Staying true to his Libertarian roots and reputation as a political gadfly, the new chairman of the Calhoun County District School Board has come out swinging at the education establishment right off the bat. Tom Arant has refused to attend the training required by the state...."I prefer to think I saved one struggling person’s home.”
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Sunday, January 21, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
US Army officer barred from disputing legality of Iraq war at court-martial
A US military judge ruled Tuesday that 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, a US Army officer who refused deployment to Iraq because he felt the war is 'unlawful,' cannot argue that point in his upcoming court-martial. Lt. Col. Head further ruled that Watada may not raise a free speech defense, as soldiers do not enjoy the same constitutional rights as civilians.
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Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Bush Is Responsible for the Entire Iraq Debacle, by Jacob G. Hornberger
In his speech to the nation about Iraq this week, President Bush said, “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me."
The president needs to be reminded that he is responsible not only for “mistakes” that have been made in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, he is personally responsible for the entire Iraq debacle from start to finish.
Don’t forget: When it came to invading and occupying Iraq, President Bush, by his own admission, was the Decider (along with Vice President Cheney). He decided to invade Iraq without the constitutionally required congressional declaration of war. He decided to aggress against a country that had not attacked the United States, a type of action that was prosecuted as a war crime at Nuremberg. He decided to cherry pick the intelligence to fit his decision to attack Iraq. He decided not to rely on the UN inspectors. He decided to ignore the worldwide antiwar protests prior to the invasion. He decided to invade Iraq to “get Saddam.” He decided to open the torture floodgates that led to Abu Ghraib.
As the Decider, Bush (along with Cheney) is personally responsible for the 3,000 U.S. deaths, the 650,000 Iraqi deaths, the countless Americans and Iraqis who are permanently maimed, and the chaos, violence, and civil war that his invasion and occupation have unleashed in Iraq.
If Bush’s plan to continue occupying Iraq until he leaves office fails, and if he is forced to withdraw from Iraq, he, as the Decider, will be personally responsible for the aftermath in Iraq. As the Decider, he will lack standing to blame the withdrawal and aftermath on the liberal press, the antiwar protestors, the hippies, or the peaceniks because he is the Decider who can decide to ignore everybody and do whatever he wants.
However, we shouldn’t forget Congress’s important and cowardly role in this deadly and destructive debacle. When the president proposed invading Iraq, Republican members of Congress (with the notable exception of Ron Paul) hopped to, clicked their heels, saluted, and effectively said—“Issue your orders, Mr. President, because we are here to serve you.” And cowardly Democratic members of Congress, fearful that Bush, Cheney, and Bush’s assistant Karl Rove would call them terrorist-loving traitors effectively said the same thing.
Ultimately, however, the problem facing our nation is a systemic one, not a personal one. Given the existence of a military Empire with an interventionist philosophy that has infected our nation for decades, an Iraq-type debacle was bound to happen at some point or another. As the Iraq disaster continues to head toward a denouement, the American people should be reflecting on the idea of restoring to our land the limited-government, non-interventionist philosophy of our nation’s Founding Fathers.
Mr. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation.
The president needs to be reminded that he is responsible not only for “mistakes” that have been made in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, he is personally responsible for the entire Iraq debacle from start to finish.
Don’t forget: When it came to invading and occupying Iraq, President Bush, by his own admission, was the Decider (along with Vice President Cheney). He decided to invade Iraq without the constitutionally required congressional declaration of war. He decided to aggress against a country that had not attacked the United States, a type of action that was prosecuted as a war crime at Nuremberg. He decided to cherry pick the intelligence to fit his decision to attack Iraq. He decided not to rely on the UN inspectors. He decided to ignore the worldwide antiwar protests prior to the invasion. He decided to invade Iraq to “get Saddam.” He decided to open the torture floodgates that led to Abu Ghraib.
As the Decider, Bush (along with Cheney) is personally responsible for the 3,000 U.S. deaths, the 650,000 Iraqi deaths, the countless Americans and Iraqis who are permanently maimed, and the chaos, violence, and civil war that his invasion and occupation have unleashed in Iraq.
If Bush’s plan to continue occupying Iraq until he leaves office fails, and if he is forced to withdraw from Iraq, he, as the Decider, will be personally responsible for the aftermath in Iraq. As the Decider, he will lack standing to blame the withdrawal and aftermath on the liberal press, the antiwar protestors, the hippies, or the peaceniks because he is the Decider who can decide to ignore everybody and do whatever he wants.
However, we shouldn’t forget Congress’s important and cowardly role in this deadly and destructive debacle. When the president proposed invading Iraq, Republican members of Congress (with the notable exception of Ron Paul) hopped to, clicked their heels, saluted, and effectively said—“Issue your orders, Mr. President, because we are here to serve you.” And cowardly Democratic members of Congress, fearful that Bush, Cheney, and Bush’s assistant Karl Rove would call them terrorist-loving traitors effectively said the same thing.
Ultimately, however, the problem facing our nation is a systemic one, not a personal one. Given the existence of a military Empire with an interventionist philosophy that has infected our nation for decades, an Iraq-type debacle was bound to happen at some point or another. As the Iraq disaster continues to head toward a denouement, the American people should be reflecting on the idea of restoring to our land the limited-government, non-interventionist philosophy of our nation’s Founding Fathers.
Mr. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Rep. Ron Paul Seeks Presidency as a Republican
Paul filed papers to create a presidential exploratory committee that will allow him to raise money.
He was one of a handful of Republicans to vote in 2002 against giving President Bush the authority to use military force in Iraq, contending that only Congress had the power to declare war. At times, he has voted against funds for the military.
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He was one of a handful of Republicans to vote in 2002 against giving President Bush the authority to use military force in Iraq, contending that only Congress had the power to declare war. At times, he has voted against funds for the military.
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Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Antiwar Radio: Jacob Hornberger on the case of Jose Padilla
Antiwar Radio returns with 2 new interviews.
First is Jacob Hornberger, the founder and president of the Future of Freedom Foundation, regarding the case of Jose Padilla and the power that the military now claims over the American people.
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First is Jacob Hornberger, the founder and president of the Future of Freedom Foundation, regarding the case of Jose Padilla and the power that the military now claims over the American people.
read more | digg story
Sunday, January 07, 2007
The real Rummy…
See the real reason Rumsfeld got fired…
From "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" on CBS.
From "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" on CBS.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Pennsylvania politics: a "grotesque psychodrama"
Notice that the born-again reformers have said virtually nothing about the "C-word" -- the Constitution. That would be the same one in the oath of office every legislator and the governor must mouth to be seated...There would be nothing to reform in state government if the politicians took their oath seriously.
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Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Universal Healthcare: Prolonged Misery and Death via Minimum Waiting Times
For all those pushing fascist healthcare in the US, here's what to look forward to. UK Hospitals across the country are imposing minimum waiting times - delaying the treatment of thousands of patients.
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Tuesday, January 02, 2007
End Draft Registration! by Sheldon Richman
There is no getting around the fact that conscription is involuntary servitude. Rangel says the draft would ensure that unpopular wars would provoke public opposition, as it eventually did in the Vietnam War. But he conveniently forgets that that war, as well as the Korean War he himself fought in, were started under conscription.
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My New Year's Wish For The (Libertarian) Movement, by Murray Rothbard, 1975
I know it's a hopeless fantasy, but I can dream, can't I? My devout wish for the libertarian movement, and for the state of my own blood pressure, is for a whole year's moratorium on the following…
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