My old friend Ernest Hancock, Arizona’s legendary libertarian hell-raiser, and I had fun smacking around the latest Washington scandals and speculating on what the Trump administration will do. I started out by admitting that I felt guilty for the fact that Ernie did not personally receive a January 6 pardon from Donald Trump. Ernie is […]
Tag Archives | Secrecy
For Inauguration Day, Open Federal Files and Give Truth a Chance
For Inauguration Day, Open Federal Files and Give Truth a Chance by James Bovard, January 20, 2025 Federal agencies classify trillions of pages of documents each year—enough secrets to fill 20 million filing cabinets. Washington politicians and federal agencies routinely blindfold American citizens on the most important and most reckless decisions the government takes. As […]
Secrecy and the Divine Right to Deceive
Secrecy and the Divine Right to Deceive by James Bovard Secrecy and lying are two sides of the same political coin. The Supreme Court declared in 1936, “An informed public is the most potent of all restraints upon misgovernment.” Thus, conniving politicians have no choice but to drop an Iron Curtain around Washington. Politicians guarantee […]
‘Trump-Washing’ U.S. History Endangers Our Freedom
‘Trump-Washing’ U.S. History Endangers Our Freedom by James Bovard, October 1, 2024 Kamala Harris seeks to capture the White House with a message built on vaporous “positive vibes” and “joy.” The Harris campaign is bolstering that message by portraying Donald Trump as a deadly peril to democracy unprecedented in American history. The former Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), […]
Democracy’s Damndest Defamation
Democracy’s Damndest Defamation by James Bovard , September 4, 2024 In a democracy, people automatically become liable for whatever the government inflicts upon them. Many of the most deadly errors of contemporary political thinking stem from the notion that in a democracy the government is the people and vice versa, so there is scant reason […]
Biden And The Mirage Of American Democracy
Counterpunch, July 26, 2024 Biden And The Mirage Of American Democracy by James Bovard Americans should tolerate no president invoking “the will of the people” to sanctify his crimes. Since late 2020, President Joe Biden has invoked “the will of the people” dozens of times to sanctify his power, including arbitrary decrees that were illegal […]
Assange Is Free, But Feds’ War On Free Speech Continues
American Conservative, June 26, 2024 Assange Is Free, But Feds’ War On Free Speech Continues Unless we presume politicians have a divine right to deceive the governed, America should honor individuals who expose federal crimes. by James Bovard After 1,900 days locked away in Britain’s maximum-security Belmarsh prison, Julian Assange finally escaped this week and […]