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Archive for Elective Dictatorship

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Wednesday 4th August 2010

My 2 Cents on WikiLeaks, the FBI, and Assorted Hokum - Antiwar.com Transcript

The good folks at Antiwar.com Radio added a transcript to the MP3 of last week’s interview. My comments on the Obama administration’s ploy to increase FBI surveillance power are excerpted here at the top. (The full text is below. My Kelly Girl past is now no longer secret).
Bovard:
National Security letters have [...]

Tuesday 3rd August 2010

New U.S. Government Motto: Controlling Us to Secure Us

“If you don’t have control of the population, you can’t secure the population,” according to Brig. Gen. Frederick Hodges, director of operations for the NATO regional command in southern Afghanistan.
The front-page Washington Post piece with the above quote deals with Kandahar.
But it is also the motto for the U.S. government’s approach to [...]

Saturday 31st July 2010

MP3 of My Interview with Scott Horton on the FBI, WikiLeaks, Etc.

Scott Horton of Antiwar.com Radio and I had fun tarring-and-feathering the usual federal outrages on Thursday. The MP3 is here.
Scott balked at the chance to reveal his deepest thoughts on Chelsea’s wedding. It could have been a great “Bill Hicks moment.”
Here’s Scott’s thumbnail of the interview:
James Bovard, author of Attention Deficit Democracy, [...]

Wednesday 14th July 2010

The New American Credo

Weren’t things supposed to be different after Obama was elected?
[cartoon from the New Yorker, 2002]

Friday 9th July 2010

“Freedom & the War on Terrorism” - my Pennslyvania speech…

Now online here: the video of my “Freedom and the War on Terrorism” speech last month in Bernville, Pennsylvania. I want to thank Bob Bowers, who organized this libertarian supper club, for inviting Jacob Hornberger and I to talk there. The audience was excellent - lots of hardliners full of fire-and-brimstone. [...]

Wednesday 2nd June 2010

Podcast: Brian Wilson Interview on Worldwide Downfall of Democracy

Talk Show mastermind Brian Wilson and I had fun today discussing the worldwide downfall of democracy.
This trend has gone so far that it might even affect Toledo.
Brian took the high road - preferring to discuss Berlusconi’s Italian corruption rather than Singapore culinary prohibitions.
You can download or listen to the @ 15 minute interview by clicking [...]

Thursday 27th May 2010

The Worldwide Downfall of Democracy

From the July issue of the American Conservative - my review of a fine new book -
Global Undemocratic Revolution

Freedom for Sale: Why the World Is Trading Democracy for Security, John Kampfner, Basic Books, 294 pages
By James Bovard
Freedom for Sale is the best synopsis of the recent collapse of restraints on government [...]

Monday 3rd May 2010

Audit the Fed Dammit

Nation magazine columnist John Nichols has an excellent piece today on why Obama should reverse his position and support Auditing the Fed. Nichols mentions that Sen. Bernie Sanders will offer an amendment this week to attach ‘Audit the Fed’ to the so-called banking regulation reform bill:
The Sanders amendment would require the Fed to [...]

Wednesday 21st April 2010

My Culpability for the Oklahoma City Bombing

I almost forgot my role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
No - I’ve never been to Oklahoma.
But a 1999 Los Angeles Times review of one of my books made similar points to what Bill Clinton made in his New York Times op-ed on Monday. The reviewer, Anthony Day, was horrified at my rejection [...]

Tuesday 20th April 2010

The Slippery Definition of Extremism

The Future of Freedom Foundation is shotgunning out this op-ed today….

The Slippery Definition of Extremism
by James Bovard
Americans are once again hearing of the perils of extremism. But the definition of this offense is slippier than a politicianâ€™s campaign promise. The definition of extremism has continually been amended to permit government policies that few sober people [...]

Bill Clinton’s Lethal Hypocrisy on Government Violence

from Counterpunch today -
Bill Clinton on Violence and Government
A Lethal Hypocrisy
By JAMES BOVARD
Yesterday, on the fifteenth anniversary of the attack on the federal office building in Oklahoma City, former President Bill Clinton had an op-ed in the New York Times headlined: â€œViolence is Unacceptable in a Democracy.â€ The article settles any doubts [...]

