Comments for BOVARD http://jimbovard.com/blog Author James Bovard Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:44:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 Comment on C-SPAN Booknotes: Terrorism & Tyranny (2003 transcript) by Jim http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/02/03/c-span-booknotes-terrorism-tyranny-2003-transcript/#comment-132100 Jim Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:07:25 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3375#comment-132100 Thanks, Tom! One good thing about the Booknotes 60-minute format - there was plenty of time for an author to hang himself with his own words. Lamb mentioned after the interview that he kept expecting me to pull out the cigar from my shirt pocket and at least unwrap it. I would have done that except I forgot about the cigar. Actually, until literally less than 30 seconds before the taping began, I was wearing a suit coat but - it didn't mesh well with the background - so I welcomed the chance to toss it to an assistant off-camera immediately before filming began. Thanks, Tom! One good thing about the Booknotes 60-minute format - there was plenty of time for an author to hang himself with his own words.

Lamb mentioned after the interview that he kept expecting me to pull out the cigar from my shirt pocket and at least unwrap it. I would have done that except I forgot about the cigar.

Actually, until literally less than 30 seconds before the taping began, I was wearing a suit coat but - it didn’t mesh well with the background - so I welcomed the chance to toss it to an assistant off-camera immediately before filming began.

]]> Comment on C-SPAN Booknotes: Terrorism & Tyranny (2003 transcript) by Tom Blanton http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/02/03/c-span-booknotes-terrorism-tyranny-2003-transcript/#comment-132098 Tom Blanton Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:53:56 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3375#comment-132098 I remember that show. In those days, I kept C-SPAN on all the time and always watched Booknotes. I remember thinking, WOW, Lamb's got Bovard on! I miss Brian Lamb. He was one of the best interviewers around - maybe the best for political people. Booknotes was especially good because of the length and depth of the interviews. Who but Brian Lamb would let someone like Jim Bovard talk for so long on TV? Not Oprah! I remember that show. In those days, I kept C-SPAN on all the time and always watched Booknotes. I remember thinking, WOW, Lamb’s got Bovard on!

I miss Brian Lamb. He was one of the best interviewers around - maybe the best for political people. Booknotes was especially good because of the length and depth of the interviews.

Who but Brian Lamb would let someone like Jim Bovard talk for so long on TV? Not Oprah!

]]> Comment on Karen Kwiatkowski for Congress - Go Virginia! by Jim http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/31/karen-kwiatkowski-for-congress-go-virginia/#comment-132088 Jim Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:08:46 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3357#comment-132088 Thanks, Jeff. The link is now fixed. Thanks, Jeff. The link is now fixed.

]]> Comment on Karen Kwiatkowski for Congress - Go Virginia! by Jeff http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/31/karen-kwiatkowski-for-congress-go-virginia/#comment-132087 Jeff Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:01:07 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3357#comment-132087 Jim: Link to campaign site take me to Wikipedia page. Jim: Link to campaign site take me to Wikipedia page.

]]> Comment on Wall Street Journal: Food Stamps for Millionaires by States Deliberately Qualify Non-Poor People for Food Stamps to Get Federal Money; Obama Administration Blocks Reforms http://jimbovard.com/blog/2011/06/22/wall-street-journal-food-stamps-for-millionaires/#comment-132086 States Deliberately Qualify Non-Poor People for Food Stamps to Get Federal Money; Obama Administration Blocks Reforms Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:06:24 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=2847#comment-132086 [...] Obama administration is busy cracking down on states that attempt to reduce food stamp fraud, as James Bovard noted in The Wall Street Journal. Food stamp fraud costs America billions of dollars. This is remarkable, [...] [...] Obama administration is busy cracking down on states that attempt to reduce food stamp fraud, as James Bovard noted in The Wall Street Journal. Food stamp fraud costs America billions of dollars. This is remarkable, [...]

