LBJ and Media Complicity with Iraq by Jacob G. Hornberger March 27, 2013 On the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, among the major issues being discussed is the unwavering support that the U.S. major media gave to the invasion. The major media not only placed unconditional trust in the Bush administration’s WMD pronouncements, they also even helped to hype the claims to the American people. Why? Given that it is the ...
Why the Awlakis Were Killed by Jacob G. Hornberger March 26, 2013 While President Obama, the Pentagon, and the CIA have steadfastly refused to say why they assassinated American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, one thing remains beyond dispute: It wasn’t because Awlaki was trying to take away the freedom of the American people. It was instead because he was opposing the U.S. national-security state’s interventionism in the Middle East and neighboring regions. The ...
The Liberal Blind Spot by Jacob G. Hornberger March 25, 2013 One of the distinguishing characteristics of liberals is their inability to focus on the unseen consequences of statist policies. They’re able to see the direct, immediate consequences of such policies but they have a blind spot when it comes to the adverse consequences that cannot be seen. A good example of this phenomenon occurred recently in a book review ...
My Talk at UNC by Jacob G. Hornberger March 22, 2013 On Thursday evening, I had the honor of addressing the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) and the Students for Liberty (SDS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The two groups were working together to oppose the U.S. government’s assassination program as well as foreign interventionism and empire in general. During the day, the students promoted the event ...
Jonah Goldberg on Conservatives and Libertarians by Jacob G. Hornberger March 20, 2013 In his current op-ed, “Fusion Power on the Right,” conservative Jonah Goldberg points to the increasing popularity of libertarianism, especially among young people. In a valiant attempt to embrace the trend, Goldberg argues that there really isn’t that much difference between libertarianism and conservatism. One has to wonder: what planet does Goldberg live on? Goldberg points to Frank Meyer’s attempt ...
When the Supreme Court Declared D.C.’s Minimum Wage Law Unconstitutional by Jacob G. Hornberger March 19, 2013 In last night’s law and economics seminar, we discussed the Supreme Court case of Adkins vs. Children’s Hospital, the 1923 case in which the Court declared unconstitutional a minimum-wage law enacted in 1918 by Washington, D.C. The seminar is an informal one that I’ve been holding for the past couple of years at George Mason University. It’s co-hosted ...
A Fiscal Lesson in Cyprus for Americans by Jacob G. Hornberger March 18, 2013 Once again, the European Union is teaching Americans what lies at the end of the road of out-of-control federal spending and debt. Cyprus is the latest country that has required a bailout. But this time, the authorities have crossed the Rubicon in how they have addressed the problem. The basic approach to overextended EU countries is to grant them immediate ...
Checkpoint Tyranny Along the Border by Jacob G. Hornberger March 15, 2013 Fifteen years ago, I published an article entitled “Domestic Passports for Hispanic-Americans,” in which I described immigration checkpoint tyranny in America’s borderlands with Mexico. Americans who have never traveled to the border have no idea of the police state that the ICE and the DEA have established in the border regions. My hometown of Laredo, Texas, is situated right ...
Praising the Troops for Defending Our “Rights” and “Freedoms” by Jacob G. Hornberger March 14, 2013 Have you ever wondered what people mean when they praise the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for defending our rights and freedoms here at home? This is one of the most popular and important bromides of our time. Given that we hear it all the time, especially in church and at sporting events, wouldn’t it be good to contemplate ...
Criminal Offenses vs. Acts of War by Jacob G. Hornberger March 13, 2013 As I have been emphasizing ever since the 9/11 attacks, terrorism is a criminal offense, not an act of war. That’s precisely why the U.S. government secures criminal indictments issued by federal grand juries against people it accuses of having committed terrorist acts. The federal attorneys, the federal grand jurors, and the federal judge that receives the indictments all ...
Lecturing on Libertarianism to High School Students by Jacob G. Hornberger March 12, 2013 Yesterday, I had a great time sharing ideas on liberty at a very impressive private school in Virginia Beach, Cape Henry Collegiate School. I started the day speaking to two combined classes consisting of about 20 seniors. Most of them already had a basic understanding of libertarianism. In fact, their teacher had just recently taken them to a forum ...
The Master Provocateurs by Jacob G. Hornberger March 11, 2013 Americans from across the political spectrum are finally waking up with deep concern over the president's power to assassinate people, especially Americans. People are also increasingly concerned about out-of-control federal spending and debt. For the first time in recent memory, people didn't fall for the fear-mongering and extortion that federal officials use to diffuse opposition to more federal spending ...
