The Root of the Problem
Reports from the UK are talking about a British General lambasting US policy failures in Iraq. From the Guardian: The bitter transatlantic row over Iraq intensified as another key British general lambasted the US for bungling the aftermath of the invasion. Major General Tim Cross, the most senior UK officer involved in the post-war planning, [...]
The Military Draft: A Moral Abomination
by Michael Boldin An article in Newsweek, “Why We Need a Draft: A Marine’s Lament,” stirred up a bit of a hornet’s nest online recently. It was written by marine who fought in Fallujah, Iraq, and actually gave a pretty compelling overview of the practical need for selective service. I’m sure the marine was right [...]
Understanding Limited Government
Kevin Gutzman’s new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution, might be the best available overview of the principles of limited government as espoused by the Tenth Amendment. After reading this book, you’ll see quite clearly that the original constitution has very little in common with how this government is run today (if you [...]
Understanding War Powers: Declare vs. Wage
By Michael Boldin “Not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder.” — Thomas Paine One of the many consequences of our current political climate, in which war seems to be almost endless, is that people are often [...]
Time to Get Rid of the FDA
The time has long since come for the U.S. Congress to abolish the Food and Drug Administration. We’d like to think that FDA officials have only our health and safety in mind when they decide on what food or medicines they’ll allow us to buy. But, sadly enough, they’re as politically motivated as any politician [...]
Energy Security and the 10th Amendment
From the Associated Press: A year after warning America of its addiction to oil, President Bush is expected to renew concerns about energy security in his State of the Union address. More… Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says the administration over the years has spent nearly $12 billion in developing new energy technologies. He cited the [...]
REAL ID: Rise of the Resistance
State resistance to REAL ID is growing. The Associated Press reports from New Hampshire: The New Hampshire Legislature took a baby step Tuesday toward rejecting what they say amounts to the creation of a national ID card. The House Transportation Committee voted unanimously to recommend barring the state from complying with the federal REAL ID [...]
The Drug War and the Totalitarian Nightmare
The war on drugs continues unabated. As the New York Times recently reported: Frustrated by government policy and inaction, a group of advocates for medical marijuana sued two federal health agencies on Wednesday over the assertion that smoking it has no medical benefit. The group, Americans for Safe Access, a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, [...]
Restricting Rights at Guantanamo, who will be next?
by Michael Boldin As usual, our liberty is under attack by the federal government. An appeals court has just upheld a ruling that prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay are not entitled to habeas corpus, and thus, cannot challenge their detention in court. So, once again, the federal government, through its court system, has overstepped the [...]
Raising our Health Care Costs Again
Once again, politicians in Washington are working hard to raise the cost of health insurance for you and your family. But, of course, that’s not how they sell it to us. They make the claim that they’re working together across party lines to help millions of Americans afford health insurance. As the George Bush stated [...]
The Signing Statement Dictatorship
There’s been some attention of late on the aggressive use of “signing statements” by the executive branch. As the Boston Globe reported: Bush has claimed that his executive powers allow him to bypass more than 1,100 laws enacted since he took office. But administration officials insist that Bush’s signing statements merely question the laws’ constitutionality, [...]
The DEA flexes its federal power in California…again
Once again, federal thugs from the Drug Enforcement Administration targeted marijuana growers in Northern California. According to a report from the Modesto Bee: Federal agents raided two south Modesto homes Wednesday, uncovering an indoor marijuana farm that may be linked to an Asian crime syndicate operating out of the Bay Area. Federal Drug Enforcement Administration [...]
Limiting Habeas Corpus : Limiting Government Power
DIGG THIS There’s been quite an uproar over recent comments on Habeas Corpus by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported: “The Constitution doesn’t say every individual in the United States or every citizen is hereby granted or assured the right of habeas,” Gonzales told Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., during a Senate [...]
REAL ID: Real Resistance
Kudos to the Maine Legislature! InformationWeek Reports: Legislators in Maine have refused to implement the Real ID Act and are calling on Congress to repeal it. The Maine Senate and House of Representatives passed a joint resolution Thursday demanding the repeal of the law and announcing they were the first state lawmakers in the country [...]
Line-Item Veto: An unconstitutional abrogation
The Associated Press Reports: The Senate is moving toward its first vote in more than a decade on the line-item veto, and it’s remarkable how much has changed – particularly the positions of many of the major players. At issue is a watered-down GOP measure that would allow a president to scrutinize spending bills he [...]
Executive Branch Shouldn’t Meddle with the Judiciary
The San Francisco Chronicle Reports: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Wednesday warned federal judges not to meddle in cases involving national security, following a string of judicial rebukes of the Bush administration’s anti-terrorism initiatives. In a speech to the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, Gonzales said federal judges are not “equipped to make decisions [...]
New Law Could Subject Civilians to Military Trial
The Washington Post Reports: Private contractors and other civilians serving with U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan could be subject for the first time to military courts-martial under a new federal provision that legal scholars say is almost certain to spark constitutional challenges. Challenges?? We the people shouldn’t simply “challenge” but instead, make strong demands [...]
House Democrats aim at oil industry subsidies
From Reuters: Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday introduced a bill that would rescind billions of dollars worth of tax incentives extended to U.S. energy companies and put the money into a fund earmarked for renewable energy. Sponsors of the Creating Long-term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, or CLEAN, said it [...]
Medicare Bill Passes Despite Veto Threat
AOL News Reports: Despite a veto threat from President Bush, the House is approving another key measure the Democrats want. It’s a bill that would force the government to negotiate with drug companies to get lower prices for Medicare patients. Supporters say the government has more muscle than private insurance plans. And many Democrats complain [...]
Governors lose in power struggle over National Guard
From Stateline.org: A little-noticed change in federal law packs an important change in who is in charge the next time a state is devastated by a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina. To the dismay of the nation’s governors, the White House now will be empowered to go over a governor’s head and call up National [...]
Stem Cell Bill Sails Through the House
The New York Times Reports: The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to broaden federal support for embryonic stem cell research, stepping up a confrontation with President Bush over a thorny scientific and ethical issue that Democrats hope to capitalize on in the next election. The vote, 253 to 174, was not enough to overturn a likely [...]
Unconstitutional Legislation Threatens Freedoms
by Rep. Ron Paul Last week, the House of Representatives acted with disdain for the Constitution and individual liberty by passing HR 1592, a bill creating new federal programs to combat so-called “hate crimes.” The legislation defines a hate crime as an act of violence committed against an individual because of the victim’s race, religion, [...]
May 09, 2007 | Categories:Liberty | Tags: crime, Enumerated Powers, enumerated-power, Federalism, Guest Commentary, hate-crimes, Limited Government, Ron Paul, State Sovereignty, tenth-amendment | 6 Comments »