George F. Smith's Columns
"Of course, with a major war underway, everything government proposed was wrapped in the flag. In testimony before the House, Treasury officials said paying more taxes was nothing compared to the sacrifices our military personnel were making. To insulate their position, pols called proposed tax increases a 'defense tax' or a 'war tax' or a 'victory tax.'" Column by George F. Smith.
"And so the 214th amendment was passed, liberating people from the temptation of choice in what they wore. Like all Beltway legislation it was a victory for Equality and Freedom." Column by George F. Smith.
Failure Writes Pamphlet, Changes American History
"The British paid dearly for firing Paine as an excise tax officer; the decision cost them their American colonies. We pay a hefty price when we neglect Common Sense; it was the call that turned a rebellion into a revolution." Column by George F. Smith.
"Imagine the beaming pride our servants in D.C. would feel if they gazed upon a sea of marching patriots cheering and waving their draft cards in one hand, the flag in the other, begging to be sacrificed. If that doesn't get your heart pumping red, white, and blue it ought to at least be pumping red." An excellent column by George F. Smith, who has his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.
"And what followed in the wake of these 'explanations'? An intensified commitment to religious faith and the state. Where does history teach us that this is the path to prosperity and peace? If there's blood in the news, religion or the state is usually behind it." Column by George F. Smith.
Come to the State as a Child and Be Saved
"Like a successful religion, the state has secured a firm foundation in our lives. It forbids questioning of fundamentals and instead offers a child-like explanation of why things go wrong when it gets involved. All is well in the U.S. of A. Come to it as a child and show your faith by believing, and believers will be saved." An outstanding column by George F. Smith.
Christmas Day, 1776: 'Victory or Death'
"On Christmas Day, 1776, a few Americans gave us the first installment of a gift we have all but lost." Column by George F. Smith.
Step One in Fighting the State
"Now that America has lost much of its hard-won freedom, we find ourselves drowning in a culture that long ago abandoned any talk of individual rights or liberty. The term 'patriot' has done an about-face and now stands for support of the state, rather than dedication to a principle. The patriots who founded this country would today be in the crosshairs of Ashcroft's agents." Column by George F. Smith.
"And perhaps Paine might have submitted his resume to [Congress]. And what could Congress infer from Paine's resume about his potential as a revolutionary pamphleteer? Nothing. But they would try. Here's what might have happened:" Column by George F. Smith.
Freedom Is for Fighters: Just Say NO to the State
"Every tyranny has a need for propaganda to keep the slaves rowing with minimal defiance. How do you get Americans, with their history of rebellion against oppressive government, to wave their flags at every government pronouncement? You force them into government schools." Column by George F. Smith.
Suing Corporate America to Save the World
"We no longer have to worry about freedom and personal responsibility. With Corporate America emerging as the great villain, we can save the world. The culprit will take the blame while putting us in Fat City." Column by George F. Smith.
"Our military and intelligence forces trained, assisted, and defended bin Laden and Hussein when they were fighting regimes we opposed. If we're serious about ending states that sponsor terrorism, a fundamental policy change in the U.S. is long overdue." Column by George F. Smith.
"And why would another assembly of men approve a constitution and bill of rights that limited the power of the rulers, if these men were bigots, as Farrakhan charges? If you're going to subjugate others, you want the sanction of legitimacy--you want legal control of the police, courts, military, and especially the press. Abolitionists were seething, and under the Constitution they could continue their crusade--and did." Column by George F. Smith.
"The Posse Comitatus discussion is a sham, a sideshow intended to deceive the public into believing we have statesmen in office who respect the rule of law. Whether Posse Comitatus gets changed is immaterial. The commander-in-chief has the unconstitutional but uncontested power to issue executive orders, which makes him a one-man legislative body. All he needs is the right crisis, and the Posse Comitatus or any other law can mean whatever he dictates." Column by George F. Smith.
Branden on Self-Responsibility and Laissez Faire
Self-responsibility is the foundation of laissez faire, as Nathaniel Branden argues. Column by George F. Smith.
The Two Political Labels That Count
"As Ludwig von Mises observed over a half-century ago, we have essentially two choices in politics, and need only two labels: freedom or slavery, laissez faire or dictatorship." Column by George F. Smith.
A Memo to Practical Politicians
"Unfortunately, in the early years of our democracy, certain recalcitrants prevented the government from operating the way it should. They fostered dangerous notions of the U.S. as a republic with a limited government and something called states rights. Then in 1860, a Martyr came along and saved us, and we've been on the path of righteous freedom ever since." Column by George Smith.
The Birth of Legal Counterfeiting
The Fed was invented to fund Big Government through inflation. Column by George Smith.
"Under government-controlled fiat money, after nearly a century of war, waste, wealth-theft, and welfare, with many families now needing two incomes to live decently, the dollar today is almost worthless." Column by George Smith.
"As Frederic Bastiat pointed out, protectionists want to do to their country during peacetime what they try to do to their enemies during war--close its borders to imports." Column by George Smith.
"We live today with Lincoln's legacy....Lincoln created an absolute central government that has spread like cancer, with an insatiable appetite for our money." Column by George Smith.
Bill Gates needs help. His Encarta.com encyclopedia entry for capitalism is self-indicting. Column by George Smith.
Does dishonesty become less flagrant the more widespread it is? A Kansas school board thought so, and now a whole town is paying the price. Column by George Smith.
Four years ago at the Academy Awards, Titanic won 11 Oscars. Though the film is realistic in important respects, writer/director James Cameron relied on cliched thinking about wealth to tell his story. As someone known for challenging accepted wisdom, who's made a fortune in a highly competitive industry, he could have done better. Column by George Smith.
Posting the Ten Commandments in Congress is unconstitutional, but it does raise thoughts about an appropriate moral tribute to our lawmakers. Column by George Smith.
The Public Be Damned: Altruism Feeds on Freedom
Altruism is the morality by which the state takes our lives. Column by George Smith.
The Man Who Could Have Been King
George Smith's salute to George Washington.
Why Stop Signs In D.C. Need Ten Sides
George Smith looks at how the government inverted the meaning of the Tenth Amendment. Also read Spooner on the Constitution.
Liberty's Latest Cure: Campaign Finance Reform
Column by George Smith.
George Smith offers this guide for all demagogues seeking or attempting to preserve political power.
In his latest tirade, Pat Buchanan smears atheism to promote state-supported Christianity. Column by George Smith.
What happens when FED fails to protect you. Column by George Smith.
If the Constitution wanted Congress to conscript, it wouldn't have a Bill of Rights. Column by George Smith.
We've allowed our rights to be eroded, in the name of "higher" ideals. If we don't reclaim our heritage, we'll lose the source of our greatness and well-being. Column by George Smith.
Modern Moralists Condemn Terrorism
But don't ask them why. Column by George F. Smith.
The right attitude and a new label can change April 15th forever. Column by George F. Smith.
Snub the Tyrants and Grow Your Own
Tomato gardening may be the best way to start a revolution. It allows you to savor the great taste of your crop while experiencing a nearly-forgotten pleasure: independence. Column by George F. Smith, who sounds like a modern-day Thoreau.
The history of philosophy offers significant clues about why 9-11 is an infamous date. Column by new Root Striker George F. Smith.