What Good Would it Do to Reform the NSA? by Jacob G. Hornberger December 23, 2013 I don’t know who Eric Weiss is. All I know about him is that he recently wrote a letter to the New York Times about the NSA surveillance scandal. But I do know that when it comes to the controversy surrounding the NSA, Weiss is one of the few people who really get it. Weiss makes two important points ...
Why Federal Spending Continues to Soar by Jacob G. Hornberger December 20, 2013 The Washington establishment, not surprisingly, is celebrating the budget deal that Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Democrat Sen. Patty Murray have reached. They’re calling it a great example of “bipartisanship.” And why not? The deal calls for increases in federal spending, doesn’t it? What’s not to like about that, from the standpoint of the Washington establishment? Pay no mind to the ...
The Sordid Roots of the National-Security State by Jacob G. Hornberger December 19, 2013 Given that most all of us living today have been born and raised under a national-security state apparatus, we’ve all been inculcated with the notion that the enormous military empire, CIA, and NSA are a necessary and permanent part of our lives. We’ve all been taught that our very freedom and well-being depend on the existence of these agencies. ...
Make Your Choice: Freedom or the National-Security State by Jacob G. Hornberger December 18, 2013 In his July 4, 1821, address to Congress John Quincy Adams pointed out that America does not go abroad “in search of monsters to destroy.” His use of the term “monsters” encompassed brutal and tyrannical foreign dictators. While such monsters could always be found in nations all over the world, it would not be the responsibility of the U.S. ...
A Government without Spies by Jacob G. Hornberger December 17, 2013 Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that the NSA’s previously super-secret surveillance scheme over the American people violates the U.S. Constitution, which sets forth the powers and restrictions on power that we the people have established for U.S. officials. Calling the NSA’s surveillance scheme “almost Orwellian,” Judge Richard Leon’s ruling is an amazing one, especially given the long history of ...
Morality and Conscience versus the CIA by Jacob G. Hornberger December 16, 2013 In 2007 American Robert A. Levinson disappeared in Iran while on a spy mission for the CIA. The New York Times learned that he was a CIA agent in late 2007 but, at the request of the CIA, kept the information secret until now so as not to jeopardize the life of the agent, who is presumed to be ...
Unilaterally and Immediately Lift the Cuban Embargo by Jacob G. Hornberger December 13, 2013 Much ado is being made about President Obama’s decision to shake hands with Cuban President Raul Castro at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. People are wondering whether the handshake could be the start of a thaw in the fifty-year state of hostility between Cuba and the United States. To no one’s surprise, Cold War anti-communist dead-enders are objecting to Obama’s handshake, ...
What Divide Between Liberals and Conservatives? by Jacob G. Hornberger December 12, 2013 An op-ed in today’s New York Times indirectly highlights how fundamentally different libertarians are from both conservatives and liberals. The op-ed is entitled “The Appalling Stance of Rand Paul” and is written by liberal Times columnist Charles M. Blow. Why is Blow taking conservative Paul to task? He quotes a statement Paul made last Sunday on Fox News:
The U.S. National Security State Loves Egypt’s Dictatorship by Jacob G. Hornberger December 11, 2013 In a Washington Post editorial “Egypt’s Wrong Road,” the Post calls on the U.S. government to suspend U.S. aid and cooperation with Egypt until the Egyptian regime “frees political prisoners and adopts a genuine democratic path.” The Post just doesn’t get it. The Egyptian military dictatorship is precisely what the U.S. government loves, respects, and admires. Let’s keep in mind ...
The Wall Street Journal’s Blind Spot by Jacob G. Hornberger December 10, 2013 Conservatives are fascinating people, in part because of their eagerness to point out the faults of foreign regimes while turning a blind eye to the faults of their own government. A good example of this phenomenon occurred yesterday in an editorial published by the Wall Street Journal entitled “The Putin Media.” The Journal took Russian President Vladimir Putin to ...
The U.S. vs. Robert Kahre: A Horrible Miscarriage of Justice by Jacob G. Hornberger December 9, 2013 The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the criminal conviction of Robert Kahre, the man who incurred the wrath of the IRS by paying his employees in gold coin. Since the face value of the gold coins was significantly below the legal threshold that triggers withholding taxes, the Court held that Kahre didn’t do his duty to ...
Federal Debt, Detroit, and Greece by Jacob G. Hornberger December 6, 2013 If ever-growing federal debt is a good thing, they pray tell: Why is the Detroit city government in bankruptcy? They’ve been incurring lots of debt. Is there really some kind of special difference between a national government and a local government? Of course not. Government is government, whether at a local, state, or national level. No government is exempt from ...
