James Bovard

The real issue in Bush’s speech Wednesday night is not the additional troops he intends to send to Iraq.  The real issue is his nearly open proclamation of  dictatorial powers. Apparently, once a president lies a nation into war, he is entitled to absolute power for as long as he chooses.  Regardless of how many […]

Freedom Daily    September 2006  (posted online January 2007) The Perils of Emergency Power by James Bovard  The New York Times reported on June 23 that President Bush invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify warrantless searches of Americans’ and other people’s financial data. According to Treasury Undersecretary Stuart Levey, the U.S. government may […]

Seeing the rave reviews on how Iraqis will benefit from the hanging of Saddam Hussein, and hearing the late Gerald Ford lauded today to the heavens, I can’t help wondering how American history might have changed if Richard Nixon had been hanged. Of course, I’m not suggesting  Nixon should have been hanged by a lynch […]

I want to thank people whose comments enriched and enlivened this blog last year.  I learned a lot from individuals who offered their thoughts on political events and on my writings.  This era of torture and military tribunals can be plenty grim at times, and the belly laughs I got from from witty comments  around the […]

One more time: I’ll be on WBAP – the 50,000 watt Texas radio station – Thursday at 11 a.m Eastern.  Brian Wilson (guest hosting for Mark Davis) and I will banter about the year in review.   My cynicism may provoke some lively rebuttals from Dallas area callers…. You can listen live on the Internet here.  […]

MERRY CHRISTMAS, FOLKS!  This is a great day to count one’s blessings.   Brian Wilson, one of the best talk show hosts in the country, invited me on his show tomorrow (Tuesday, 12/26) at Noon eastern.  Should be plenty of laughs, giving a chance for holiday season curtsies to George W.  He will be guest hosting […]

SEE BELOW (@#%&@ blog software glitch):  Dilbert today is worth triple its weight in Harvard political philosophers. Scott Adams is no boot-burnisher. This cartoon cuts to the heart of the fraud of contemporary democracy. I am amused to hear talk of politicians having mandates when voters had a choice of squirrel abusers or secretary stranglers.  Amazing that there […]