Distinguishing U.S. Prisoners in War in Afghanistan by Jacob G. Hornberger June 10, 2014 Ever since the U.S invasion of Afghanistan, proponents of the war have attempted to justify it by saying that the Afghan government “harbored” the people who purportedly orchestrated the 9/11 attacks. In doing so, proponents claim that the U.S. government was justified in invading the country on two grounds: (1) to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and other ...
Libertarianism 101: My Talk to Ghana Libertarians by Jacob G. Hornberger June 9, 2014 What a great time I had talking about libertarianism this morning with attendees at the 2014 Liberty and Entrepreneurship Camp in Ghana, an annual event that is organized by a devoted libertarian from Ghana named Afrikanus Kofi Akosah. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the conference itself and so I did the talk by Skype. The title of my ...
D-Day, Bergdahl, and Conscience in Nazi Germany by Jacob G. Hornberger June 6, 2014 Perhaps it’s fitting that President Obama is in Normandy celebrating the Allied invasion that led to the defeat of Nazi Germany, given the brouhaha that has broken out over U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl. After all, let’s not forget that the Nazi regime viewed the duty of the German soldier much as American conservatives view the duty of the American soldier ...
Washington, D.C.: Capital of Hypocrisy by Jacob G. Hornberger June 5, 2014 If anyone were ever to conduct a study on hypocrisy, he couldn’t go wrong by focusing on the U.S. government. One of the best places to begin would be in the area of immigration. For example, every Democrat in Washington will tell you that he loves “the poor, needy, and disadvantaged,” while the favorite bromide of D.C. Republicans is “free ...
Conscience and the Soldier by Jacob G. Hornberger June 4, 2014 Hopefully, the hoopla surrounding the negotiated release of U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl will serve as a reminder to young people who are contemplating joining the military: As soon as you sign the contract with the military, you will be leaving your conscience behind and you will have to follow orders to kill whomever you are ordered to kill. Let’s assume, ...
The CIA’s Murder of Rene Schneider by Jacob G. Hornberger June 3, 2014 On October 25, 1970, seven years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the CIA murdered a man named Rene Schneider. Now, before you cry, “Conspiracy theory, Jacob! Conspiracy theory!” please consider the facts in the case. Who was Rene Schneider? He was a Chilean citizen who was serving as the commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army during the 1970 presidential ...
The Mind of a Dictator and His Enablers by Jacob G. Hornberger June 2, 2014 The New York Times recently carried a profile of Egyptian military dictator Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The piece discloses what goes through not only the mind of a dictator but also the minds of the U.S. officials who continue to support him with money and armaments. The article begins with a promise by Sisi to install energy-efficient bulbs in every ...
The War on Terrorism Is One Fine Scam by Jacob G. Hornberger May 30, 2014 Throughout the Cold War, the proponents of the national-security state assured us that the only reason the United States needed to adopt this totalitarian-like apparatus was because of the international communist conspiracy emanating from the Soviet Union and Red China. Once the Cold War was won, the statists said, America could restore the limited-government constitutional republic that the Constitution ...
Pull Out the Impeachment Papers by Jacob G. Hornberger May 29, 2014 Ever since Edward Snowden revealed the NSA’s secret massive surveillance scheme to the American people and the rest of the world, President Obama and NSA officials have steadfastly maintained that their surveillance scheme has been entirely legal and focused on finding “terrorists.” While millions of Americans have had information regarding their telephone calls secretly scooped up by the NSA, the ...
Thailand, Chile, and U.S. Support of Military Coups by Jacob G. Hornberger May 28, 2014 Despite standard superficial expressions of indignation, U.S. officials are undoubtedly ecstatic over the military coup in Thailand. That’s because they believe that an essential step in the achievement of democracy is the smashing of democracy by a country’s military (that is, when the voters elect the wrong person), followed by a military dictatorship devoted to restoring democracy. Chile provides a ...
American Soldiers Did Not Die Defending Our Freedom by Jacob G. Hornberger May 27, 2014 I was at the Washington Nationals baseball game yesterday. Whenever I attend a Nats game, there is an air of militarism surrounding the game, but attending on Memorial Day helps to remind us what a truly militarized society America has become. After all, what in the world does baseball, a quite peaceful and enjoyable pastime, have to do with America’s ...
Libertarian Patriotism vs. Statist Patriotism by Jacob G. Hornberger May 26, 2014 Today, Memorial Day, we are exhorted to display our patriotism by supporting the troops. That’s the statist version of patriotism. It involves a deference to authority and a conformity of mindset that induces citizens to automatically support the troops regardless of what the troops are doing. The libertarian version of patriotism is completely different. It depends on an independent mindset, ...