Posted in Classical Liberalism on Feb 11th, 2022
From Frederick Douglass’ Plea for Freedom of Speech in Boston: Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one’s thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. It is the right which they first of all strike down. They know its power. Thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, […]
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Posted in Classical Liberalism on Jul 4th, 2021
It is, and always was, a great idea. Here is an excerpt from Jefferson’s first draft of the Declaration: he has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in […]
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Posted in Classical Liberalism on Jun 3rd, 2021
Here is Madison in Federalist #62: “In another point of view, great injury results from an unstable government. The want of confidence in the public councils damps every useful undertaking, the success and profit of which may depend on a continuance of existing arrangements. What prudent merchant will hazard his fortunes in any new branch […]
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Wherein Cornell tries to put the locomotive back on the tracks. I doubt it will do much, it may be performative too, but at least they are recognizing the cancer. Cornell Policy Statement on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech and Expression Cornell University respects and is committed to fundamental principles of academic freedom and […]
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Posted in Classical Liberalism on Jan 18th, 2021
Frederick Douglass, December 9, 1860. Boston, MA: No right was deemed by the fathers of the Government more sacred than the right of speech. It was in their eyes, as in the eyes of all thoughtful men, the great moral renovator of society and government. Daniel Webster called it a homebred right, a fireside privilege. […]
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I’d add, “just leave people the hell alone” and our world would be immeasurably better. Here is a bit from Alex Tabarrok’s tribute to Walter Williams: Our colleague, the great Walter Williams, died on Tuesday shortly after teaching his last class–which is exactly how he would have wanted to go. He was 84 and had […]
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Posted in Constitution on Nov 29th, 2020
I’ve always believed there should be a much larger congress, with the end of gerrymandering districts as well. I never realized that the proposed first amendment to the constitution actually would have called for a huge number of reps. Sadly it was only approved in the house and not by the senate. Here it is: […]
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It is obviously extremely hard to pin down a solid figure for how many people are going to be displaced due to the challenges posed by a warming planet. But virtually every publication I have read on the challenges of global warming rank the issue of “climate refugees” as both a serious political and economic […]
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