Dan Olson's Columns

Another Flawed 'National Strategy'

"All this strategy will achieve is to disguise the withdrawal of US forces as a 'transfer' to Iraqi forces so that any resultant stability can be touted by Bush and any failures blamed on the people of Iraq."  Column by Dan Olson

Invoking the Dead Letter

"In the majority of America , in what Washington politicians derisively call the 'flyover states,' there is a firm conviction that the Constitution is an able protector of our liberties. Those in power likely laugh among themselves at the idea that a piece of paper can restrain their massive political clout, the trillions of dollars at their disposal, and their millions of armed police and soldiers sworn to obey orders unquestioningly. The powerful and influential in government no doubt read countless academic declamations of constitutional violations, and then go about their business of legislating, policing, prosecuting, and judging unscathed."  Column by Dan Olson.

The Criminal Presidency

"Through all these scandals, neoconservatives and other Bush backers have rarely even found it necessary to deny the factual bases of these accusations. It has been sufficient to merely dismiss the relevance of these crimes -- the prevailing opinion seems to be that the president may now eschew legality whenever he sees fit without legal or political consequences."  Column by Dan Olson.

The March of Statism

"Republican conservatives decry liberal taxation and redistribution, while liberal Democrats denounce conservative dogmatic morality and militarism, each failing to realize that their own statist preferences merely compliment the other's."  Column by Dan Olson.

The Real State of the Union

"This completely ignores the actual cause of gang violence, which is the hugely lucrative illegal drug trade. Gang members do not shoot each other and end up in jail because they lack faith, they do so because dealing drugs is the easiest and fastest way to escape poverty."  Column by new Root Striker Dan Olson.