In my previous two articles on July 4th (1, 2), I said that the meaning of that holiday was gradually being lost. But on July 4th of this year, I participated in our local Monterey parade and found that some of it either hadn't been lost or was being rediscovered. My...
The Meaning of July 4th,
The Meaning of July 4th,
Part Two
Last year at this time, I wrote that we are, bit by bit, losing the meaning of July 4th. This holiday used to celebrate a Declaration of Independence from a tyrannical British government that had tried to subjugate Americans. But here's a little test to see how much...
Ask and Tell
"SPRADLING: Congressman Paul, a question for you. "Most of our closest allies, including Great Britain and Israel, allow gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military. Is it time to end [the] don't ask/don't tell policy and allow gays and lesbians to...
Cheney Misstates Military Oath
Am I the only one who noticed? I hope not. But just in case, let me note that Vice President Dick Cheney made a huge misstatement to his West Point audience on May 26. I hope that, at a minimum, the West Point history majors noticed it. Near the end of his speech at...
Hail Ron Paul and Mike Gravel
"I saw Ron Paul last week in the Republican debates. He was good, but everybody else ignores what he says." This is from an e-mail I received from an economist friend who is a liberal Democrat. I responded, "Everybody except the viewers. He won the poll...
A Capitalist Peace With China
Many people, including many of my students at the Naval Postgraduate School, worry that economic growth in China will make China a formidable competitor to the United States. My students typically raise this concern when we talk about free trade, and they worry about...
How Much Is the Iraq War Costing You?
In a previous article, "How Much is the Iraq War Costing You? Part 1," I laid out the facts and figures about the monetary cost of the Iraq war to U.S. taxpayers, assuming conservatively a low-end estimate of annual spending on the Iraq war. I concluded that the main...
Working With the Left
on the War
(Author's note: I had planned to write "How Much is the Iraq War Costing You? Part 2" for this week, but due to the timeliness of what I discuss below, I'll delay Part 2 until April.) As a libertarian who has generally focused on economic issues I am an...
How Much Is the War on Iraq Costing You?
How much is the U.S. war on Iraq costing you? That depends on who you are. For Iraqis, Americans, or Brits who were killed, it cost them everything. I say it in that order because that is the order in numbers killed. So far, a conservative estimate of the number of...
Does War Make Presidents Great?
Today is Presidents' Day in the United States. It's a holiday declared by the federal government to celebrate the birthdays of two presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. George Washington is often called "the father of our country," and for good...


