Justin Raimondo

A pall of fear hangs over American journalists, one that threatens to smother the feeble flame of investigative reporting and insulate government officials against any sort of accountability. The Obama regime is taking a hard line against "leakers," and their penchant for secrecy out-does even Richard Nixon at his most paranoid. This administration, which came … Continue reading “Hands Off Glenn Greenwald!”

The intellectual and political degeneration of the "progressive" wing of the Democratic party continues apace, as Tom Watson – a prominent spokesman for the movement – attacks the upcoming "Stop Watching Us" rally, to be held in Washington this coming weekend (Saturday, October 26). Although he claims to support the goals of the rally – … Continue reading “Libertarian-Baiting the Anti-NSA Movement”

There are no major stories to cover, but lots of seemingly minor ones that all point to major trends in the works. Let’s start with the news that the Heritage Foundation is "censoring" pro-surveillance material coming out of that policy-wonk factory: yes, you heard me, although "censoring" is Politico reporter Josh Gerstein’s phraseology. Funny, but … Continue reading “The Times They Are a-Changin’”

I don’t believe in God. However, I do believe in divine retribution. Without going into the specifics of this somewhat counterintuitive theology, suffice to say here that its central axiom is the idea that actions have consequences. One cannot go on committing evil without reaping a whirlwind or two. Eventually Nemesis overtakes Hubris, and the … Continue reading “American Apocalypse”

We all get depressed, at some point or other: I’m sure even Pollyanna had her down moments. What’s troubling is that many anti-interventionists seem to be in a permanent state of depression: given the history of the past decade or so, the interventionist bias of the "mainstream" media, and the enormous resources the War Party … Continue reading “The Case for Optimism”

The Founders were wary of establishing a standing army: they feared not only that it would become an instrument of domestic tyranny, as in Europe, but also that it would lead to … what we have today: a militarist caste that glories in – and profits from – war. As James Madison, the father of … Continue reading “The War Profiteers”

The push for "reforming" the National Security Agency is on, with a number of bills in the congressional hopper, notably a joint effort by Senators Ron Wyden, Rand Paul, Mark Udall, and Richard Blumenthal that sets a legislative marker for the civil libertarian agenda. The Intelligence Oversight and Surveillance Reform Act would: End the bulk … Continue reading “NSA ‘Reform’: The Limits of Legislation”

October 9, 2013A Note to My ReadersI’ve got some pressing business to take care of, and so no column today. But I’ll be back on Friday, all fresh and sassy.The US government may be in "shutdown" mode, but the American Empire is still operating at maximum capacity: this was underscored over the weekend by twin … Continue reading “Libya and Somalia: Foreign Policy as Political Theater”

Ilija Trojanov was at the airport in Brazil’s Salvador da Bahia, on September 30, checking in for his flight to the United States, when the person behind the American Airlines counter told him that the computer had issued a "Border Security Crossing" alert – and that it was necessary to contact the American authorities before … Continue reading “Back in the USSR: The Sovietization of American Life”

The government "shutdown" isn’t really a shutdown: the National Security Agency (NSA) is still functioning at full throttle, spying on Americans and violating the Constitution with impunity. And I doubt those aid packages to the Syrian rebels are being delayed by even a minute: after all, a heart-eating cannibal can’t live on human blood alone. … Continue reading “The Perils of Parasitism”