The Fear Factor

While fear itself is not always the product of irrationality, once experienced, it tends to lead away from reason, especially if the experience is extreme in duration or intensity. When people are fearful they tend to be willing to irrationally surrender their rights. Thus, fear is a threat to rational liberty. The psychology of fear … Continue reading “The Fear Factor”

Don’t Delay: US Out of Iraq Now

I rise in opposition to HR 2956 which, while a well-intended attempt to reduce our nation’s seemingly unlimited military commitment in Iraq, is in so many respects deeply flawed. I have been one of the strongest opponents of military action against Iraq. I voted against the initial authorization in 2002 and I have voted against … Continue reading “Don’t Delay: US Out of Iraq Now”

Signing Statements Erode Constitutional Balance

Recently, the General Accounting Office studied nineteen instances where the president issued so-called "signing statements." In such statements, the president essentially begins the process of interpreting legislation – up to and including declaring provisions unconstitutional, hence often refusing to enforce them. The GAO study found that in nearly 1/3 of the cases studied, the administration … Continue reading “Signing Statements Erode Constitutional Balance”

Recapturing the Spirit of Independence

This week Americans will gather around the grill, attend parades and watch fireworks displays, all in the celebration of the signing of our Declaration of Independence. At the same time, we will have thousands of bureaucrats, troops and agents stationed in countries across the globe being paid by American tax dollars. On the anniversary of … Continue reading “Recapturing the Spirit of Independence”

Have We Forgotten 2003 Already?

This resolution is an exercise in propaganda that serves one purpose: to move us closer to initiating a war against Iran. Citing various controversial statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, this legislation demands that the United Nations Security Council charge Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of … Continue reading “Have We Forgotten 2003 Already?”

Nonintervention: The Original Foreign Policy

Earlier this month the Future of Freedom Foundation hosted "Restoring the Republic: Foreign Policy and Civil Liberties," a conference that brought together liberals, conservatives, and libertarians in favor of peace and liberty. Among the speakers was Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. In the videos below, Paul argues for … Continue reading “Nonintervention: The Original Foreign Policy”

The Price of Delaying the Inevitable

Good intentions frequently lead to unintended bad consequences. Tough choices, doing what is right, often leads to unanticipated good results. The growing demand by the American people for us to leave Iraq prompts the nay-sayers to predict disaster in the Middle East if we do. Of course, these merchants of fear are the same ones … Continue reading “The Price of Delaying the Inevitable”

Congress Must Do Its Duty

Many of my colleagues, faced with the reality that the war in Iraq is not going well, line up to place all the blame on the president. The president "mismanaged" the war, they say. "It’s all the president’s fault," they claim. In reality, much of the blame should rest with Congress, which shirked its constitutional … Continue reading “Congress Must Do Its Duty”

More Bureaucracy,
Less Security

Congress voted this past week to authorize nearly $40 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, but the result will likely continue to be more bureaucracy and less security for Americans. Five years into this new department, Congress still cannot agree on how to handle the mega-bureaucracy it created, which means there has been no … Continue reading “More Bureaucracy,
Less Security”