]]> Comment on Wall Street Journal: Food Stamps for Millionaires by States Deliberately Qualify Non-Poor People for Food Stamps to Get Federal Money; Obama Administration Blocks Reforms http://jimbovard.com/blog/2011/06/22/wall-street-journal-food-stamps-for-millionaires/#comment-132085 States Deliberately Qualify Non-Poor People for Food Stamps to Get Federal Money; Obama Administration Blocks Reforms Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:06:22 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=2847#comment-132085 [...] Obama administration is busy cracking down on states that attempt to reduce food stamp fraud, as James Bovard noted in The Wall Street Journal. Food stamp fraud costs America billions of dollars. This is remarkable, [...] [...] Obama administration is busy cracking down on states that attempt to reduce food stamp fraud, as James Bovard noted in The Wall Street Journal. Food stamp fraud costs America billions of dollars. This is remarkable, [...]

]]> Comment on Epigrams from My Sordid Past by Dirk Sabin http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/14/epigrams-from-my-sordid-past/#comment-132081 Dirk Sabin Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:14:26 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3350#comment-132081 Gee, i don't know but "television is the opiate of the State"...comes to mind which, come to thunk it, this makes these here Internets the Methamphetamine of the State. Either way, the government likes its citizen properly disposed....ehhh medicated to accept the prevailing shovel-fulls of bull to be shoveled their way. Gee, i don’t know but “television is the opiate of the State”…comes to mind which, come to thunk it, this makes these here Internets the Methamphetamine of the State.

Either way, the government likes its citizen properly disposed….ehhh medicated to accept the prevailing shovel-fulls of bull to be shoveled their way.

]]> Comment on Epigrams from My Sordid Past by rich yeblenca http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/14/epigrams-from-my-sordid-past/#comment-132073 rich yeblenca Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:32:33 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3350#comment-132073 Hi Mr. Bovard. Have the Lost Rights book and thank you. What in the name of goodness are we to do? Sheep have a certain nature to follow. Also to pay attention only to the grass at their feet and near their mouths. Our beneficent leaders know this all too well. Hi Mr. Bovard. Have the Lost Rights book and thank you. What in the name of goodness are we to do? Sheep have a certain nature to follow. Also to pay attention only to the grass at their feet and near their mouths. Our beneficent leaders know this all too well.

]]> Comment on Epigrams from My Sordid Past by Tory II http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/14/epigrams-from-my-sordid-past/#comment-132063 Tory II Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:28:46 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3350#comment-132063 You would think people would avoid socialism after Hitler committed suicide. You would think people would avoid socialism after Hitler committed suicide.

]]> Comment on Epigrams from My Sordid Past by Jim http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/14/epigrams-from-my-sordid-past/#comment-132059 Jim Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:10:58 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3350#comment-132059 Tom, your update on wolves/sheep - cops/pepper spray is divine. But you do realize, of course, that it is only a question of time until someone accuses you of having plagiarized that pepper spray line from Benjamin Franklin, right? Tom, your update on wolves/sheep - cops/pepper spray is divine.

But you do realize, of course, that it is only a question of time until someone accuses you of having plagiarized that pepper spray line from Benjamin Franklin, right?

]]> Comment on Epigrams from My Sordid Past by Tom Blanton http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/14/epigrams-from-my-sordid-past/#comment-132050 Tom Blanton Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:25:51 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3350#comment-132050 There's a lot to think about reading all these epigrams. They are all pretty damn accurate. I can remember a time, not so long ago, when reading these blurbs would evoke a chuckle from me because of the truth they conveyed, but it just keeps getting harder to laugh. For example, I used to get a laugh out of this one: "Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner." This needs updating for our times: "Democracy must be something more than a riot squad and a protester voting on who needs to be pepper sprayed." or maybe: "Democracy must be something more than a swat team and a box of doughnuts voting on what to have for breakfast." My own conclusion is that we would be better off with no federal government at all than what we have now. State government ain't so pretty either. There’s a lot to think about reading all these epigrams. They are all pretty damn accurate.

I can remember a time, not so long ago, when reading these blurbs would evoke a chuckle from me because of the truth they conveyed, but it just keeps getting harder to laugh.

