Archive | June, 2013

My 2006 Book Review on Warrantless Wiretapping Scandal

Here’s my 2006 review of the James Risen book that ignited the first uproar about the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping. I noted: James Risen’s revelations on pervasive National Security Agency warrantless spying on Americans shred the final pretenses to legality of the Bush administration. Now the debate is simply whether, as Bush and his supporters […]

Continue Reading
ben stone 965285_10200807527623911_1238687756_o

Pennsylvania Libertarian Party Convention Photos

The Pennsylvania Libertarian Party had a rowdy convention yesterday in Harrisburg. Here’s a few photos from the event: Great beard, great smile: Bad Quaker Ben Stone: Two of the best freedom hellraisers anywhere – Jim Babb and Ken Krawchuck

Continue Reading
Future-Of-Freedom-Cover

My 2006 FFF Articles on Surveillance Insanity

From the Future of Freedom Foundation website – BUSH’S WIRETAP CRIMES AND THE FISA FARCE by James Bovard March 1, 2006 President Bush proudly announced last December that he is violating federal law. He declared that in 2002 he had ordered the National Security Agency to begin conducting warrantless wiretaps and email intercepts on Americans. […]

Continue Reading

My 2003 piece: Surveillance State – from American Conservative

Here’s a 2003 piece from the American Conservative on out-of-control government surveillance. This was the first piece I wrote for them (the magazine was launched the previous Fall).  The editing process went more smoothly with subsequent pieces I wrote for them. 🙂 My original final paragraph: Three months after 9/11, Ashcroft announced: “To those who […]

Continue Reading
The American Spectator

My 2000 Article: The Rise of the Surveillance State

The American Spectator reposted online this morning a piece I wrote for them 13 years ago on the proliferation of government surveillance.  I included some of this in my 2000 book, Feeling Your Pain: The Explosion and Abuse of Government Power in the Clinton-Gore Years.  If memory serves, reviewers denounced my paranoia on surveillance issue […]

Continue Reading
warrantless-wiretapping_02

Latest Wiretap Scandal Part of Long Pattern

So Verizon has been ordered to deliver to the feds the calling records of all its customers.   Appalling but not surprising. Here’s a 2006 piece I wrote on the burgeoning wiretapping scandals for American Conservative.  Here’s a few highlights: * The latest revelations are simply one in a series of revelations of the feds […]

Continue Reading
book-cover-for-Twitter-Avatar

CEI’s Fred Smith Reviews Public Policy Hooligan

Fred Smith, the founder and chairman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, reviewed Public Policy Hooligan yesterday.  Thanks a heap, Fred! A rollicking account of a life spent humbling bureaucrats and never taking the bait By Fred L. Smith Jr This review is from: Public Policy Hooligan – Rollicking and Wrangling from Helltown to Washington (Kindle Edition) Jim’s […]

Continue Reading