are now more valuable to their employers. And no, Florida businesses did not suddenly become more profitable and decide to share their good ...

The Failure of Amtrak Reform

by Gregory Bresiger November 1, 2005

End of the Line: The Failure of Amtrak Reform and the Future of America’s Passenger Trains by Joseph Vranich (American Enterprise Institute, 2004); 264 pages. With Amtrak officials’ recent threats to shut down unless Congress increases its subsidy and with the Acela fiasco, was there ever a more relevant book than End of the Line: The Failure of Amtrak Reform ...

Stop Consumer Gouging!

by Sheldon Richman October 28, 2005

A phone call I’d like to hear: Voice: Price-gouging tip line. How may I help you?Mr. Jones: I’d like to report price gouging. Voice: Yes sir. Where is this price gouging occurring? Jones: At the Exxon station on Route 286, right in my neighborhood. Voice: What is the price being charged? Jones: The price for a gallon of ...

The Troops Don’t Defend Our Freedoms

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 21, 2005

How often do we hear the claim that American troops “defend our freedoms”? The claim is made often by U.S. officials and is echoed far and wide across the land by television commentators, newspaper columnists, public-school teachers, and many others. It’s even a common assertion that emanates on Sundays from many ...

Mr. Bush, Mind Your Own Business

by Sheldon Richman October 21, 2005

So President Bush wants us to conserve gasoline by driving less. Cut out the nonessential car trips, he says. It seems to me that the quintessential American response is simply this: With all due respect Mr. President, mind your own business. You see, in America (why doesn’t he know this?) ...

Why Congressional Democrats Support the War

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 17, 2005

Some people remain mystified as to why Hillary Clinton and other Democratic members of Congress have supported the invasion and occupation of Iraq. What’s the mystery? After the infamous WMDs that the United States provided Saddam during the 1980s unexpectedly failed to be found during President Bush’s invasion of Iraq ...

Southwest Airlines Did Not Censor

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 14, 2005

A recent decision by Southwest Airlines to throw two passengers, a husband and wife, off a flight holds a valuable lesson about private-property rights, censorship, and the Bill of Rights. The reason the couple was grounded was that one of them wore a t-shirt containing a photo of President Bush, ...

More Bush Insults

by Sheldon Richman October 12, 2005

Everybody is good at something, and George Bush is good at insulting our intelligence. As if he hasn’t provided enough evidence, he recently obliged with two more demonstrations. First came his nomination of White House counsel Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court. By picking Miers he is telling the American people she ...