1995: When I Testified Before the Train Wreck Known as Congress by James Bovard President Trump hosted Elon Musk for a farewell press conference on Friday. Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team savvily exposed federal follies and spurred over $100 billion in canceled federal contracts and cutbacks. It remains to be seen […]
COVID Doubts Made You a ‘Violent Extremist’ by James Bovard | Jun 2, 2025 Biden administration policymakers hated you more than you knew. Four years ago, I warned at the Libertarian Institute: “Libertarians are in the federal crosshairs…Many libertarians assume they have nothing to fear because they are not engaged in seeking to violently overthrow […]
Will Idealism Get Us All Killed? James Bovard, Counterpunch May 29, 2025 Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR Americans are raised to revere idealism, the civic religion of contemporary democracy. If patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, idealism may be the first. Permitting presidents to anoint themselves as Idealists-in-Chief has enabled them to […]
The Deadly Perils of Predatory Idealism by James Bovard How would people react if, on the third time their broken-down car was towed to the same repair shop for the same problem, the swaggering mechanic told them: “Sure — the engine doesn’t work today but — follow me on this — next year, you will […]
We Never Got to Torture Congress by James Bovard, May 26, 2025 Folks who believe the current political atmosphere is uniquely hateful have forgotten the boundless vitriol prevailing a few decades ago. During the George W. Bush administration, Republicans relied on push-button rage to suppress all criticism of the war on terror. After I appeared […]
My best friend from Blacksburg High School passed away on Friday after a brief but brutal fight with cancer. I met Doug Bell when my family moved to Blacksburg just before the start of my senior year in high school (Doug was also a senior). Doug and I were on the track team; he threw […]
Painting by Mort Kunstler, “On to the Shenandoah” May 23, 1862 – Full size at his website Today is the 163th anniversary of the battle of Front Royal, Virginia (the town near where I was raised). On May 23, 1862, almost all the Yankee soldiers in Front Royal were captured, killed or wounded during a […]
Jim
Currin, thanks for your kind words & your reco
Currin Snipes
I just discovered your moving tribute to Doug toda
Prof Watson
Walden is just the musing of a single man and shou
