Daily Articles

A Catastrophic Misconception and Omission

by Laurence M. Vance September 2, 2020

“Legalizing pot is a catastrophic mistake,” says self-proclaimed marijuana expert Kevin Sabet in an opinion piece in Newsweek. The fact that thirty-three states have legalized the medical use of marijuana and eleven states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, all without catastrophic results, says otherwise. The only thing catastrophic is the misconception and omission in Sabet’s article. Sabet ...

Trump’s “American Greatness” Also Political Paternalism

by Richard M. Ebeling September 1, 2020

Mind your own business. Every one of us has thought or said words to this effect when others have told us how to live our lives. Who our friends should be, what career we should pursue, where we should live, the person we should marry, how we should spend our money, or even what clothes we should wear or ...

Socialism, American Style, Part 5

by Jacob G. Hornberger September 1, 2020

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 The Federal Reserve System is another prime example of American socialism, because it is based on central planning, a core element of socialism. Government officials plan, in a top-down, command-and-control manner the monetary affairs of hundreds of millions ...

The Korean War’s Forgotten Lessons on the Evil of Intervention

by James Bovard September 1, 2020

This year is the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, a conflict from which Washington policymakers learned nothing. Almost 40,000 American soldiers died in that conflict that should have permanently vaccinated the nation against the folly and evil of foreign intervention. Instead, the war was retroactively redefined. As Barack Obama declared in 2013, “That war was ...

A Four-Point Plan for Government

by Laurence M. Vance September 1, 2020

In July 2010, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative (NSI), launched the “If You See Something, Say Something” national campaign to raise “public awareness of the indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime, as well as the importance of reporting suspicious activity to state and local ...

Free Trade, Liberalism, and Peace

by Richard M. Ebeling September 1, 2020

The classical liberals of the nineteenth century were certain that the end of the older mercantilist system — with its government control of trade and commerce, its bounties (subsidies) and prohibitions on exports and imports — would open wide vistas for improving the material conditions of man through the internationalization of the system of division of labor. They also ...

The Tortured Legacy of the Mexican-American War, Part 6

by Danny Sjursen September 1, 2020

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4  | Part 5 | Part 6 But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.… the fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force.… She might become the dictatress of the world.

The Police State’s War on Weed and Backyard Gardens

by John W. Whitehead August 27, 2020

They came again this morning at about 8:00 o’clock. A large cargo-type helicopter flew low over the cabin, shaking it on its very foundations. It shook all of us inside, too. I feel frightened … I see how helpless and tormented I am becoming with disgust and disillusionment with the government which has turned this beautiful country into a ...

A Time That Tries Men’s Souls

by Jacob G. Hornberger August 27, 2020

In the midst of the turmoil in which our country is enveloped, I am reminded of the immortal words of Thomas Paine: These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, ...

Biden’s “Passion and Purpose” is More Political Paternalism

by Richard M. Ebeling August 26, 2020

Political election years are viewed in democracies as momentous events in the country’s history. Through ballots rather than bullets are chosen those who will hold political office, and through them the implementation and enforcement of the laws of the land and a variety of government policies considered to be in the “common good” or the “general welfare.” In other ...

Trump’s Authoritarianism Should be a Warning, Not a Guidebook

by Michael Zigismund August 24, 2020

When President Donald Trump floated the idea of postponing the upcoming presidential election, my social media feeds exploded with howls of “authoritarianism” and “fascism” and “toldya so.” More bark than bite I think we can all agree that the president has at least some authoritarian tendencies. But as presidential scholar Gene Healy recently

Magic Mushrooms

by Laurence M. Vance August 21, 2020

Scientifically speaking, mushrooms are said to be the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. Typical are the button or common mushrooms classified as agaricus bisporus that are widely cultivated for food around the world. Governments don’t care how many of these mushrooms that ...