My 2004 speech in Las Vegas on why the war on terror is a war on liberty. Bush’s war on Iraq is thrashed including the spiraling torture scandal.
Tag Archives | Democracy
9/11 at 25: Have We Lost Control of Government Forever? (2003 Booknotes Excerpt)
Two years after 9/11 attacks, CSPAN Booknotes host Brian Lamb asked me: Have we lost control of government forever? My answer was grim and subsequent events have comforted cynics everywhere.
Terrorism & Tyranny: 2003 C-SPAN Booknotes Interview (complete)
My 2003 C-SPAN Booknotes interview on my book, Terrorism & Tyranny” Trampling Freedom, Justice, and Peace to Rid the World of Evil (St. Martin’s Press). Host Brian Lamb asked great questions and we managed to have a few laughs on the grim topic. Some excerpts: “Flattery ruins more politicians than sex.” “It is an old […]
Afghan Lessons for American Democracy
Afghan Lessons for American Democracy by James Bovard After Al Qaeda terrorists used Afghanistan for training bases for the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. military invaded Afghanistan and quickly routed the Taliban government. President George W. Bush boasted that U.S. troops brought freedom and democracy to Afghanistan. But rather than democracy, the United States brought Hamid […]
“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 […]
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 […]
2016: The Year American Democracy Became “Post-Truth”
2016: The Year American Democracy Became “Post-Truth”by James Bovard Was the 2016 election a turning point for American democracy? Did political shenanigans and the election destroy so much credibility and legitimacy that the system will never fully recover? In 2016, ignorant voters were reviled like never before. However, the entire political-media system floundered badly. […]