Posts Tagged ‘political philosophy’
Two False God’s: Pleasure and Security
Called Unto Liberty, Albert E. Bowen, 20th Century Sermons Today, however, men are not building for durability either in their structures, their lives, their religious faiths, or their institutions. The result is a troubled world. Everywhere is anxiety and the dread arising from uncertainty which halts or stays all the normal processes of life. [...]
Spontaneous? I Think Not
by Steve Farrell From the mouth of university professors, U.S. State Department officials, and the media we repeatedly hear the mantra that socialist and communist revolutions are brought about by "the spontaneous actions of oppressed peoples." In one sense, there is nothing false about this; that is in the only sense possible, that Marx and [...]
Madison’s Notes: Federal Convention of 1787, August 25
Liberty Letters, 25 August 1787, James Madison The 1st. clause of 1 Sect. of art: VII 2 being reconsidered Col. MASON objected to the term "shall" — fullfil the engagements & discharge the debts &c as too strong. It may be impossible to comply with it. The Creditors should be kept in the same plight. They will in one respect be [...]
Madison’s Notes: Federal Convention of 1787: August 24
Liberty Letters, 24 August 1787, James Madison Governour LIVINGSTON, from the Committee of Eleven, to whom were referred the two remaining clauses of the 4th. Sect & the 5 & 6 Sect: of the 7th. art: 2 delivered in the following Report: "Strike out so much of the 4th Sect: as was referred to the Committee and insert — "The migration or [...]
Enduring Standards of the Pioneers
Called Unto Liberty, Ezra Taft Benson, 20th Century Sermons Were these indomitable pioneers to express in words their fundamental beliefs, so manifest in their acts, surely they would counsel us to believe: In the dignity of work; that the world owes no man a living, that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living. They would counsel us [...]
Impulse Purchase a Crowning Event — T.F. Stern
By T.F. Stern, There was a short information piece on the Today Show last week explaining how grocery stores are laid out in order to entice impulse buying; items that weren’t on your list that end up going in the basket prior to hitting the check out counter. Men out pace women by a considerable margin in this area, falling for spot items [...]
Exaggerating Differences
Tyranny Unmasked, 1904, Vladimir Lenin But every little difference may become a big one if it is insisted on. __________________________ Source: Lenin, One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, “Paragraph One of the Rules” (1904)
Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address
Liberty Letters, 1801, President Thomas Jefferson Friends & Fellow Citizens, Called upon to undertake the duties of the first Executive office of our country, I avail myself of the presence of that portion of my fellow citizens which is here assembled to express my grateful thanks for the favor with which they have been pleased to look [...]
Madison’s Notes: The Federal Convention of 1787: August 21
Liberty Letters, 21 August 1787, James Madison Editor's Summary: Governor Livingston reads report from the Committee of Eleven granting Congress the power to discharge the debts incurred by the United States as well as the debts of the several states during the late war, and to make laws for organizing and disciplining the militia, or such part [...]
On the Adoption of the Federal Constitution
Liberty Letters, 1788, Alexander Hamilton I AM persuaded, Mr. Chairman, that I in my turn shall be indulged in addressing the committee. We all in equal sincerity profess to be anxious for the establishment of a republican government on a safe and solid basis. It is the object of the wishes of every honest man in the United States, and I presume [...]
Rights, Wrongs, and the Law
By Steve Farrell One of the oddest, most harmful political beliefs to emerge in the past 50 years is the notion that one cannot legislate morality. What utter nonsense. Man has always legislated morality. Sir William Blackstone, the central legal mind the post-1787 U.S. courts looked to for guidance, wrote, “The primary and principle objects [...]
The Enemy of True Benevolence and Proper Gratitude
Prophet Statesmen, Albert E. Bowen These systems rely for their financial resources upon public treasuries which are fed out of the taxation of the people. The donor thus becomes not a voluntary giver but a compelled giver. Between him and the beneficiaries of his contribution there is no bond, hence the character building value which attends [...]
No Exceptions: Idleness, Theft, and Spiritual Consequences
Prophet Statesmen, Albert E. Bowen If it is an evil to be idle, and to live willingly and unnecessarily off the toil of someone else, as the Lord has clearly said it is, then it is equally an evil regardless of the age of the recipient. God has set no age limit on the operation of His law. Besides being a temporal law it is attended by [...]
Robbing Man of His Divine Heritage
By Steve Farrell In the long battle to subvert the liberties of man a key to victory over the forces of liberty has always included center stage: 1. an all out effort to subvert the Judeo-Christian belief that man is a child of God, made in His image and likeness, possessed of a duel nature of spirit and body, endowed with the godlike qualities [...]
Just As Culpable
Prophet Statesmen, J. Reuben Clark Jr. We may first name the obvious “dole” complex—the complex that believes that the Government can and should support the body politic. This, plus planned hunger and want to give apparent justification for the “dole”, have been major factors with the revolutionists of other countries. Any [...]
