As the Trump administration lurches (wobbles?) towards war with Iran, it is worth recalling how prior U.S. wars were permeated by official falsehoods. Bombs don’t make politicians trustworthy. Instead, warring and lying are practically two sides of the same coin. Here’s a couple book reviews I did on books dealing with foreign policy perfidy and […]
Tag Archives | Iran
John McCain’s Disastrous Militaristic Legacy
Future of Freedom Foundation John McCain’s Disastrous Militaristic Legacy by James Bovard When Sen. John McCain passed away in August, he was lauded far and wide for his long career of public service. Rep. John Lewis, the famous civil-rights activist, hailed McCain as a “warrior for peace.” In reality, McCain embodied a toxic mix of […]
Podcast: No Halo for George H.W. Bush
Nine minutes of heresy: After former President George H.W. Bush died recently, many politicians and pundits sought to put a halo over his head and career, comparing Bush to Jesus and George Washington. But America still suffers from his debacles at home and abroad. Americans cannot afford to deify deceased presidents whose precedents pose deadly […]
Radio: #MeToo, Libertarian Wranglings, Mid-Term Elections, & Political BS on the Ernie Hancock Show
My old friend Ernie Hancock and I had fun this morning on his FreedomsPhoenix radio show wrangling over the #MeToo movement, the Kavanaugh nomination circus, the latest libertarian movement conniptions, and a heap of other topics. Happily, Ernie’s enthusiasm for the pending midterm congressional election was not contagious. You can listen or view the show […]
Seymour Hersh and the Decline of Knockdown Journalism
The American Conservative Seymour Hersh and the Disappearing Iconoclast He won a Pulitzer for My Lai and cracked Abu Ghraib wide open. But this reporter is still a lonely breed. By James Bovard • August 17, 2018 Journalist Seymour Hersh in 2009. Credit: Institute for Policy Studies/Flickr Seymour Hersh, Reporter: A Memoir, Sy Hersh. Knopf, June […]
The Hill: Trump’s Liberal Critics Increasingly Unhinged?
The Hill, November 14, 2017 Do Trump’s liberal critics seem increasingly unhinged? By James Bovard, opinion contributor Last week’s anniversary of Trump’s election sparked widespread teeth-gnashing by the nation’s pundits. Trump is supposedly the gravest threat to American democracy since the secession of the Confederacy. His presidency, probably, continues to be a boon for antidepressant […]
My Praise for Obama in FFF Libertarian Alternative Podcast
I had fun joining Jacob Hornberger and Richard Ebeling on the Future of Freedom Foundation Libertarian Alternative podcast yesterday. I was bummed that Richard wasn’t wearing a Clemson National Champions hat (Richard is now a professor at The Citadel). We had fun rehashing some of the prime debacles of the last 8 years. Half way […]