Meet the New Boss;
Same as the Old Boss

"And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once … Continue reading “Meet the New Boss;
Same as the Old Boss”

A Veterans Day Tribute

Every Veterans Day, I try to do something special to remember or honor a veteran. I don’t like the standard flag-waving event that this day has become for many people. In many Veterans Day speeches, the speakers talk about the hundreds of thousands of American veterans who gave their lives for our freedom. The problem … Continue reading “A Veterans Day Tribute”

Central Planning at Home
and Abroad

“The man of system … seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard…” – Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments One reason it has taken me so long to write my October column is … Continue reading “Central Planning at Home
and Abroad”

‘Fisking’ or ‘Hendersoning’?

My previous article on Antiwar.com, "Fisking Feith’s Faulty Case for War," led to an unusually high number of thoughtful criticisms. The feedback I typically get to my articles on Antiwar.com falls into one of two categories: (1) agreement with me on pretty much everything I wrote or (2) disagreement, with a barb or two thrown … Continue reading “‘Fisking’ or ‘Hendersoning’?”

Fisking Feith’s
Faulty Case for War

Douglas Feith, an undersecretary of defense in the Bush administration from 2001 to 2005 and an early supporter of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, recently wrote a remarkable defense of the war. His article, “Why We Went to War in Iraq,” was published on the July 3 opinion page of the Wall Street Journal. I … Continue reading “Fisking Feith’s
Faulty Case for War”

The Supreme Court Gets One Right

Imagine that you’re a non-U.S. citizen living outside the United States. A U.S. government official decides that you’re an enemy of the United States, captures you and takes you to a prison outside the United States. You’re not wearing the military uniform of a country on which the United States has declared war. In fact, … Continue reading “The Supreme Court Gets One Right”

The Fight for Memorial Day

You might think this article comes a little late since it’s being published after Memorial Day. But now that Memorial Day has come and gone, it’s worth thinking about what it represents and why the debate about Memorial Day is so crucial. “Debate,” you might say. “What debate?” Yes, there is a debate. On one … Continue reading “The Fight for Memorial Day”

Is Peggy Noonan Turning Antiwar?

All my life, I’ve had distinctly minority positions on almost every issue. This started in high school. Whether the issue was Barry Goldwater (I found him intriguing, and he seemed far less corrupt than Lyndon Johnson), the rights of homosexuals (I was opposed to cops cracking down on them), or long hair in school (I … Continue reading “Is Peggy Noonan Turning Antiwar?”