Trump’s Iran Bombing Is the Latest in Presidential Absolutism by James Bovard, American Conservative June 26, 2025 Does President Trump have any legal basis for his foreign policy actions aside from his personal entitlement to absolute power? Presidents have been scorning congressional leashes on their foreign interventions since at least the Korean War. But […]
Tag Archives | George W. Bush

The Deadly Perils of Predatory Idealism
The Deadly Perils of Predatory Idealism by James Bovard How would people react if, on the third time their broken-down car was towed to the same repair shop for the same problem, the swaggering mechanic told them: “Sure — the engine doesn’t work today but — follow me on this — next year, you will […]

Forty Years Sniping at Leviathan
Forty Years Sniping at Leviathan by James Bovard | Dec 19, 2024 I have spent decades trying to turn political dirt into philosophic gold. I have yet to discover the alchemist’s trick, but I still have fun with the dirt. I was born in Iowa and raised in the mountains of Virginia. Wheeling and dealing […]

The King James Test for American Democracy
The King James Test for American Democracy by James Bovard On December 1, President Joe Biden announced that he was pardoning his son Hunter for all the crimes he committed from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024. Biden’s sweeping pardon of all of his son’s abuses epitomizes how presidents and their families are now […]
Secrecy and the Divine Right to Deceive
Secrecy and the Divine Right to Deceive by James Bovard Secrecy and lying are two sides of the same political coin. The Supreme Court declared in 1936, “An informed public is the most potent of all restraints upon misgovernment.” Thus, conniving politicians have no choice but to drop an Iron Curtain around Washington. Politicians guarantee […]

The “Freedom From Fear” Ticket for Tyranny
The “Freedom From Fear” Ticket for Tyranny by James Bovard | Oct 23, 2024 The Democratic Party is championing presidential candidate Kamala Harris as a born-again champion of freedom. Earlier this year, Democrats shifted their focus from democracy to freedom, convinced that the latter word would enthrall voters on Election Day. Providing “freedom from fear” […]

‘Trump-Washing’ U.S. History Endangers Our Freedom
‘Trump-Washing’ U.S. History Endangers Our Freedom by James Bovard, October 1, 2024 Kamala Harris seeks to capture the White House with a message built on vaporous “positive vibes” and “joy.” The Harris campaign is bolstering that message by portraying Donald Trump as a deadly peril to democracy unprecedented in American history. The former Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), […]