• "Well written, well researched, and the thesis put forth is well argued.... Woods has opened up an area of historical analysis that should invite further study."
    -Journal of American History

  • "During these times that challenge our freedoms there is no one more qualified to make U.S. history relevant to the fight against big government than Thomas Woods."
    -Barry Goldwater Jr.
    Former Member of Congress

  • "I strongly recommend Woods's work."
    -The Honorable Ron Paul,
    U.S. House of Representatives

  • "Written with great clarity and fluency, making the complex philosophical and theological concepts approachable."
    -Journal of American Studies

  • "A must-read."
    -Barron's

  • "An excellent reading source for anyone interested in financial markets, and much more so for anyone interested in learning about capitalism without all the misinterpretations being thrown about in the financial media."
    -Asia Times

  • "Provocative, well-written, and deserves to be read."
    -Catholic Historical Review

  • "An engaging and important contribution to scholarship on the history of American Catholicism."
    -Journal of the Historical Society

  • "Woods and [co-author Kevin] Gutzman appeal to both left and right in this constitutionalist jeremiad…. The authors' exegeses of the Constitution and court decisions, heavy on original intent arguments, are lucid and telling."
    -Publishers Weekly

  • "A marvelous read. Every chapter taught me something new and unexpected."
    -Tom Bethell, senior editor,
    The American Spectator

  • "The hottest book today is Meltdown, by my friend Tom Woods."
    -Judge Andrew Napolitano, senior judicial analyst,
    FOX News Channel

  • "Should be required reading."
    -Economic Affairs (London)

  • "Woods, one of the best classical liberal [libertarian] scholars of his generation, has once more placed us in his debt with this lucid and tightly argued book."
    -David Gordon, The Mises Review

  • "Tom Woods is one of my dearest allies in the struggle against wrong-headed and dangerous economic policy."
    -Peter Schiff

Left-Liberals Laugh at Rand Paul TSA Ordeal

As if trying to prove they are good for absolutely nothing — wasn’t the Left at least supposed to be sort of OK when it came to civil liberties and government groping? — the folks commenting on Rand Paul over at Talking Points Memo think the whole thing is kind of funny. (Thanks to Newsalert.)

Unlearn the Propaganda!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Phillips/1019274167 Jeff Phillips

    So when do we get to draw the lines in the sand, and start putting all these useless socialists on whichever side washington DC is on, and start over taking our constitution with us to the other side? 

  • Anonymous

    They’re trying to make this into a case of him trying to use his position to get out of something that normal people have to suffer through when this clearly is not the case.
    Pointing out hypocrisy in politicians is noble, but this isn’t an example of that. Rand Paul has been in the TSA’s face since day one.

  • http://www.facebook.com/MichaelBBurch Michael Burch

    The phony Left and phony Right are only anti-government when their guy isn’t in power. The number of Democrat war protesters has plummeted since Obama took office. 

  • Anonymous

    Sounds like a line out of a new Nicholas Cage movie. “I’m gonna steal the Constitution.” And why not? It’s not like THEY’RE using it. Might as well put it to good use.

  • David Bardallis

    The mainstream political left is almost totally useless and hypocritical, with only a few exceptions. I want to reach out to them and make coalitions and all of that, but they are constantly revealing themselves to be shallow, easily manipulable, state-loving dummies who *still* will be asking “Wha’ hoppen?” as they are being sent to a gas chamber.

    Actually, I take that “useless” comment back. They ARE useful… useful idiots for the state, exactly as state psychopaths like Lenin understood.

  • Lex Parsimoniae

    If the pigmentation of his skin was different, they’d be concerned. Since it isn’t, he’s “kooky”/”paranoid”.

  • Metalmanx2j

    Reading the comments section to that piece is disturbing and sad. So much misinformation. So much hate.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Phillip-McDaniel/1176265924 Phillip McDaniel

    They would!  What else is a pro-government group to do when the choice is government force vs individual liberty?  

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Phillip-McDaniel/1176265924 Phillip McDaniel

    You sir hit the head of the nail.  Intellectual honesty at this point sadly dictates one must say the same thing about the useful idiots on the right!  Lord help the liberty movement!

  • Cristobal

    Ever seen that old version of H.g. Wells “The Time Machine?”. I think they were called the “Morai” or something. Funny how the globalist Wells’s vision was so accurate, right?
    When “The Thing” starts to resemble reality we are all going to finally get it. By then it will be too late.

  • Titaniumshield66

    Libs of the 60s would call them ESTABLISHMENT, and spit in their faces!
    Can’t “spin” history, to someone who remembers it. :-)

  • Niggdude

    Time to overthrow the govt. Peacefully….or violently… Whichever. I don’t care either way.

