Daily Articles

The Bill of Rights: Due Process of Law

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2004

One of the most deeply rooted principles in American jurisprudence is the concept of due process of law, which is enshrined in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: “No person shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Due process of law actually stretches back to the year 1215, when the ...

Bush’s Brave New World

by Sheldon Richman November 1, 2004

One of the biggest frauds perpetrated on the American people is the Republican Party’s image as the party of individual liberty and limited government. After almost four years of the Bush administration, there shouldn’t be much left of that image. A quick survey of Bush’s record on domestic and military spending, deficits, foreign intervention, civil ...

Bra Wars

by James Bovard November 1, 2004

President Bush continually scapegoats foreigners for his decisions to pilfer Americans. While Bush loves to praise free trade, in reality, “free trade” is whatever George Bush says it is. For Bush, like other recent presidents, “fairness” is the magic word to sanctify whatever trade restrictions he imposes. In his speeches, President Bush ...

Are HOAs Anti-Freedom?

by Scott McPherson November 1, 2004

A large number of people, including some libertarians, dislike the concept of homeowners’ associations (HOAs). HOAs are private agencies that administer new housing developments, requiring a monthly fee to maintain common areas and regulating everything from grass height to house colors to where you can park your car — and their rules are enforceable by contract law. In the ...

Corporatism and Socialism in America

by Anthony Gregory November 1, 2004

Principled advocacy of the free market requires an understanding of the differences between genuine free enterprise and “state capitalism.” Although the Left frequently exaggerates and overemphasizes the evils of corporate America, proponents of the free market often find themselves in the awkward position of defending the status quo of state capitalism, which is in fact a common adversary of ...

West Africa and Colonialism, Part 2

by Wendy McElroy November 1, 2004

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Nineteeth-century Europe revolutionized trade through the development of steam power that sent trains across continents and large cargo ships across the sea. Construction projects, such as the Suez Canal, were proposed to link Africa and Asia to a trade-hungry Europe. With the advent of quinine, which effectively removed the worst ...

Book Review: Drug War Crimes

by Paul Armentano November 1, 2004

Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition by Jeffrey A. Miron (Oakland: The Independent Institute, 2004); 109 pages; $15.95. For the past several decades economists, perhaps more so than any other group of professionals, have been largely united in their criticism of American drug policy. On numerous occasions, prominent economists such as Milton ...

Im Free Because I Voted, Right?

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2004

In the wake of his reelection, President Bush has announced that he remains committed to bringing democracy to the Middle East, which includes the indefinite military occupation of Iraq. In the presidents mind indeed, in the minds of most public officials in America democracy is freedom. So, given that I voted in the recent election, ...

Take the Constitution Seriously in the Second Term

by Sheldon Richman November 1, 2004

Should President Bush declare a mandate and push ahead with his agenda or extend an olive branch of conciliation to his opponents? This is a typical false alternative that American politics often presents. He should do neither. Instead, he should do what on January 20 he will declare he is obligated to do. On Inauguration Day he will swear, as the ...

Spreading the Word

by Bart Frazier November 1, 2004

Date: November 12, 2004 To: Friends and Supporters of The Future of Freedom Foundation From: Bart Frazier, program director Subject: FFF Op-Ed Program Most of you associate FFF with our Email Update. Every day you get the best news culled from the internet addressing issues ...

Blame Government for the Vaccine Shortage

by Sheldon Richman October 27, 2004

We now know that when the government tries to suppress the production of a drug, say, heroin, supplies nevertheless remain plentiful. Yet when the government tries to guarantee production of a drug, say, flu vaccine, supplies can run short, endangering the people most vulnerable to disease. Thats government for you. The government, especially the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), interferes ...

The Iraq War Has Made Us neither Safer nor Freer

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 25, 2004

In determining whether the invasion of Iraq has been in the interests of America, two questions naturally arise: One, has the invasion made Americans safer from terrorism? and Two, has the invasion made Americans freer with respect to their own government? When the 9/11 attacks occurred, Americans were horribly angry, despite the ...