Daily Articles

The Vietnam War Was Immoral

by Sheldon Richman May 2, 2000

The 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam has evoked some curious responses. Two in particular are worth noting. Some aging baby-boomers are writhing in guilt because they managed to avoid military duty during the war. Chris Matthews, host of Hardball, is one who has emoted to that effect more than once. Why should anyone ...

The “Voluntary” Nature of the Income Tax

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2000

To the Op-Ed Editor 728 words Contact: Andy Falkof Please send tear sheet. The "Voluntary" Nature of the Income Tax by Jacob G. Hornberger April, of course, is income-tax month, the month in which millions of Americans file their income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and pay whatever income taxes they still owe the U.S. government for last ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “100 Years of Government Expansion”

by Richard M. Ebeling May 1, 2000

"How different life was for the average American 100 years ago! When the 20th century began, there was no federal income tax, and all levels of government took in taxes equivalent to about 6.5 percent of GDP, with more than 60 percent of those taxes collected by state and local governments. ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Bush Subsidizes Gun Owners”

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2000

"Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush has provided us a hint as to what he means by "compassionate conservatism." A few days before the Million Mom March for gun control, Bush announced a brand new welfare program he would institute if he's elected president. Bush promises to spend $65 million in ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Census 2000 Propoganda”

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2000

"Last weekend, I rode in a organized bicycle ride on Virginia's Eastern Shore in which more than 1,000 cyclists participated. Guess which government agency provided free promotional gifts to all the cyclists at the end of the ride. If you guessed "The U.S. Postal Service" because it sponsors the American Tour de ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Drug War Costs Lives”

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2000

"Before year's end, Congress will likely provide more than $1 billion dollars to Colombia to ensure the continuation of the U.S. drug war in the Latin American theatre. One Republican aide states, "Colombia is in crisis, and every day that aid is delayed costs lives down there and up here." Certainly a ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Gun Control Exposes Citizenry to the State”

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2000

"After the Clinton-Reno-INS raid on the home of the Miami relatives of Elian Gonzalez, Fidel Castro proudly boasted that his agents would not have been armed under similar circumstances. The reason? Since no one is permitted to own guns in Cuba, police forces need not fear violent resistance to their orders ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “HUD Hurts the Poor”

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2000

"The Washington Post reports that $2.8 million that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spent to help D.C. public-housing residents start new businesses has resulted in only 'marginal evidence of benefits for the poor.' Most of the money ended up in the pockets of 'consultants,' many of whom didn't perform ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Million Mom Marchers Hurt Themselves”

by Andy Falkof May 1, 2000

"Washington, D.C., is a magnet for protesters and demonstrators of all political stripes and ideologies, and this weekend is no exception. The Million Mom March expects to attract 150,000 gun-control advocates in the name of protecting families from gun-related violence. Participants can expect the usual array of statistics, personal testimonials, and ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “New Drug Czar”

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2000

"Retired Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey has come under a withering assault from his fellow officers for improper conduct during the Persian Gulf War. As detailed in an article by Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker magazine, McCaffrey is accused of ordering an attack on Iraqi forces who were either surrendering ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Peru Can Take Care of Itself”

by Andy Falkof May 1, 2000

"Today, the United States government declared Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori's re-election invalid and a threat to democracy across the Americas. Fujimori defeated his opponent, Alejandro Toledo (who had withdrawn in protest), by a considerable margin, and did not postpone the election to allow international monitors to inspect and confirm the ...

CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Liberty”

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2000

"Yesterday, in United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, the Supreme Court struck down a 1996 federal law that restricted sexually explicit adult channels' broadcasting to late-night hours. Despite people's concern for children's exposure to the pornographic programming, the Court made the right decision by respecting private ownership, the First ...