This is the 18th anniversary of the FBI’s final assault at Waco. Here are a few pieces I wrote for the Wall Street Journal about Waco in 1995 during a brief window when Republicans claimed to be intent on discovering what actually happened at that debacle. Janet Reno’s comparison of a 54-ton tank to a […]
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Waco, R.I.P.
Today is the 14th anniversary of the FBI’s finale at Waco. This was the day that 80 civilians died as a result of a tank-and-toxic gas assault. I thought Waco might be the most important public education lesson of the 1990s, but it seems to have had scant impact. Most Americans forgot or never undertstood Waco, paving […]
“Consent” as the Ticket for Tyranny
“Consent” as the Ticket for Tyranny James Bovard, Counterpunch, April 23, 2026 Facebook Twitter Reddit Bluesky Email Presidents have been perverting “consent of the governed” for centuries. “Consent of the governed” was a signature line of the Declaration of Independence, and it has echoed in official declarations ever since Jefferson’s time. President Harry Truman assured […]
Consenting to Endless Coercion
Consenting to Endless Coercion by James Bovard Presidents perennially claim that they possess their power thanks to “the consent of the governed.” This phrase, a signature line of the Declaration of Independence, has echoed in official declarations ever since Jefferson’s time. President Harry Truman assured Congress in 1952, “No government can be invested with a […]
My 2025 Epigrams: Cynicism Redeemed
Cynicism Redeemed: My 2025 Epigrams by James Bovard 2025 was another great year for scoffing at politicians and Washington. Here are some of the zestiest lines from articles I wrote last year. Trump Returns “Trump’s economic victory proclamations are akin to a bad magician whose tricks are so lame that his audience starts to heckle […]
Sacrificing Truth on Leviathan’s Altar
Sacrificing Truth on Leviathan’s Altar by James Bovard, February 19, 2025 Last Sunday, 60 Minutes featured tyrannical German prosecutors boasting about persecuting private citizens who made comments that officialdom disapproved. Three prosecutors explained how the government was entitled to launch pre-dawn raids and lock up individuals who criticized politicians, complained about immigrant crime waves, or […]
What Will Trump Mean for American Freedom? Rowdy Time on the Ernest Hancock Podcast
My old friend Ernest Hancock, Arizona’s legendary libertarian hell-raiser, and I had fun smacking around the latest Washington scandals and speculating on what the Trump administration will do. I started out by admitting that I felt guilty for the fact that Ernie did not personally receive a January 6 pardon from Donald Trump. Ernie is […]
Jim
Glad you liked the piece. Sure, link away. Jim
Jack
Jim:
Saw your post about this on X. Agree with