A. Barton Hinkle is senior editorial writer and a columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
America's Nation-Building Follies
The U.S. record at nation-building isn't much better at home than abroad.
A. Barton Hinkle
Latest from A. Barton Hinkle
Will the Right Come Around on Pot?
The government should not be allowed to tell individuals what they can smoke.
Abortion and Big Government
Restrictions on abortion highlight slippery slope of government intervention
Tough Immigration Policy Also Hurts Americans
The unintended negative consequences of immigration crackdowns.
Why Laughter Is the Best Medicine for Politics
If you can't poke fun at The Man, chances are you can't do much else either.
Virginia GOP Follows Bad Examples Set by Dems
At the moment, Virginia Republicans are stronger than Democrats.
It's Time to Get Judgy About Incompetency
Language should foster communication. Unfortunately, it often is used to prevent communication by obscuring truth.
Look Who's Mocking Fascist Fear-Mongering Now
Is it really so outrageous to believe the government of the United States is capable of tyranny?
The Myth of Free Medicaid Money
Advocates are pitching Medicaid expansion as another painless free lunch.
Jail Comments Raise Lots of Questions
"Divisive" comments about mandatory contraceptive coverage
Spending Cuts Are Mostly Fiction
Only in Washington could you get away with referring to both spending hikes and tax hikes as spending "cuts."
The EPA Pushes the Envelope, Again
A long train of abuses suggests an institutional culture that sees the law as an impediment.
Obama Begins His Second Term—and Bush's Fourth
Obama has carried forward Bush policies that are most expansive of government power.
January: The Perfect Time to Debate the Filibuster
The month was named after Janus-the Roman god who had two faces.
Who's Attacking the Constitution Now?
Many ardent supporters of the Second Amendment are not quite so ardent about the First.
Sometimes a School Needs an Intervention
In districts with underperforming schools, unhappy parents have few means by which to catalyze change.
Gay Participation Hurts Neither Military Nor Marriage
The hand-wringing about dire consequences is an attempt to dress up base motives in more respectable garb
Gun Control, Ad Infinitum
Gun control is something Americans almost never stop talking about.
Fracking Can Help Fix the CO2 Problem
Unplanned, disruptive innovation has reversed America's CO2 emission trends.
Let's Open the Doors to Lots More Immigration
Immigrants are more likely to start a business, more likely to work, and less likely to commit crime.
Who's Watching the Kids? Just About Everyone, Apparently
"The kids are used to being monitored."
George W. Bush, Middle Class Champion
Less than one-fourth of the Bush tax cuts benefit "the rich"
Pro-Life Virginia Lawmaker Offers Pro-Choice Bill
Legislation would let most employers opt out of the contraception requirements
It's Time to Cut a Deal on the Federal Budget
We will soon find out if Chili Palmer was right when he said, "Sometimes you do your best work with a gun to your head."
Reports of Democracy's Death Greatly Exaggerated
Efforts to keep "outside groups" from speaking are equally efforts to keep voters from hearing what they have to say.
Prohibition: The Real Reefer Madness
The nation's drug warriors plow ahead, driven by fear of a world where addicts clog the gutters.
Opponents of Virginia's Eminent Domain Initiative Made the Best Case for It
Making life easier for government is not a good reason to infringe individual rights.
The $4,000 Trash Can
Since January 1st, the federal government has imposed $56.6 billion in compliance costs.
Taxpayers on the Hook for Gwinnett, Ga. Baseball Stadium
Public subsidies for stadiums are win-lose propositions: The teams win, and the taxpayers lose.
Candidates Should Harp on My Pet Causes, Not Yours
Media disappointment in the failure of Obama and Romney to address issues of particular importance.
The Unintended Consequences of Cracking Down on Payday Lenders
Payday lenders aren't the demonic entities they're made out to be.
It's Raining Cats and Dogs (and Chickens and Cows)
Do airborne animal parts suggest an emerging front in the War on Terror?
Whose Votes Are Really Being Wasted?
"A wasted vote," says Gary Johnson, "is a vote for someone you don't believe in."
How Much Is This Tax Cut Gonna Cost Me, Doc?
Those who fret about the cost of a tax cut are looking at the question from the wrong end of the telescope.
Warrantless Spying Skyrockets Under Obama
And the news is being met with the equivalent of crickets chirping.
How Local Governments Are Chipping Away at the First Amendment
That Amendment is unequivocal when it states that Congress shall make no law. Lesser government powers can make as many as they like.
Denial of Medical Choice: Even Worse Than Activists Think
Abortion advocates fear government bureaucrats could use burdensome rules to reduce access to medical care. That's happening already.
Is the Age of the Publicly Funded Sports Arena Drawing to a Close?
The past few decades have seen an increase in public underwriting of sports arenas, but attitudes may be shifting.
Four Things Government Could Do to Ease Poverty
Anti-poverty spending has soared while poverty rates have held steady. It's time to try something new.
