“Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against — then you’ll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We’re after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you’d better get wise to it. There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted — and you create a nation of law-breakers — and then you cash in on guilt. Now, that’s the system, Mr. Rearden, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.”
— Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged [1957]
HORNBERGER’S BLOG
November 9, 2022
The Inanity of the Foreign Agents Registration Act
Last week, Thomas Barrack, an old friend of former President Donald Trump, was acquitted by a jury in a U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. The charge? The feds were accusing Barrack of having failed to register as a foreign agent of the United Arab Emirates. I don’t know if the jury’s verdict was based on insufficient evidence of guilt or whether it …
Better Money: Gold, Fiat, or Bitcoin?
by Lawrence H. White
Lawrence H. White continued our “End Inflation and End the Fed” conference with the fifth talk on …
What Difference Do Next Week’s Elections Make?
by Jacob G. Hornberger and Richard M. Ebeling
Will it make any difference which major political party gains control of Congress in next week’s …
The Arbitrary Nature of Social Security Benefits
by Laurence M. Vance
Social Security benefits will soon be increasing, as they do almost every year, but Social Security taxes will not be increasing, as they haven’t …
Biden’s “Begging for Barrels” Saudi Disgrace
by James Bovard
Why don’t you talk about something that matters?” President Biden replied to a journalist asking about why he fist-bumped Saudi dictator Mohammed bin Salman …
The Libertarian Angle Thursday, November 10, 2022
World Wide Web
Speaker: Jacob Hornberger and Richard M. Ebeling
FFF Conference: End Inflation and End the Fed Monday, November 14, 2022
World Wide Web
Speakers: Ron Paul, Andrew Napolitano, Richard Ebeling, Murray Sabrin, Keving Dowd, Phil Magness, Lawrence White, and Jacob Hornberger
The Libertarian Angle Thursday, November 17, 2022
World Wide Web
Speaker: Jacob Hornberger and Richard M. Ebeling
The Libertarian Angle Thursday, November 24, 2022
World Wide Web
Speaker: Jacob Hornberger and Richard M. Ebeling
The Libertarian Angle Thursday, December 1, 2022
World Wide Web
Speaker: Jacob Hornberger and Richard M. Ebeling