USA TODAY April 13, 2015 Tax-time devil’s dictionary of DC lingo by James Bovard Having trouble with the ‘Washingtonese’ around April 15? Look no further for a translation. April 15 is the day each year when Americans are most likely to slander Washington. Unfortunately, the city’s nebulous nomenclature deters citizens from recognizing exactly how well […]
Archive | April, 2015
USA Today: Scott Walker’s Stadium Socialism
USA TODAY, April 10, 2015 Scott Walker’s stadium socialism by James Bovard Tough on unions, but professional sports teams and ethanol producers? Not so much. Governor Scott Walker has soared to the front of Republican presidential candidates thanks largely to his reputation for fighting wasteful government spending in Wisconsin. Republican faithful across the nation envision […]
Cartoon Captures Journalists’ Hard Life
Maybe it has been too long since I wrote about the Postal Service and their durn monopoly. On the other hand, there is the Code of Honor – as captured by the iconic title of the 1979 book on the Washington press corps – Drunk Before Noon. For better or worse, I’ve never been inclined to start […]
FFF: Forgotten Civil War Atrocities Breed More Carnage
This is the 150th anniversary of General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Many commentators are touting Lee’s surrender as a triumph for freedom. While it was a great blessing that slavery ended, the Civil War set precedents for ignoring atrocities that continue to bedevil America. Here’s a piece from the January issue of The Future of […]
Freedom in Chains Epigrams
EPIGRAMS from Freedom in Chains: The Rise of the State & the Demise of the Citizen (1999) There is no trigger guard on political ambition. Each law enacted in a momentary panic is a permanent conquest for the State. The surest effect of exalting government is to make it easier for some people to drag others […]
Wash. Times: The Mandatory Voting Panacea
Washington Times, April 2, 2015 The mandatory voting panacea Obama would deploy coercion in the voting booth By James Bovard – – Wednesday, April 1, 2015 President Obama recently suggested that mandatory voting could cure some of the ills of American democracy. Mr. Obama observed that compelling everyone to vote is one way to “encourage […]