Here They Go Again by Jacob G. Hornberger November 17, 2015 It’s all so predictable. In response to the terrorist attacks in Paris, the French government has declared a state of emergency and French President Francois Hollande is calling for a constitutional amendment to provide him with extraordinary powers to “eradicate” the threat posed by the Islamic State. He is seeking quick legislation that would enable government officials to conduct ...
Why the Shock Over Paris? by Jacob G. Hornberger November 16, 2015 I can understand why people are horrified over the terrorist attacks in Paris but, for the life of me, I just cannot understand why they are shocked by it. People who are shocked by the attacks are definitely suffering from a severe case of obtuseness and denial. Ever since 9/11, we libertarians have been saying that terrorism is one of ...
A Successful Case of Indoctrination by Jacob G. Hornberger November 13, 2015 Among the most successful cases of propaganda and indoctrination has been convincing the American people of how necessary and beneficial the military establishment, the CIA, and the NSA are to the safety and freedom of the American people. From the first grade to big sporting events, people are inculcated with this conviction. To see how differently the Founding Fathers and ...
Electing Better People to Public Office by Jacob G. Hornberger November 12, 2015 In every presidential campaign, we are subjected to the same line from the candidates: “Elect me because I will manage the economy better than anyone else.” There are two things to note about that pronouncement: First, it reflects the candidate’s belief that it’s government’s role to manage an economy. Second, it fails to recognize that no one is capable of ...
Thanking Iraq War Veterans for Their Service by Jacob G. Hornberger November 11, 2015 I wonder what goes through the mind of an Iraq War veteran when someone says, “Thank you for your service.” I wonder if he ever asks himself, “What exactly am I being thanked for?” Consider what the Bush administration did to U.S. soldiers on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Bush and his people, many of whom had ...
Paul Krugman and the NYT: Snake-Oil Salesmen Par Excellence by Jacob G. Hornberger November 9, 2015 One of the fascinating things about progressives is how they sometimes create their own realities, no matter how false, and then convince themselves and others that such is the actual state of affairs. No better example of this phenomenon can be found than in a recent article by Paul Krugman, the longtime liberal columnist for the New York Times. ...
Is Freedom Still Enduring in Afghanistan? by Jacob G. Hornberger November 6, 2015 A couple of days ago, the New York Times reported that American personnel in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, must fly in helicopters to get to and from the airport. That’s because the road from the embassy to the airport is not safe. The length of the road is 1 1/2 miles. Imagine that: After 14 years of ...
Gitmo Reflects Disdain for the Constitution by Jacob G. Hornberger November 5, 2015 Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has an op-ed in today’s New York Times entitled “Let’s Finally Close Guantanamo,” in which she points out what critics of the Guantanamo facility have been saying for years: It is a very effective tool that overseas terrorist organizations use to recruit new members. Feinstein calls for closing down the facility, transferring the remaining ...
Oh No! The Cold War Is Back On? by Jacob G. Hornberger November 4, 2015 On Monday, the New York Times published a fascinating article entitled “Putin’s Forever War” by Masha Gessen. The article provides a deep insight into the type of mindset that converted the U.S. government into a national-security state and that has led our nation to the dark side. Gessen’s article revolves around a critique of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, ...
Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK, and the National Security State by Jacob G. Hornberger November 3, 2015 In yesterday’s blog post about the movie Bridge of Spies, I pointed out how the circumstantial evidence that has been released over the decades leads to but one conclusion — that Lee Harvey Oswald, who the Warren Commission accused of assassinating President Kennedy, was an intelligence operative or asset of the U.S. national-security state. That is, that when ...
Bridge of Spies and Lee Harvey Oswald by Jacob G. Hornberger November 2, 2015 I recently saw Bridge of Spies, the new movie that revolves around a prisoner exchange that took place between the United States and the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. The exchange involved two spies — CIA spy Francis Gary Powers and Soviet KGB spy Rudolf Abel, as well as a Yale student named Frederic Pryor, ...
A Short History of U.S. Monetary Policy by Jacob G. Hornberger October 30, 2015 The monetary system that the Framers established with the Constitution was the most unusual and the most radical in history. That unique monetary system, along with such things as the absence of an income tax, a welfare state, and a warfare state, along with open immigration, contributed to the tremendous economic prosperity that pulled countless people out of poverty ...