When someone asked me to name the biggest U.S. government boondoggle I had seen, I leaped at the chance to flog torture. From my Friday presentation to the Mises Institute conference – Here’s a link to many of the articles I have written on torture since 9/11.
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George Bush: Torturer-in-Chief Becomes Savior of Freedom
From the Mises Institute – Torturer-in-Chief Turned Savior of Freedom? by James Bovard Former President George W. Bush gave a speech yesterday implicitly slamming President Donald Trump for dragging down democracy. Bush told political cronies and other attendees: “We are gathered in the cause of liberty this is a unique moment.” He assured listeners that […]
Torture and Liberty (2008)
A decade ago, many Washington politicians and pundits pretended that torture was no peril to liberty. The Bush administration championed “enhanced interrogation” as a key to preserving public safety, and its apologists scoffed at anyone who objected to “getting tough” with suspected bad guys. When I gave a speech at the Foundation for Economic Education […]
Torture and the New Definition of American Virtue
The Washington Post/ABC News poll earlier this week showed that most respondents approved of CIA torture and most opposed disclosing the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA abuses. Apparently, as long as the government denies its atrocities, Americans can still feel virtuous. And seeking the truth is giving aid & comfort the enemy… Another […]
Senate Torture Report – My Initial Two Cents+
I have not finished reading the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on CIA torture. Following are some of my initial thoughts via Twitter @jimbovard – #TortureReport CIA interrogators often did not speak the language of detainees so they compensated by beating hell out of them — James Bovard (@JimBovard) December 11, 2014 #TortureReport With all the […]
Torture Deja Vu: Congress Covered up Torture 8 Years Ago
It is good that Americans are finally learning some of the details of the CIA torture regime thanks to the Senate Intelligence Committee report. But were the most shocking details redacted? Will we ever know? Following is a piece I wrote 8 years ago after Congress enacted the Military Commissions Act which effectively retroactively legalized […]
Virginians Evict Eric Cantor, Champion of NSA and Torture, from Congress
The Washington political establishment took a whupping last night when Virginian voters staunchly defeated Eric Cantor in the Republican congressional primary. Cantor’s defeat is one of the biggest upsets in congressional races in a generation. The obituaries on the Tea Party were premature. Washington pundits will have to stop touting Cantor as the future Speaker of the House […]