Tuesday 6th April 2010

Claire Wolfe’s Zesty New Freedom-Fighting Blog

Great News for Freedom: Claire Wolfe, one of America’s most eloquent and principled political writers, is again blogging. She is posting her thoughts on a near-daily basis at the Backwoods Home blog site here.
Claire’s first book, 101 Things to Do Until the Revolution , quickly became a cult classic. No [...]

Friday 2nd April 2010

My CPAC Interview with Bill Jasper, Liberty News Network

When I visited the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year, I talked with Bill Jasper about the state of the Republic.

I was relieved to see that, according to the logo on that page, the interview was rated “G.”

Extremist Blogs Could be Next!!!!

From today’s Washington Post website -
“FBI warns extremist letters may encourage violence”
By EILEEN SULLIVAN and DEVLIN BARRETT
The Associated Press
Friday, April 2, 2010; 9:34 AM
….
The article ominously notes: ” In the past year, federal agents have seen an increase in “chatter” from an array of domestic extremist groups, which can include radical self-styled militias, white separatists [...]

Wednesday 31st March 2010

Federal Judge: Bush Administration Was Criminal Conspiracy

Federal judge Vaughn Walker ruled today that the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program was illegal.
This has been obvious ever since the New York Times blew the lid off of the National Security Administration’s massive surveillance operation in late 2005. It is amazing that the issue is still open to dispute.
Unfortunately, there is not a [...]

Tuesday 16th March 2010

Bait and Switch Democracy at its Best

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that she may ram through the Democrats’ health care legislation through the House via a brazen fraud. The Washington Post reports:
After laying the groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate’s health-care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might attempt to [...]

Wednesday 17th February 2010

Frightening Voters Into Submission

From the November 2009 issue of the Future of Freedom Foundation’sÂ Freedom Daily…
Frightening Voters Into Submission
by James Bovard
Former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge has a new book out that reveals that he almost resigned because the Bush administration was hustling bogus terror alerts before the 2004 election. Ridgeâ€™s revelation was not surprising to people who had [...]

Friday 11th December 2009

How Bush Redefined American Freedom

Posted online today by the Future of Freedom Foundation - from the September issue of Freedom Daily…
HOW GEORGE W. BUSH REDEFINED AMERICAN FREEDOM
by James Bovard
George W. Bush is gone from Washington but his legacy, like an abandoned toxic waste dump, lingers on. Like President Franklin Roosevelt before him, President Bush helped redefine American freedom. And [...]

Wednesday 14th October 2009

Dilbert Nails Washington Ethics

I suppose for this cartoon to perfectly capture contemporary Washington ethics, the senator would insist on a conjugal visit with the lobbyist’s wife. Or maybe that is only how Nevada senators operate.
Scott Adams has again laid out political reality far more cleanly than the vast majority of the nation’s editorial pages.
It is [...]

Wednesday 19th August 2009

Ginning Up Another Election Scam Abroad - Afghanistan

8:18 am | Afghanistan | Attention Deficit Democracy | Elective Dictatorship | Comments: 5

So the Afghan people will have the chance to prove they are free and self-governing this week.
Or at least that is the story the Obama team and most of the U.S. media are shoveling.
After the Bush team successfully carried off similar scams in Iraq, it is not surprising that the new regime in America would [...]

Friday 7th August 2009

Obama and the Perilous Delusions of Democracy

The Future of Freedom Foundation posted online today my article on “Obama and the Perilous Delusions of Democracy.” This was originally published in the April issue of Freedom Daily.
OBAMA & THE PERILOUS DELUSIONS OF DEMOCRACY Freedom Daily April 2009
by James Bovard
When Barack [...]

