From the new issue of the Mises Institute The Austrian newsletter Jan. 2016- How Government Buys Your Support by James Bovard In Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. military officers routinely handed bundles of cash to local residents to buy influence and undermine resistance to the American occupation. Such payments came in especially handy after US troops […]
Tag Archives | Epigrams
Democratic Debate Hoots & Huckstering
Tonight’s Democratic candidate debate was everything a cynic could have wished for. Government retained its power to perform miracles, though no one explicitly promised that it could raise the dead. It is amazing to see how far & easily both Hillary Clinton and Martin O’Malley ran from their records in office. Following are some of […]
My Carping on Obama’s State of Union 2016 Speech
Obama warns of people who "use the Internet to poison the minds of individuals" – -Heck, but I enjoy sending out tweets! — James Bovard (@JimBovard) January 13, 2016 Obama says a prez with "gifts of Lincoln… might have better bridged the divide" between Americans. So burning down Atlanta would help? — James Bovard (@JimBovard) […]
Washingtonian Tags my WSJ Silent Shakespeare Piece as “Defining” D.C. in 2015
Along with Donald Trump, Gov. Chris Christie, the Washington Redskins (with a name that liberals now hate), and reviled pro-Confederate flag protestors, Washingtonian magazine credits me with one of the “17 Moments of Local Outrage That Defined 2015.” Here’s an outtake from the Washingtonian article: July 14: Wall Street Journal vs. Wordless Shakespeare Synetic Theater wins bushels of awards […]
USA TODAY: Budget Bill Leaves No Boondoggle Behind
USA TODAY, December 17, 2015 BUDGET BILL LEAVES NO BOONDOGGLE BEHIND by James Bovard Republican congressional leaders are like a football coach who believes the secret to winning is to punt early and often. House Speaker Paul Ryan and others are claiming victory over the 2,000-plus page appropriations bill, but this is a “no boondoggle left […]
Wash. Times: TSA Bombs the Holidays
Washington Times, December 3, 2015 TSA screens holiday travelers once again, with feeling by James Bovard Flyers must surrender their privacy with their boarding passes If you use hand sanitizer when traveling, the Transportation Security Administration can badger you as if you were a terrorist suspect. TSA is one of the biggest hassles many Americans […]
USA TODAY: Trump Card for Another Census Roundup
USA TODAY, November 24, 2015 The Trump card for another Census roundup by James Bovard The Census Bureau is sending its hefty American Community Survey to more than 3 million households a year. That’s good news for a would-be president Donald Trump, who will find just the information he needs for some of his kookier ideas. I […]