Category — For The Record

The Winter 2011/2012 issue of the Claremont Review of Books was packed full of interesting reviews and essays (as they all are.) One of these provided the inspiration for this article, which examines the efficacy of international tribunals in changing the hearts and minds of those under their jurisdiction.   Read the rest of this entry »

James Best's latest book, Principled Action provides an excellent analysis of the American Founding and what made it unique. However, it also provides considerable insight into the motivations of the current grass-roots movement for a return to constitutionalism. Thus Principled Action is 9 parts history and 1 part political philosophy.   Read the rest of this entry »

The following is an excerpt from an essay written by Fisher Ames while Massachusetts was struggling with the Shays' Rebellion in 1786. The man could write!   Read the rest of this entry »

It is interesting to look at the Federalists through the lens of history. Hamilton, Madison and Jay were frequently spot on with their observations and predictions. Some of Hamilton's arguments are a little hard to follow in their logic, but in spite of his occasional rhetorical license, he was right more often than not.   Read the rest of this entry »

T. Coleman Andrews served as IRS commissioner during the Eisenhower administration. Following his resignation, he made the following statement which seems apropos for the weekend that all of our tax returns are due.   Read the rest of this entry »

Twitter is pretty good at making comparisons ...   Read the rest of this entry »

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you! Here is a quick look at some parts of the narrative.   Read the rest of this entry »

In this Federalist, Hamilton seeks to address concerns about the dangers of standing army. Many of his arguments are logical, but could also be applied to different ends. It is interesting to consider the connotations implied by some of the general principles that he lays out.   Read the rest of this entry »

A similar line with a different pronoun was made famous by Ronald Reagan during the 1980 presidential campaign. It was in response to Carter’s repetition of claims regarding Reagan’s position on Medicare. It gained currency because it was so representative of both Reagan’s sense of humor and his ability to turn the tables on political opponents.   Read the rest of this entry »

Jim compares the smarmy half truths and outright lies of our president to Eddie Haskell.   Read the rest of this entry »