Wednesday 10th June 2009

The Latest Torture Coverup Scam

The Future of Freedom Foundation is shotgunning out an oped I wrote on the latest torture coverup. Alas, this subject continues to be hell on idealists.
*****
The Latest Torture Cover-Up Scam
by James Bovard, June 10, 2009
The Obama administration appears increasingly devoted to covering up the worst crimes of the Bush era. On Monday, CIA chief Leon [...]

Wednesday 27th May 2009

The Campaign Reform Crime (or Scam?)

The Future of Freedom Foundation posted online today my article from the January issue of Freedom Daily on campaign reform scams. This is the first part of a two-part series on the McCain-Feingold act and related hokum.
********************************
The Campaign Reform Scam Part 1 [...]

Tuesday 5th May 2009

My 2 Cents on Ron Paul, Surveillance, and the Republican Party’s Future

David Weigel has a good piece in the Washington Independent today on Ron Paul ’s rising influence in Washington. The articles mentions that Ron Paul has been bringing in some folks to have lunch and discuss ideas with some of his Republican colleagues. The article includes a quote from me: â€œThereâ€™s a [...]

Tuesday 21st April 2009

Pity for a Constitution Stomper?

Congresswoman Jane Harman is indignant. A National Security Agency wiretap reportedly picked up her conversation seeking favors from a suspected Israeli agent in return for Harman lobbying the Justice Department to drop the lawsuit against AIPAC’s former top officials.
Harman denies the charge and swears that her good name has been defiled. (Har!). Harman sent [...]

Thursday 30th October 2008

My 2 Cents on the 2008 Elections

Reason magazine posted yesterday their responses from various libertarians they sent a set of questions on the 2008 election. Following is the response I sent them last week. (Their initial article did not include my responses, but they added them in after I sent a YO DUDE! email their way.)
** I will [...]

Sunday 12th October 2008

My 2 Cents on Palin, Obama, Dumb Voters, & the 2008 Election

3:55 pm | Attention Deficit Democracy | Bovard | Elective Dictatorship | Comments: 9

Robert Zullo of the Houma Courier (of Houma, Louisiana, in Terrebonne parish, near New Orleans) interviewed me on Thursday on the 2008 election. His article in today’s paper very nicely captures how voters are making decisions as they head towards the voting booth.
He kindly included a number of quotes from me [...]

Wednesday 24th September 2008

The Highway Robber State

The Night Watchman State has been replaced by Highway Robber States - governments in which no asset, no contract, no domain is safe from marauding bands of politicians. (from Freedom in Chains, 1999)
If you voted in the congressional elections two years ago, were you ceding the right to the [...]

Saturday 20th September 2008

Ron Paul Supporters Vindicated?

[full size photo at my Flickr site hereÂ ]
And to think that many people thought that the Ron Paul supporters were too cynical about the Fed….
This monster bank/stock market bailoutÂ shaping up in Washington will probablyÂ be one of the greatest cons of the new century.Â Â Â This is simply letting politicians give themselves a blank check -Â Â or a [...]

Sunday 7th September 2008

Introduction from FREEDOM IN CHAINS (1999)

Here’s another flash from the past.Â Â Freedom in Chains: TheÂ Rise of the State and the Demise of the CitizenÂ Â was hell on my moderate image.Â Â
Curious how the intellectual battle lines have shifted in the decade since I wrote this book.Â I recall some reviewers denouncing me as an extremist for focusing on government abuses such as [...]

Monday 30th June 2008

The Capsizing of American Democracy

The Future of Freedom Foundation posted online today this piece from the April issue of Freedom Daily -
THE CAPSIZING OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
by James Bovard
American democracy is capsizing as a result of the vast increase in the number of government dependents and government employees. This has created a voting bloc that overwhelms every other potential force. [...]

Wednesday 20th February 2008

Do Elections Guarantee Freedom?

9:54 am | Attention Deficit Democracy | Bovard | Elective Dictatorship | Comments: 16

That’s a rhetorical question, right?
Actually, it’s the title of the most recently posted article of mine from the Future of Freedom Foundation’s Freedom Daily.
Even though elections did not guarantee freedom in the past, we can be confident they will do so this year because [redacted by FBI web editor]
DO ELECTIONS GUARANTEE FREEDOM?Â Â Â Â Freedom Daily, November [...]