  • Silence Dogood IX

    The Left doesn’t care about the TSA or civil liberties as long as the all knowing and powerful federal nanny state tells them it is good for them and is going to keep them safe!

  • Marc

    Do you know what Gandhi said about Western civilization? He said it would be a good idea.

  • Scott

    Perfect reflection of the moronic intellect and mental ‘death-grip’ on spoon-fed ideology held by the vast majority of the Left.  Only matched by the similar disease of the majority of the…..intellectually bankrupt Right. When will reason, logic, and liberty walk up these hopeless stooges??

  • Scott

    When will reason, logic, and liberty WAKE up these hopeless stooges??  (sorry, missed the error)

  • sirbourbon

    The Time Machine is one of my favorite movies and books since H.G. Wells depicts how a few people can control a much larger population by conditioning of the mind. The sirens and never questioning purported quthority.

    H.G. Wells hoever was a mixed bag of philosophies. His insatiable sex appetite had him in bed with the daughter of a famous Fabian Socialist. The father of the daughter that Wells had his way with had an arranged marriage to save his daughter social ostracism and shame. Even socialists have to protect their name!

    Wells believed that millions had to be eliminated to cull out the people he and his elite philosphers agreed were a waste of human flesh. Wells hated Jews for their nationalism and their religion.

    http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2011/10/17/111017crbo_books_kirsch

  • Anonymous

    Well just shows how implausible that movie was. As if anyone in DC would even notice that the DoI went missing… or even the Constitution for that matter. Or maybe that’d be a cause for celebration. Obama could proclaim that “From this day forward, we of the mighty and righteous and just and virtuous and sublimely perfect and otherwise divine US gov can continue to screw you, the People, without having to hear your constant nagging and whining about us not being allowed to.”

  • Billy Bublitz

    LOL Tom this was funny!

  • Concrete man

    As an ex Leftist (never really a Leftist but a Green) I can say the Left makes me disgusted. They pooh pooh Ron Paul because he stole much of their big and tough anti imperialist agenda and the Dumbocrats can’t come up with a candidate half as intelligent or honest.

  • Lou Bjostad

    You just summarized Atlas Shrugged with a single question.

  • Lou Bjostad

    The “state-loving dummies” are not so different from you and me, David.  They have about the same intellect, and they have about the same sense of dignity.  What they don’t have (at least, not yet) is a correct understanding of the cause and effect relationships by which free markets create the healthiest communities.  Is it such a surprise that a heroin addict believes his next dose of heroin is the only goal worthy of attention?  Nearly everybody reading this discussion started out either as a “socialist of the mild sort” (Hayek’s phrase) or as a neocon (Tom Woods has commented on this).  Each of us got to this web site by hearing someone else tell the truth, then making an entirely individual decision to listen.

  • Lou Bjostad

    We finally had 313 million Americans watching dumbfounded as a United States Senator set the proper example for all of us.  When a government official solicits your permission to engage in an obscene act, just turn around and walk away.  Is that so hard?

  • Brutus

    The left is just talk on civil liberties just as the right is all talk on moral and fiscal issues. Government can’t do anything adequately, and once they have a single power, like the anti federalist Federal Farmer said, they will find that they must be able to excersise another power in order to excersise the one power they were granted. For example, give them power to build a road, and they will insist that they must also have the power to run the concrete industry to build the road. Once the road is built, they will insist that it is also necessary to control the automobile industry, as  the purpose to build a road was in order for automobiles to use it, and if they view an innsufficient amount of automobiles as using it, they can argue it is necessary to adress that problem. Thus, with  the broad interpretations the left and right have with regard to the constitution, few and specified powers become many, with the rational that government is needed. And then any appeals will be in vain if without an outside body able to tell Government that they cannot do something, as if there are no outside bodies, checking it Federal Government will always rule in favor of itself. Currently, there are no outside bodies willing to check the Federal Government, though they might be capable to, and have every legal right to do so.

  • David Bardallis

    Lou, I hear you. It takes a heroic effort to suppress one’s frustration upon seeing so many otherwise intelligent human beings continue to fall for, as Tom says, propaganda that would insult a third-grader. And fall for it over and over and over again. And to top it all off, act as if they are well informed while looking down their nose at you.

    Alas, I am not particularly heroic, which is why I don’t think I’d make a good teacher. Speaking of, I do often need to stop and remind myself of just how many lies have been taught to everyone pretty much since birth. Not for nothing did Rothbard (I think) refer to government schools as “the reproductive organs of the welfare state.”

  • Anonymous

    I don’t agree. They ARE dumb. Actually not dumb but they refuse to consider any idea that is not in their programming.
    Same for the right-wing numbnutzes.
    The important part of your post was that you DID get it and DID change your views when the truth was revealed. Those that are given the opportunity to see and don’t, do not get my respect.