Washington Times, May 28, 2015 FDA cigar ban proposal a government regulation too far By James Bovard The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is finalizing regulations that could ban the sale of most of the cigars currently available in the United States. The FDA last year uncorked a 241-page, 70,000 word barrage of proposed restrictions […]
Tag Archives | Freedom
FFF: Know-Nothing Democracy on Capitol Hill
Future of Freedom, March 2015 (posted 5/22/15) Know-Nothing Democracy on Capitol Hill by James Bovard “You can lead a man to Congress but you can’t make him think,” quipped Milton Berle in 1950. Last December’s congressional approval of the 1,603-page, $1.1 trillion omnibus bill (known as “Cromnibus,” because it was also a Continuing Resolution) also […]
FFF: ObamaCare Racketeering & Intellectual Knavery
From the Future of Freedom Foundation’s February 2015 magazine – ObamaCare Racketeering and Intellectual Knavery by James Bovard Paternalism is a desperate gamble that lying politicians will honestly care for those who fall under their power. This axiom has been made stark with the controversy arising from a video of Jonathan Gruber, one of the […]
D.C. Devil’s Dictionary Redux at Advocates
The good folks at the Advocates for Self-Government reposted a chunk of my USA Today Devil’s Dictionary piece last week. I learned via email this morning that Sharon Harris is retiring after 20 years as the president of the Advocates. Sharon has done great work – she is very savvy and is the incarnation of a […]
Reason’s J.D. Tuccille on the D.C. Devil’s Dictionary
Reason’s J.D. Tuccille, the author of the highly-recommended High Desert Barbeque, wrote the following on the USA Today D.C. Devil’s Dictionary piece: ‘Freedom — whatever rulers have not yet benevolently prohibited’ When discussing government, cynicism just can’t go far enough J.D. Tuccille|Apr. 14, 2015 1:51 pm That definition in the headline comes courtesy of occasional […]
USA Today: My Devil’s Dictionary
USA TODAY April 13, 2015 Tax-time devil’s dictionary of DC lingo by James Bovard Having trouble with the ‘Washingtonese’ around April 15? Look no further for a translation. April 15 is the day each year when Americans are most likely to slander Washington. Unfortunately, the city’s nebulous nomenclature deters citizens from recognizing exactly how well […]
Rand Paul’s Early Foreign Policy Wobbles
Many libertarians are justifiably exasperated by Sen. Rand Paul joining the saber-rattling against Iran. But his foreign policy positions have been shaky for a long time. Here’s a review of his 2012 book, Government Bullies, from the American Conservative magazine (perhaps Rand’s biggest supporters in the Washington media). Rand has been getting dreadful foreign policy advise […]