Free Society

Felix Morley, Champion of the American Republic

by Wendy McElroy October 1, 2017

The American socialist Ed Sard is reported to have originated the concept of a “permanent arms economy” as a way to explain why America experienced a post–World War II boom, while World War I had been followed by recession. Sard concluded that the United States retained many of the characteristics of a war economy, including what today is called ...

Let’s Make America Free Again

by John W. Whitehead September 15, 2017

“I tell you, freedom and human rights in America are doomed. The U.S. government will lead the American people in — and the West in general — into an unbearable hell and a choking life.”—Osama bin Laden (October 2001) Ironically, during the same week that we mark the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we find ourselves ...

The Libertarian Angle: In Praise of Price Gouging

by Future of Freedom Foundation September 6, 2017

FFF president Jacob Hornberger and Richard Ebeling talk about the economics of disaster recovery. Go to the podcast.

Freedom of Contract: A Bedrock of Freedom

by George Leef September 1, 2017

Freedom of contract used to be understood as a cornerstone of civilization and a crucial element in economic progress. The Constitution’s Framers included in Article 1, Section 10, a clause stating that Congress was forbidden to enact any law impairing the obligation of contracts. And in the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Congress included the freedom to enter into ...

Freedom and the Fear of Self-Responsibility

by Richard M. Ebeling July 31, 2017

Liberty is under a renewed challenge and attack in the contemporary world. From “political correctness” and its accompanying growing totalitarian closed-mindedness at institutions of higher learning in both America and Europe, to the rebirth of economic nationalism with its rejection of freedom of trade, investment and people in places like the United States, along with the continuing stranglehold of ...

Zombies R Us

by John W. Whitehead July 19, 2017

Monsters in movies are us, always us, one way or the other. They’re us with hats on. The zombies in George Romero’s movies are us. They’re hungry. Monsters are us, the dangerous parts of us. The part that wants to destroy. The part of us with the reptile brain. The part of us that’s vicious and cruel. We express ...

Society Is Not a Family, Government Is Not a Parent

by Richard M. Ebeling July 17, 2017

Few things are as clear as the bankruptcy of the political “left.” Ranting and raving about Donald Trump and “anti-democratic” trends in the United States and other parts of the world, their own vision and vista for a “progressive” and “renewed” America is nothing but the same old statist and collectivist songs they have been singing for more than ...

Imagine a Boot Stamping on Your Face

by John W. Whitehead July 7, 2017

The Internet is watching us now. If they want to. They can see what sites you visit. In the future, television will be watching us, and customizing itself to what it knows about us. The thrilling thing is, that will make us feel we’re part of the medium. The scary thing is, we’ll lose ...

Discrimination Hypocrisy

by Laurence M. Vance June 15, 2017

Soon after Donald Trump won the presidential election in November, it was widely reported that a number of prominent fashion designers were refusing to work with his wife, Melania Trump, because they do not approve of her husband’s politics. In a word, they were practicing discrimination. Designer Sophie Theallet, who dressed First Lady Michelle Obama, posted an ...

Stop Fighting One Another and Focus on the Real Enemy

by John W. Whitehead May 31, 2017

“Count me out if it’s for violence. Don’t expect me at barricades unless it is with flowers.... What’s the point of bombing Wall Street? If you want to change the system, it’s no good shooting people.”—John Lennon The more things change, the more they stay the same. America is still wrestling with many of the same problems today—endless wars, civil unrest, ...

Separating Charity and Health Care from the State

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 1, 2017

One of the most remarkable achievements of our American ancestors was enshrined in the First Amendment — the separation of church and state. Reflecting the notion that religious liberty was one of the natural, God-given rights to which Thomas Jefferson had referred in the Declaration of Independence, the First Amendment expressly prohibited Congress (and implicitly the entire federal government) ...

The Iron Jaws of the Police State

by John W. Whitehead April 27, 2017

“Policing is broken... It has evolved as a paramilitary, bureaucratic, organizational arrangement that distances police officers from the communities they’ve been sworn to protect and serve. When we have shooting after shooting after shooting that most people would define as at least questionable, it’s time to look, not just at a few bad apples, but the barrel. And ...