Archive | February, 2009

Epigrams from Attention Deficit Democracy by James Bovard (Palgrave, 2006) Americans have devoted far more effort to spreading democracy than to understanding it. Modern democracy is far more effective at unleashing government than at protecting individuals. When people blindly assume that their leaders are trustworthy, the biggest liars win. Rather than a democracy, we increasingly […]

EPIGRAMS from Freedom in Chains: The Rise of the State & the Demise of the Citizen (1999) + Comments or criticisms on the individual epigrams are welcome. ************************************************** There is no way to criminalize our way to utopia. Government is ourselves – armed with clubs. Paternalism is a desperate gamble that lying politicians will honestly […]

I am finishing up a new book and am seeking suggestions for a snappy book title. The book’s essays deal with the fraud of idealism,  how truth is perverted in Washington, the political sanction for mass killing,  why power corrupts,  Leviathan-loving intellectuals, the fatal myths of democracy,   and other cheery topics.   My tentative title is […]

Here’s the second installment for Epigram Month.  These are from The Bush Betrayal (Palgrave, 2004).   Some of the Bush-specific epigrams will seem a bit dated, but then so is Bush. As with the first list I posted –   I’d appreciate folks’ thoughts on whether any of the listed epigrams are clunkers and should be dropped. Are there […]

Thursday is the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.    I would be perplexed by the Lincoln cult if I thought the prime Lincoln idolizers gave a damn about individual liberty.  Lincoln is lionized not because he saved self-government, but primarily because he sanctified and vastly extended Leviathan. Here is a riff I did on Lincoln for a National […]

When I was doing the blog entries with the first chapters of my books a few months ago, I apparently left out the intro from my first book, Farm Fiasco (ICS Press, 1989). So, better late than never, here’s my bouquet for Iowa et al. FARM FIASCO  by James Bovard INTRODUCTION CHAPTER Federal farm policy is […]

Sarah Palin is still furious at “anonymous, pathetic bloggers” who defamed her good name last year. Damn, this is so upsetting to me that I’m going straight to Brooks Brothers and blow $25,000 on a new wardrobe. The Associated Press  notes that Palin “says sports taught her everything she knows.” I am reminded of the quips […]