For example, I used to get a laugh out of this one:

“Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.”

This needs updating for our times:

“Democracy must be something more than a riot squad and a protester voting on who needs to be pepper sprayed.”

or maybe:

“Democracy must be something more than a swat team and a box of doughnuts voting on what to have for breakfast.”

My own conclusion is that we would be better off with no federal government at all than what we have now. State government ain’t so pretty either.

]]> Comment on Epigrams from My Sordid Past by Tory II http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/14/epigrams-from-my-sordid-past/#comment-132035 Tory II Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:07:36 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3350#comment-132035 Thee's a strong, or powerful, natural tendency for people to want their govt to make their lives better. Socialism and communism are natural human tendencies. Wolves seldom hunt alone, they hunt in packs. We agree to give up our freedom for the common good (the group). Hitler, Stalin, or Mao taught no person the perils of exotic economics. We find ourselves here at the Bovard blog teaming up in a sort of communal way to fight our worst enemy - GOVT. Name one person who fights the govt alone as a sole proprietor, an entreprenuer, a capitalist, an INDIVIDUAL. Thee’s a strong, or powerful, natural tendency for people to want their govt to make their lives better. Socialism and communism are natural human tendencies. Wolves seldom hunt alone, they hunt in packs. We agree to give up our freedom for the common good (the group).

Hitler, Stalin, or Mao taught no person the perils of exotic economics.

We find ourselves here at the Bovard blog teaming up in a sort of communal way to fight our worst enemy - GOVT.

Name one person who fights the govt alone as a sole proprietor, an entreprenuer, a capitalist, an INDIVIDUAL.

]]> Comment on Persian Gulf Folly Redux (1987) by Tory II http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/05/persian-gulf-folly-redux-1987/#comment-132033 Tory II Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:58:43 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3346#comment-132033 The U.S. elephant is terrified of the tiny Iran ant. My, my, a bunch of cowards. The U.S. elephant is terrified of the tiny Iran ant. My, my, a bunch of cowards.

]]> Comment on The Folly of Attacking Iran by The Infamous Oregon Lawhobbit http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/05/the-folly-of-attacking-iran/#comment-132031 The Infamous Oregon Lawhobbit Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:23:53 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3343#comment-132031 These good old days: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_V_of_England These good old days:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_V_of_England

]]> Comment on Persian Gulf Folly Redux (1987) by Dirk Sabin http://jimbovard.com/blog/2012/01/05/persian-gulf-folly-redux-1987/#comment-132030 Dirk Sabin Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:21:47 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/?p=3346#comment-132030 Writing for the New York Times must abrade square pegs into nice round plugs. Thomas Friedman's early and wonderful book about our unfortunate episode in the former Paris of the Levant brilliantly exposes the stupidity of our Beirut Adventures. Its fine when personal stupidity lops an errant finger tip off but when it involves our men and woman blown to shreds over ill-founded global freebooting, it should conspire to bring charges for murder. Today, some yammering newscaster remarked how we cannot trust anything said by a member of the Iranian government. At least we possess symmetry, we cannot trust our own leadership any more than we can trust the Iranians. surely, it is not a matter of simple equivalency, it is more a matter of the institutionalization of half-truths in service to the Military-Industrial complex. Writing for the New York Times must abrade square pegs into nice round plugs. Thomas Friedman’s early and wonderful book about our unfortunate episode in the former Paris of the Levant brilliantly exposes the stupidity of our Beirut Adventures. Its fine when personal stupidity lops an errant finger tip off but when it involves our men and woman blown to shreds over ill-founded global freebooting, it should conspire to bring charges for murder.

Today, some yammering newscaster remarked how we cannot trust anything said by a member of the Iranian government. At least we possess symmetry, we cannot trust our own leadership any more than we can trust the Iranians. surely, it is not a matter of simple equivalency, it is more a matter of the institutionalization of half-truths in service to the Military-Industrial complex.

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