Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.'s Blog, page 185

About Last Week…

At one point, there was a deal, an understanding.

Government workers got paid a bit less than their compatriots in the private sector – in exchange, they got pensions and benefits and, essentially, jobs for life.

Firing an (un)civil servant has always been difficult, but that was part of the plan. In theory, this protection made them far less susceptible to outside influence when it came to making decisions. If you can’t get fired for doing the “right” thing then you will always do the right thi...

What They Don’t Tell You About Anxiety and the Dangers of Benzodiazepines

Many consider anxiety to be the disease of the modern age. It is thus one of the most significant disease markets in America (e.g., from 2001-2004, approximately 19.1% of American adults had an anxiety disorder. In 2007, 36.8 billion was spent on medical care for anxiety and mood disorders). Yet despite spending billions on anxiety, rather than be appropriately addressed (like many other industries that depend upon the perpetuation of the problem they “solve”), it has only increased.

Note: a re...

The Pretty Tents of Wickedness

If you’re a Christian, there’s a particular passage that should shape your social life. It’s in Psalm 84:10-11, and it reads:

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD bestows favor and honor: no good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

It’s easy enough to reject the uglier “tents of wickedness,” but we may find it h...

Why Anti-Imperialists and Anti-War People Should Welcome Trump’s ‘FAFO Diplomacy’

Ron Ridenour, a veteran anti-imperialist activist and writer, says he is happy to see Donald Trump as the US President. But not for any positive reasons about Trump as a politician or his administration. Ridenour has contempt for the 47th president (and many of his White House predecessors.)

Trump’s bullying foreign policy could be coined as FAFO diplomacy: “F..ck around and find out”.

Ridenour, the author of the book The Russian Peace Threat, believes that Trump is “good” in that he is exposing...

Audit USAID…Then Shut It Down!

As of this writing, when you attempt to access the US Agency for International Development (USAID) website or social media pages you are informed that, “This site can’t be reached.” The media reports that the new Trump Administration has not only frozen USAID activities but may be planning on bringing it back under control of the US State Department.  Other reports, including statements by Elon Musk, suggest that it will be closed completely.

If true, the closing of USAID may be one of the most ...

Proponents of Birthright Citizenship Can’t Have It Both Ways

As most of my readers know, I am not a huge fan of President Donald Trump. This, of course, doesn’t mean that I prefer Joe Biden or Kamala Harris or any other Democrat to Trump. I, in fact, loathe Biden and Harris much more than the Reason staffers who voted for them in 2020 and 2024.

I have always praised Trump when he gets things right (most recently, see here and here). And on the subject of “birthright citizenship,” Trump gets things right. We don’t have to agree with all of Trump’s immigrat...

Something I Don’t Understand – Do You?

President Trump’s approach to peace and liberty, as a subset of MAGA objectives, seems to be a net positive for his supporters, so far.  He and his cabinet are working to defibrillate and jump start America’s broken and unhealthy body in hopes of strengthening and enriching the nation.  He wants to build back its working class, and re-acquire and even exceed its former level of excellence in economic productivity, science, technology and character.

Trump exercises two kind of power.  He heads th...

The Tears of St. Monica

Despite all the steps people will insist on taking to create union with God, clearing away whole lumberyards of spiritual debris along the way, intimacy with God has never really been about us to begin with. Having a relationship with God is not something we do but rather Someone we receive. And it is He who takes the initiative. Even our prayers are prompted by Another. That is, when we do pray. Too often our prayer life is rather like those “enchanted cigarettes,” of which the writer Balzac sp...

Immigration Laws the U.S. Should Emulate

As noted in my recent “inaugural address”, there isn’t much a president is authorized to do. In a nutshell, he must execute the few constitutional laws Congress passes, and veto the rest.

Repelling and expelling invaders is obviously among the permitted functions of his restricted role. Not only should a president deport anyone who illegally enters American territory; to honor his oath, he has no choice.

If citizens don’t like the laws, they should convince Congress to change them. But if statut...

US To Impose Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China on Feb. 1 and Tyranny on America

The US will impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and 10 percent on China, the Trump White House said.  The purpose of tariffs is to protect domestic manufacturers and their work forces.  What American manufacturers and workers are being protected by Trump’s tariffs?  So much of US manufacturing is located offshore, what purpose are the tariffs serving?

The “tariffs” in reality are taxes imposed on imports of foreign produced goods, including the offshored production of US corporations...