The Revolution’s Forgotten Hero by David A. Merrick December 1, 2003 On December 15, an anniversary will come and go with little or no fanfare. It will probably pass unnoticed, even though it is the anniversary of one of the greatest events in the history of written law. On that day, the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America, commonly known as the Bill of ...
Ireland and Big-Spending Republicans by Benjamin Powell December 1, 2003 Despite some tax cuts, the size of the U.S. government has increased rapidly under President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress. Washington leaders looking to improve the economy could learn a lesson or two from Ireland, which has consistently achieved high rates of growth over the last 15 years by successfully slashing government spending. Under the Republican Congress during Clintons years ...
“Bad Money Drives Out Good” by Charles Adams December 1, 2003 This is what has been called Gresham’s Law. It was formulated by Sir Thomas Gresham to explain to Queen Elizabeth I what was happening to the English shilling. Her father, Henry VIII, had been adulterating the English shilling, the basic coin of the realm, by replacing 40 percent of the silver in the coin with base metals — a ...
Environmentalist Nonsense by Scott McPherson December 1, 2003 The environmentalist movement has gone into overdrive over the newest trend in Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). The Hummer, from General Motors, Ford’s Excursion, and now the Unimog from DaimlerChrysler are all driving our Green friends to distraction distraction because they have attained a new low in “excessive” gas consumption. Labeled “gas-guzzlers” and scathingly dishonored with the “Exxon Valdez Award for ...
Book Review: Dependent on D.C. by Charlotte A. Twight by George Leef December 1, 2003 Dependent on D.C.: The Rise of Federal Control over the Lives of Ordinary Americans by Charlotte Twight (St. Martins Press, 2002); 422 pages; $26.95. I have often thought about how different the United States of today is from the United States my grandfather knew. A century ago, he was a young man embarking on a business career. He and all other ...
Bush as Fake Free-Trader by Sheldon Richman November 28, 2003 President Bush is the most protectionist president since Ronald Reagan. And that’s saying something, because Reagan was the most protectionist president since Herbert Hoover, who signed the infamous Smoot-Hawley Tariff and helped turn a recession into the Great Depression. Take note: all three presidents mentioned are Republicans. No wonder many people still think that capitalism ...
Coercion versus Freedom at Thanksgiving by Jacob G. Hornberger November 26, 2003 In response to an announcement that many Washington, D.C., residents would go hungry on Thanksgiving, a private company called Sodexho promptly delivered 1,000 turkeys to our nation’s capital. According to a Yahoo news report, Sodexho USA (www.sodexhousa.com) “is the leading provider of food and facilities ...
Were the Feds Capable of Killing JFK? by Jacob G. Hornberger November 24, 2003 Forty years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the debate over whether there was a conspiracy to kill him rages on, and the History Channels series suggesting that U.S. officials were involved in such a conspiracy certainly raises disturbing questions regarding the issue. What seems somewhat amusing, however, is the long-held position of the mainstream ...
The Government’s War on Children by Sheldon Richman November 19, 2003 Goose Creek, S.C., recently was the scene of a horrific event spotlighting two government institutions: schools and the war on drug users. On a quiet day early in November a squadron of policemen stormed into Stratford High School, automatic pistols and shotguns drawn. They ordered the students to the floor ...
Iraq: Democratic or Free? by Sheldon Richman November 17, 2003 The White House website has this to say about Iraq: “Under the leadership of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the new Iraqi Governing Council, major strides are being planned and made in three key areas: security, economic stability and growth, and democracy.” Let’s focus on that last ...
What’s So Bad about the Budget Deficit? by Scott McPherson November 12, 2003 Recently I was discussing taxes with a friend who was praising President Bush for pushing his massive tax cut through Congress. “Sure,” I replied. “But a lot of good it does us when he has simultaneously pushed federal spending through the roof.” I was referring to the projected $540 ...
U.S. Senators Are the Real Cowards by Jacob G. Hornberger November 10, 2003 The Pentagon has gracefully decided to reduce criminal charges brought against Army Sergeant Andreas Pogany from “cowardice” to “dereliction of duty.” That’s right — cowardice is a criminal offense under U.S. military law, punishable by death or incarceration and dishonorable discharge. What did the good sergeant do ...