Matthew Burns

Why the Debt Ceiling Suddenly Matters

Aug 1, 2011 at 3:30 PM

By Matthew Burns

Tea Party debt ceiling

I can only imagine how confusing the sudden “Debt Ceiling Crisis” must seem to everyday Americans. For the first time since almost anyone can remember, the almost yearly ritual of raising the federal government’s borrowing capacity actually seems to matter. President Obama, politicians, and so called “economists” are telling us that Congress must use a compromised, “balanced” approach in raising the debt ceiling.

We have been forewarned on what to expect if this does not happen. Yesterday, Credit Suisse predicted that the stock market would fall 30% if a deal wasn’t reached by the August 2nd deadline. Additionally, last Monday President Obama proclaimed that all functions of the federal government would shut down immediately in the event of debt default. Specifically mentioning a halt on Social Security checks, veterans’ benefits and all government contracts, Obama seems to be just as terrified as you and I should be.

Pandemonium!

Rioting in the streets!

Chaos!

Not so fast. Unfortunately, the raising of the federal debt has been a common occurrence since 1917, when congress passed the Second Liberty Bond Act to help with the government’s financing of the United States’ involvement in World War I.

Great Video Resources for New YAL Recruits

Aug 1, 2011 at 2:42 PM

By Matthew Burns

D.C based lawyer and author Jacob Huebert has released a relatively new video explaining the concept of legal plunder in a very entertaining way. The new video is second in a series based on the basic tenets of the liberty philosophy. The expanded edition of Huebert's first video (previously mentioned on the YAL blog) is great as well.

These videos are a great resource for YAL members to use with new recruits in the upcoming semester!

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Are We Safe from Democracy?

Jul 19, 2011 at 6:45 PM

By Matthew Burns

wilson congress On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson spoke before a joint session of Congress seeking a Declaration of War against Germany and the Central Powers. In doing so, he declared that the world “must be made safe for democracy.”

Wilson’s statement has served as a foundation for American foreign policy in the nearly 100 years since the United States’ entry into World War I. Almost every armed conflict that the United States has involved itself in has been justified by our leaders largely in part because “we are fighting for democracy and freedom.” With common sense and insight, it is not hard to see that every Cold War conflict was dominated by this theme (democracy vs. communism).

Even more recently, the United States government has used this to justify conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. It even seems that victory in these conflicts is defined by how well our soldiers enforce democratic elections. The modern principle for this intervention was reiterated by President George W. Bush in his second inaugural address. He stated, “So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.”

Is Lupe Fiasco Right?

Jul 16, 2011 at 6:46 PM

By Matthew Burns

In an age where politicians want to be celebrities and celebrities want to be politicians, it is rewarding to witness a rare moment when someone from the entertainment industry actually displays some sort of consistent political principle in what they say or do.

Chicago based rapper Lupe Fiasco did just that in his recent interview in which he spoke out against the foreign policy of the Obama Administration. In a moment which falls somewhere between courageous and offensive, Fiasco said "In my fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama and the United States Of America." He went on to explain, "I'm trying to fight the terrorism that's actually causing the other forms of terrorism. You know, the root cause of terrorism is the stuff that the U.S Government allows to happen, and the foreign policies that we have in different countries which inspire people to become terrorists. And it's easy for us because it's just some oil."

Fiasco's comments, although rather inflammatory, actually sound pretty in line with the views expressed in Chalmer Johnson's book, Blowback, often cited by Ron Paul.