Back in 2009, the comedian Tim Hawkins created a funny little tune titled “The Government Can“. It went viral for a time–as good as it could get in 2009–but the point was simple. The government can do anything it wants. Why? Because the Supreme Court said so, that’s why. Don’t you know history, McClanahan? You see, the Supreme Court has been expanding the powers of …more
What is the greatest lie about the Civil War[sic]? If you asked a few dopey establishment professors, they would certainly say “The Lost Cause” while pointed a finger at you and sneering “Neo-Confederate.” They really believe that there are in the minority on this issue. I would argue that they have become so entrenched in establishment America that simply uttering anything contrary to their views …more
I like reading Jonathan Turley. He is about as honest as a lawyer can get, no offense to any lawyers on my list. I know a few better than Turley. He’s sometimes wrong, but so is everyone else, even yours truly at times. That said, that sometimes happened in a recent column he wrote for Fox News. Turley thinks the greatest threat to America is …more
In the early 19th century, John Taylor of Caroline warned about the fusion of big government, big banks, and finance capital. All three could be tamed, but only if they never aligned. He particularly worried about the impact unconstitutional tariffs, federally funded internal improvements, and a central bank would have on the American political order. These were the vehicles for the paper jobbers to take …more
American foreign policy is a disaster. It has been since the 1860s. Most people forget that the American empire was not created in the last thirty years. It began as an extension of the moral self-righteousness of the Republican crusade against the South during the War. Democracy and American liberty needed to be extended across the globe. So did the dollar, but that didn’t have …more
Jamelle Bouie is almost always wrong. But he is the best opinion columnist at The New York Times. Why? Because he at least does some research before he scribbles for the newspaper, and his essays are generally thought provoking. Take for example a recent column that suggested the Founders make a critical mistake. I agree, but not for the reasons Bouie suggests. The Founders make …more
According to recent polling, about 20 percent of Americans support secession. It is higher in some areas like Texas and the South, but even among Democrats, support for secession has increased in the last several years. The establishment can’t figure out why. The Washington Post recently published a piece trying to figure it out. They backed into the answer, but were still confused as to …more
In case you missed it, last week New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order making it illegal for citizens to carry firearms in public–both open and concealed carry–for 30 days in Albuquerque and the surrounding county. She called it a response to a “public health” emergency. The “Constitutional conservatives” went nuts. How dare she violate the 2nd Amendment! In fact, a resident …more
About a week ago, a listener sent me an article from National Review that encouraged its readers to declare their independence from Thomas Jefferson. He was outraged and wanted my thoughts. I could just call it stupid, but the article provides a teachable moment for Americans interested in anything that resembles the American tradition. We could call these people conservatives or paleo-libertarians. The traditional term …more
The Federalist Papers are the most overrated series of essays in American history. That’s not a hot take. It’s a fact. They hold more weight because of the stature of the authors: Hamilton, Madison, and Jay. But that doesn’t make them any more important or useful than other commentaries on the Constitution written at the same time. In fact, they persuaded very few people and …more
Most Americans recognize a few of the Founding Fathers—Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Adams, Franklin—but what about some of the important but forgotten men who have been lost to time? They have great stories that need to be told. Here are ten whose fantastic lives are in many ways better than fiction.
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