Here’s two minutes of my spiel at an April 2005 debate including Pat Buchanan on civil liberties and the war on terrorism. I was hitting the themes from my book Terrorism and Tyranny (2003) and Bush Betrayal (2004).
“Americans cannot expect to have good presidents
if presidents are permitted to make
themselves czars.”
Here’s two minutes of my spiel at an April 2005 debate including Pat Buchanan on civil liberties and the war on terrorism. I was hitting the themes from my book Terrorism and Tyranny (2003) and Bush Betrayal (2004).
Our Train Trip to Political Hell by James Bovard, Mises Institute, March 23, 2026 A recent Facebook memory notice reminded me of when I was young and naïve and full of political hope. Okay, maybe I wasn’t full of political hope but at least I wasn’t as old at the end of the last century. […]
Did Trump Expose the D.C. Sham on Waste and Fraud? by James Bovard, FFF On January 24, President Trump fired 17 inspector generals working for a wide array of federal agencies. Trump’s action jolted Washington because most of those officials could supposedly only be removed for cause — specific misconduct or other abuses. Trump also […]
Counterpunch, July 2, 2025 The Good Intentions Road to Tyranny James Bovard Facebook Twitter Reddit Bluesky Email “He who saves his country violates no law,” tweeted President Trump in February. He was echoing a line often attributed to Napoleon. His supporters were electrified by Trump’s tacit invocation of a right to boundless power. The Trump […]
The Good Intentions License for Tyranny by James Bovard “He who saves his country violates no law,” tweeted President Trump in February. He was echoing a line often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte. His supporters were electrified by Trump’s tacit invocation of a right to boundless power. The Trump presidency is already spurring legal battles across […]
We Never Got to Torture Congress by James Bovard, May 26, 2025 Folks who believe the current political atmosphere is uniquely hateful have forgotten the boundless vitriol prevailing a few decades ago. During the George W. Bush administration, Republicans relied on push-button rage to suppress all criticism of the war on terror. After I appeared […]
The Civil Service War: Can Trump Succeed Where Other Presidents Failed? James Bovard, AIER •March 24, 2025 Writing eight years ago in USA Today, I cheered: “President Trump’s proposed budget takes a big step towards draining the swamp in Washington. This is the first time since the Reagan era that a president has sought […]