Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed voice of American working people, has decreed that the prices of washing machines and solar panels shall rise. So it is written. So it is done.
Author: Sheldon Richman
Sheldon Richman is the Executive Editor of The Libertarian Institute. His latest book is America’s Counter-Revolution: The Constitution Revisited. Sheldon is also the author of Separating School & State: How to Liberate America’s Families, Your Money or Your Life: Why We Must Abolish the Income Tax, and Tethered Citizens: Time to Repeal the Welfare State.
Trump and No Silver Lining
I had naively hoped that might change into a principled disgust with power in the wake of Trump’s ascension to the pinnacle of government. Unless I’ve missed something, I see no sign that those who properly despise Trump are beginning to understand that the only real solution lies in radically shrinking the state.
Anatomy of a Tax Cut
I’ve watched the debate over the vanilla Republican tax bill closely during these many months. It’s been fascinating at many levels, not least sociologically. People reveal much about themselves — and their views of personal autonomy — in how they discuss taxes.
Trump & Co.’s Vile Anti-Immigrationism
It should not be the government’s prerogative to define and ensure immigrants’ “success” and assimilation. We have zero reason to be confident in the ability of politicians and bureaucrats to predict success, however defined.
The FBI Is Not Your Friend
One of the unfortunate ironies of the manufactured “Russiagate” controversy is the perception of the FBI as a friend of liberty and justice. But the FBI has never been a friend of liberty and justice. Rather, as James Bovard writes, it “has a long record of both deceit and incompetence.”
Liberty, Democracy, and the Right
I am mystified by the claim that the long-standing libertarian critique of democracy furnishes aid and comfort to conservatives who display a taste for populist authoritarianism.
Assertions versus Facts
CNN can show us an apple, but it can’t show us Russian election meddling or global warming or people being made safe by gun control. Unlike apples, these are complex things not amenable to depiction.
Real Common Sense on Gun Control
Here’s how to judge the pragmatic case for gun control: if the pro-control lobby managed to have each of its favorite restrictions enacted, could we as individuals be more casual about our safety than we are today? The answer clearly is no. So what’s the point of the restrictions beyond letting their advocates feel good about themselves?
Quit Worrying about the Russians in Our Borderless World
Is American society so fragile that a few “divisive” ads, news stories, commentaries, and even lies — perhaps emanating from Russia — threaten to plunge it into darkness? The establishment’s narrative on “Russian election meddling” would have you believe that.
Dying for the Empire Is Not Heroic
Predictably, the news media spent most of the week examining words Donald Trump may or may not have spoken to the widow of an American Green Beret killed in Niger, in northwest Africa, in early October. Not only was this coverage tedious, it was largely pointless. We know Trump is a clumsy boor, and we also know that lots of people are ready to pounce on him for any sort of gaffe, real or imagined. Who cares? It’s not news. But it was useful to those who wish to distract Americans from what really needs attention: the U.S. government’s perpetual war.