Friday 25th January 2008

Bush Does Abraham

The intellectual bootlickers surrounding Bush have apparently persuaded him that he is the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln.Â Â Fox News recently had unprecedented access to Bush to produce a documentary to air on Sunday night: “â€œGeorge W. Bush: Fighting to the Finish.”Â Fox reporter Bret Baier commented of his meetings with Bush: ”
We talked a lot [...]

Monday 23rd July 2007

War Lies & the 2004 Election

The Future of Freedom Foundation posted online today my article from the April 2007 Freedom Daily on “War Lies & the 2004 Election.”
What sort of democracy allowsÂ rulers toÂ perpetuate their power with brazen lies? Â
WAR LIES & THE 2004 ELECTIONÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Freedom Daily April 2007
by James BovardÂ
Shortly after he was reelected, President Bush declared that American voters [...]

Wednesday 18th July 2007

Deliberative Democracy Dementia

The Foundation for Economic Education posted online the pieces from the May issue of the Freeman.Â Â Here’s my two cents on Deliberative Democracy….Â (There are a few extra line breaks in this text; I have cursed it quite thoroughly but the blog software remains recalcitrant).

“Deliberative Democracy” Dementia
By James Bovard
James Bovard (jim@jimbovard.com) is the author of [...]

Monday 11th June 2007

Paperback Attention Deficit Democracy Hits Stores This Week

The paperback version of Attention Deficit Democracy arrives in stores this week.
Hmmm….Â Re-reading that….Â Maybe I should say, “According to credible sources, the paperback version of A.D.D. is scheduled toÂ arrive in stores this week.”
I have to be careful, since many people assume that I blindly trust anything a publisher says.
I will be curious what folks [...]

Sunday 1st April 2007

LISTEN LIVE INTERNET -Air America Phoenix -Sunday (4/01) 7 pm Eastern

2:18 pm | Attention Deficit Democracy | Bovard | Elective Dictatorship | Comments: 7

I will be on the Ernie Hancock Show this evening from about 7:15 to 8 pm.Â We will be discussing Ron Paul’s presidential campaign.Â Ernie’s program is named “Declare Your Independence.”Â He warned me that he will be on guard tonight against my moderate tendencies.Â Â Ernie has more details on this pending show here.
You can [...]

Monday 26th February 2007

My Favorite Liberal Review of Freedom in Chains

3:34 pm | Bovard | Elective Dictatorship | Rule of Law | Comments: 12

I appreciate the feedback on the National Review’s take on Freedom in Chains that I posted yesterday.Â
Here is my favorite liberal review of the book.Â (For the record, I have never even been to Oklahoma City).
Â Los Angeles TimesÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â March 4, 1999
A CHILLING INDICTMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT;
FREEDOM IN CHAINS, THE RISE OF THE STATE AND THE [...]

Friday 16th February 2007

Iran, Bush, and Velvet Revolution.us

Â
The above ad is from VelvetRevolution.us.Â Â I snapped this photo of theirÂ Republican fashion statementÂ at the antiwar demonstration in DC on January 27.Â (Full size photo is available here.)
VelvetRevolution has another advertisement out proclaiming:
WAR CRIMINALS GET HANGED
Who is willing to hang beside George Bush?
The ad features a picture of Saddam getting noosed.Â Â It states:
Saddam Hussein and [...]

Wednesday 7th February 2007

Democracy versus Liberty

Even with George W. Bush as president, democracy does not guarantee liberty.Â Here is a piece I wrote for the Freeman on theÂ topic last summer (now online here in PDF).Â Â The editor of the Freeman, Sheldon Richman, has one of the best freedom blogs on the Net; his “Free Association” is here.
If you enjoy the [...]

