An editorial headlined, “Your Time is Coming – Make it Count” in Sunday’s Nashville Tennessean denounced my bad attitude: Staunch libertarian James Bovard cynically decries efforts to promote participation in elections, saying, “Trumpeting the importance of voting deludes people into thinking that they have a leash on the government.” We could not more vehemently disagree. […]
Tag Archives | Cynicism
AmeriCorps: Idealistic Triumph or Usual Buffoonery?
From the November 2013 issue of the Future of Freedom (published by FFF) AmeriCorps: Idealistic Triumph or Usual Buffoonery? by James Bovard National service is the latest fashionable panacea for all that ails America. Time magazine ran a July cover story, “How Service Can Save Us,” on the potential benefits of pressing all young people […]
Latest Foreign Aid Fiasco: Afghanistan’s Killer Roads
Going back nigh 30 years, I have always been deeply pained when people accuse me of being cynical about U.S. foreign aid. At least my breakfast was nicely spiced this morning by a Washington Post front page story – “After billions in U.S. investment, Afghan roads are falling apart.” The highways that the U.S. spent billions […]
How Many Howlers Will Obama Tell In State Of Union Speech Tonight?
Is anyone else having trouble distinguishing today’s two most popular acronyms – SOTU & STFU? When people ask why I watch Obama speeches, I shrug and admit that that is part of the terms of my parole. What will Obama’s biggest howlers be tonight? I am expecting a burst of candor as much as I […]
Voting Rights as Bogus Panaceas
From the Future of Freedom Foundation (October 2013) VOTING RIGHTS AS BOGUS PANACEAS by James Bovard The Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act last June. “Liberals” were horrified and reacted as if the Civil War had been fought in vain. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg denounced the decision for […]
Obama Gives His Wish List to Santa
“You covered?” is the perfect question. Obama has sovereign immunity – which is even better than government-issued health insurance. Now if there was only a way to work in a trampled Bill of Rights – or maybe a burning Statue of Liberty in the background…. But I ask too much at this time of […]
Political Cynicism: A Reliable Contraceptive?
Woody Allen did a good synopsis of the JFK assassination controversy in “Annie Hall.” His first wife complained: “You’re using this conspiracy theory as an excuse to avoid sex with me.” I also don’t trust the government but I have never used that as an excuse to avoid [redacted] Actually, thinking of the cynics and […]