Tag Archives | deceit

George H.W. Bush’s Forgotten Debacles and Demagoguery

George H.W. Bush’s Forgotten Debacles and Demagoguery by James Bovard After former President George H.W. Bush died late last year, he was widely hailed as a great leader and patriot. At the National Cathedral funeral service, biographer Jon Meachan declared that Bush was a “twentieth-century Founding Father.” The minister of Bush’s church in Houston compared […]

Continue Reading
thehill-logo-big

The Hill: In Washington, the Truth has Refugee Status

The Hill In Washington, the truth has refugee status By James Bovard, opinion contributor — 08/21/18 04:30 PM EDT 0 “Truth isn’t truth,” declared Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney, on Meet the Press on Sunday. Giuliani’s comment — the weirdest absolution yet proffered for Trump — is the “Trump era’s epitaph,” according to a Washington Post columnist. But truth really […]

Continue Reading
Freedom-in-Chains

Political Accounting Makes Paternalism a Mirage

The following essay is excerpted from Freedom in Chains (1999) and was also published in The Freeman in September 1999.  I tweaked a few sentences but have otherwise not corrected glaring flaws. * Many federal agents have zero curiosity about the impact of their actions on private citizens. Collateral damage voids no pensions. Political Accounting  […]

Continue Reading
In-politics,-“positive-thinking”-is-often-a-slave’s-virtue,-something-people-do-to-delude-themselves-about-the-burdens-and-chains-being-placed-upon-them-FINAL

Political Positive Thinking is a Slave’s Virtue

This quote is from Attention Deficit Democracy (Palgrave, 2006).  I trimmed it slightly from the book version: “In politics, ‘positive thinking’ is often a slave’s virtue, something people do to delude themselves about the burdens and chains being placed upon them.” The background & text layout thanks to Canva.com design software site. Here’s an earlier […]

Continue Reading