Author Archive | Jim

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A Halo for the Civil War is Hogwash

Libertarian Institute, July 16, 2020 A Halo for the Civil War is Hogwash by James Bovard “If the people who started wars didn’t make them sacred, who would be foolish enough to fight?” said Rhett Butler, the savvy anti-hero in Gone with the Wind. Politicians, activist historians, and social justice warriors have awarded the American […]

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Losing Thoreau in Boston

Mises Institute, July 11, 2020 You Don’t Have to “Cultivate Poverty” to Pursue Truth, Contrary to Thoreau by James Bovard Henry David Thoreau has inspired generation of Americans to live fuller, freer lives. From his story of spending a night in jail as a tax protestor in “Civil Disobedience” to his chronicle of solitary living […]

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Thoreau and Emerson Helped Spark the Civil War

American Conservative, July 9, 2020 19th Century Radical Chic: How Transcendentalists’ Swooned Over John Brown Thoreau and Emerson’s effort to canonize the abolitionist fanatic helped spark the Civil War.  by  Jim Bovard Many Americans have been aghast at violent mobs toppling statues and the widespread looting and destructive rampages that followed the killing of George […]

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Bill Swarm, R.I.P.

Bill Swarm, one of my favorite hikers, passed away in a drowning accident on Thursday at Virginia Beach. For the last five years, I’ve had the pleasure of hiking with Bill and his wife, Gerri, in Meetup groups where everyone appreciated Bill’s exuberance and his keen insights on so many aspects of life. Bill described […]

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Old Coins Taught Me to Never Trust the Government

Mises Institute, July 2, 2020  How Collecting Old Coins Taught Me to Never Trust the Government by James Bovard Old coins vaccinated me against trusting politicians long before I grew my first scruffy beard. I began collecting coins when I was eight years old in 1965, the year President Lyndon Johnson began eliminating all the […]

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Independence Day in the Midst of Dictatorship

American Institute for Economic Research, July 2, 2020 Independence Day in the Midst of Dictatorship James Bovard – July 2, 2020 How many Americans will greet July 4th Day with gratitude that their governor is no longer compelling them to “shelter in place” or “stay at home” so they can celebrate their freedom? Most of […]

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