Author Archive | Jim

jpb portrait shot from 2006 FIND ORIGINAL VERSION 4118335805_972b469ae2_o EDITED

Reason’s J.D. Tuccille on the D.C. Devil’s Dictionary

Reason’s J.D. Tuccille, the author of the highly-recommended High Desert Barbeque,  wrote the following on the USA Today D.C. Devil’s Dictionary piece: ‘Freedom — whatever rulers have not yet benevolently prohibited’ When discussing government, cynicism just can’t go far enough J.D. Tuccille|Apr. 14, 2015 1:51 pm That definition in the headline comes courtesy of occasional […]

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My Ribald Speech to the Cogswell Society

I gave a speech last Friday at a luncheon of the Cogswell Society in Washington. This is a group of guys who meet once a month to denounce temperance and everything for which is stands.  Several of the members gave humorous presentations at the start of the meeting and I was astounded at the high quality […]

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USA Today: My Devil’s Dictionary

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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