June 25, 2014 The Medals of Freedom vs. America’s Freedom by JAMES BOVARD For almost 50 years, politicians have used Medals of Freedom to reward their henchmen who started wars or subverted freedom. Prior to the 1960s, the U.S. government avoided the temptation to distribute nonmilitary awards by the bucket. However, in 1963, President […]
From the Future of Freedom Foundation’s monthly journal – Freedom vs. Medals of Freedom by James Bovard Though proximity to power is its own reward, rulers have long recognized the benefit of distributing trinkets to potential sycophants. From medieval times onwards, the English king was seen as the “fount of all honors.” The British government […]
USA Today June 22, 2014 Cigar smokers, watch out: Column by James Bovard Does FDA really believe that only those who can afford ‘premiums’ should be exempt? During Woodrow Wilson’s presidency, Vice President Thomas Marshall declared, “What this country needs is a good 5 cent cigar.” The Obama administration is striving to update that […]
WASHINGTON TIMES June 20, 2014 How Obama whoops up democracy The president blunders by thinking voting alone will keep people safe by James Bovard As his foreign policy becomes more bollixed by the week, President Obama is taking refuge by whooping up democracy. In Warsaw, Poland, earlier this month, Mr. Obama proclaimed, “Wherever people are […]
I was interviewed yesterday by Press TV on the record setting national debt. The old Roman saying in the headline for this blog occurred me to after the interview finished but oh bother. You can hear the early morning monologue by clicking here. And here are some outtakes from the interview: “The debt load is far […]
I had a lively chat yesterday with Mises Institute President Jeff Deist regarding Hayek, Mencken, Washington venality, the Great Books, that bastard Nixon, and some of my muckraking over the past decades. I was not aware that folks had considered me a unicorn – I’m more accustomed to being compared to weasels or guttersnipes. Their interview description refers […]
Washington Times, June 5, 2014 Caught between secrecy and censorship Americans need a free press to tell them when the Constitution is trampled by James Bovard Last Monday, the Supreme Court provided invaluable aid to the Obama administration’s campaign to hide evidence of federal abuses from Americans. The court acceded to the administration’s appeal and […]