Sunday 28th January 2007

Photos from Saturday’s Antiwar Demo

At Saturday’s antiwar demo in DC, it wasÂ good to see lotsÂ of folks fed up with Bush’s BS.Â Â Â And there were lots of great signs and comic relief.Â
I am in the process of loading my photos from the demo here.Â I will get more shots up tomorrow morning.Â
Claire WolfeÂ kindlyÂ posted several of my fav shotsÂ on her site this [...]

Tuesday 23rd January 2007

March on Washington this Saturday (Jan. 27)

This Saturday should see the biggest antiwar demonstration in Washington since September 2005. Details here.
I will be heading down to the big show. When I go to these events, I tend to saunter more than march, savoring the circus elements of these festivities and spending lots of time onÂ the periphery.
Stopping Bush from expanding the Iraq [...]

Friday 27th October 2006

“Every Day is 1956″: The Hungarian Revolution Today

The Future of Freedom Foundation is shotgunning out an op-ed I wrote on the Hungarian Revolution, then and now.Â Here’s the piece.
“Every Day is 1956:” The Hungarian Revolution Today
by James Bovard
Friends of freedom should doff their hats to the Hungarians this week. Fifty years ago, the Hungarian people bravely expelled Soviet tanks from Budapest and [...]

Monday 25th September 2006

The United States of Barbarism

The Future of Freedom Foundation isÂ shotgunning out todayÂ anÂ oped I wrote on the torture deal. Â
FFF is one of the few places that has remained true to its principles since 9/11.Â FFF chief Jacob HornbergerÂ refused to compromise or kowtow no matter how high Bush’s approval ratings rose.Â
The United States of Barbarism
by James Bovard, September 25, 2006
The [...]

Sunday 17th September 2006

Celebrate Constitution Day Bush-Style

This is Constitution Day.Â The National Archives is holding a celebration in which children can stop by and sign a â€œfaux Constitution.â€Â George Bush issued a statement earlier this week proclaiming:
America is grateful to those who have worked to defend the Constitution and promote its ideals. During this observance, we also recognize the profound impact [...]

Monday 10th July 2006

The Fraudulent Meaning of Elections

The Future of Freedom Foundation today posted online my Freedom Daily article on “The Fraudulent Meaning of Elections.”
Here’s the start & finish -
“Politicians strive to make Americans view elections as sacrosanct. Challenges to election results are portrayed as heresies that threaten to destroy the entire republic. After the 2004 presidential election, many Democrats went on [...]

Tuesday 27th June 2006

My hit on Bush’s Dictatorial Signing Statements

The American Conservative posted here my hit on Bush’s dictatorial signing statements.
Here’s the lead of the piece:
“For generations, Republican politicians have spoken reverently of the rule of law. But since 2001, this hoary doctrine has been redefined to mean little more than the enforcement of the secret thoughts of the commander in chief.
George W. Bush [...]

Tuesday 13th June 2006

My NSA Bash - “Reach out & Tap Someone”

The American Conservative today placed online my piece on NSA wiretapping here.
June 19, 2006 The American Conservative
Reach Out and Tap Someone
The NSAâ€™s surveillance program undermines the rule of law without producing real gains in security.
By James Bovard
The National Security Agency has been tracking the calls of millions of Americans and constructing the â€œlargest database ever [...]

Monday 24th April 2006

Speaking at the National Press Club next Tuesday, May 2

8:12 am | Attention Deficit Democracy | Bovard | Elective Dictatorship | Comments: 2

I’ll be talking about Attention Deficit Democracy at the National Press Club on 6:30 pm on Tuesday, May 2.Â Â Details here.
The Future of Freedom Foundation is putting on the event. FFF events are very pleasant - lots of fine folks and good humor.Â Â Their invitation mentions Hors d’oeuvres, so I assume that donuts will not be [...]

Monday 27th March 2006

Orange County Register: “Defining Freedom Down”

The Orange County Register ran my op-ed, “Defining Freedom Down.”Â The page does not have a link, so I am posting the piece here.
The Future of Freedom Foundation today shotgunned out an op-ed of mine that is very similar to this article.Â Â
Orange County Register, March 17, 2006
“Defining Freedom Down”
by James Bovard
President Bush exploits the word [...]

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