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 […]
Tag Archives | War
FFF: Freedom vs. Medals of Freedom
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 […]
Iraq War Flashback: 2003 Epigrams
As the Obama administration appears to be stumbling back towards warring in Iraq, many folks are recalling the follies of the Bush administration’s 2003 war. This excellent Tom Toles’ cartoon from the Washington Post captures W.’s legacy. As the Bush administration was rattling its sabers towards Iraq from mid-2002 onwards, I hustled numerous pieces to […]
Carnage and Coverups: the 150th Anniversary of Cold Harbor
On this day 150 years ago, General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia had their last great victory over the Army of Potomac. General Grant was convinced that the Southerners were whupped and that he merely had to attack a few more times and Lee’s forces would surrender or dissolve. Lee outfoxed Grant again and his […]
Freedom Fighter Jon Utley Tribute Video Now Online
I blogged a few weeks ago about the tribute gathering for the 80th birthday of Jon Utley, the publisher of American Conservative and one of the most dedicated and principled pro-freedom and antiwar activists in the nation. The Committee for the Republic and the Empire Salon have now placed online the video from that event. There […]
An FBI Birthday Card You Don’t Want to Receive
The Greg Abbott campaign crafted this birthday card for their supporters to send to Wendy Davis, his Democratic opponent in the race for the U.S. Senate in Texas. I’m not sure that they wish Wendy well. The card could also be sent to Antiwar.com, which is now conducting a fundraising drive. Antiwar.com was investigated by the FBI […]
Anniversary of Federal Charges Dismisssed Against Ellsberg / Pentagon Papers
On this day in 1973, all federal charges were dismissed against Daniel Ellsberg for his role in the Pentagon Papers release. Most whistleblowers have not been as lucky since Obama took power. Here’s a piece I wrote in 2008 that was spurred by Ellsberg’s excellent memoir: COUNTERPUNCH, July 24, 2008 Leaking Crimes of State: Daniel Ellsberg’s Lessons for […]