Madison’s Notes: The Federal Convention of 1787: 20 August
Liberty Letters, 20 August 1787, James Madison ___________________ Editor's Summary: Pinckney and Morris introduced quite a number of new motions, all of which were sent to committee without discussion, some of them seeming quite contradictory, ranging from items that would belong in a Bill of Rights, to items that had all the appearances of [...]
Madison’s Notes: The Federal Convention of 1787, August 18
Liberty Letters, 18 August 1787, James Madison ____________________ Editor's Summary: Madison submits a list of powers to be added to Congress, to include, surprisingly, the creation of a National University, the power to create encouragements beyond securing patents to advance "useful knowledge and discoveries" by "offering premiums and [...]
State Rights: But Forms and Shadows …
American Gumbo with Diane Alden The greater the abuse of power, the more obstinately is it always persisted in. As to any expectation of two thirds of the legislatures concurring in such a request, it is if possible still more remote. The legislatures of the states will be but forms and shadows, and it will be the height of arrogance and [...]
A Meaningless Old Parchment?
by Steve Farrell Today we are bombarded with the idea that private virtue has nothing to do, nothing to say, about proper governing and the maintenance of free government. Not so among America's Founders. On August 14, 1787, John Francis Mercer, a Delegate from Maryland to the Constitutional Convention rose to his feet. He said: What led to [...]
Madison’s Notes: Federal Convention of 1787: August 10
Liberty Letters, 10 August 1787, James Madison Art. VI. Sect. 2. 1, 2 taken up. Mr. PINKNEY. The Committee as he had conceived were instructed to report the proper qualifications of property for the members of the Natl. Legislature; instead of which they have referred the task to the Natl. Legislature itself. Should it be left on this footing, [...]
Democratic Thinker: Novanglus Essay No. 10: John Adams
The American Revolution—The Novanglus Essays John Adams, under the signature of Novanglus, published a series of essays in Boston just prior to the start of the armed conflict in America. An answer to the Massachusettensis essays, Adams laid out the American position on the natural rights of individual Americans and the rights enjoyed by all [...]
Is Democracy the Voice of God?
By Steve Farrell Back in August 2010, Judge Vaughn Walker engaged in the increasingly played tyrannical game: "Stroke of the pen. Law of the land. Kinda cool!" when with no other authority than his own high opinion of himself and his revolutionary view of what he'd like California and American law to become, he struck down California's [...]
More strivings within — T.F. Stern
By T.F. Stern, This morning one of the hymns landed on my unsettled soul at the close of our meetings, More Holiness Give Me . I’m getting ahead of myself; time to set the stage. These past few months one of my projects has been to create and establish Fiercely Independent Locksmiths of America (FILOA), on a shoe string budget from petty cash [...]
Madison’s Notes: Federal Convention of 1787: August 9
Liberty Letters, 9 August 1787, James Madison Editor's Summary: The most significant discussion had to do with citizenship requirement in the Senate. See my column on the subject: "Common Sense and the Debate on Minimum Citizenship Requirements at the Constitutional Convention." Steve Farrell Art: IV. Sect. 6. 1, 2 Mr. RANDOLPH expressed his [...]
Blessed Tolerance: The Virtue of a Republic in Decline
By Steve Farrell Approximately two and a half millennia ago, Plato, in his classic work, "The Republic," unveiled a more intimate look into our just discussed "National Law of the Harvest" – that is, Plato unveiled with precision and wit just what happens by and by to the individual 'democratic man' when he foolishly, or by matter of course, [...]
Libertarianism’s Folly, Part Two
By Selwyn Duke In a piece I recently wrote about the dangers inherent in libertarianism, I pointed out that libertarians, by applying their live-and-let-live philosophy to the moral sphere as well as the governmental, do nothing to maintain the societal moral framework that enables people to govern themselves from within and that ensures Big [...]
Madison’s Notes: Federal Convention of 1787: August 8
Liberty Letters, 8 August 1787, James Madison Editor's Summary: John F. Mercer of Virginia opposed the entire plan (he disliked the idea of a strong federal government) and then went on to express his opinion that candidates for Congress ought to be nominated by the state legislatures, and then voted on by the people. This because he mistrusted [...]
Socialists: Individuals Ambitious for Position and Power
Prophet Statesmen, Joseph F. Merrill Now, in view of the eminent leadership position American industry has attained in the world, how is it that in recent years moves have been made that ultimately will practically destroy our free- enterprise system and end in socialism or statism or a welfare state (take your choice of terms), moves tending to [...]
Madison’s Notes: Federal Convention of 1787: August 7
Liberty Letters, 7 August 1787, James Madison Editor's Summary: The Report of the Committee of detail was taken up. Col. Mason doubted the propriety of giving each branch a negative on the other "in all cases." Debated. Point of interest: Rufus King could not think there would be a necessity for a meeting every year. A great vice in our [...]
Democratic Thinker: Samuel and John Adams on Govt., Letter 3
Four Letters on the Important Subject of Government An exchange of letters between cousins Samuel Adams and John Adams—written in 1790 and published in a small pamphlet in 1802—illustrates the differing political philosophies of Samuel, for the Republicans (Democrats), and John, for the Federalists (Whigs). Let us be impartial. There is [...]
