I feel like I just stepped into the twilight zone. The Washington Times ran an editorial today supportive of state nullification of unconstitutional acts! And they got the history right to boot! I felt like I was reading my own talking points. Early in our history, nullification was also prominently used by free states to..
Read moreThe Tangled Logic of a Critic
I recently wrote an article arguing that the federal government was never meant to serve as a "liberty enforcement squad." I was basically trying to illustrate the concept of delegation of powers through the use of an analogy. Ross sent me an email taking me to task. He believes the federal government SHOULD enforce its..
Read moreMaybe the Problem is the Rope!
The political process in the U.S. resembles a giant game of tug-o-war. On one side, we have team blue. On the other, team red. The two opponents battle endlessly for control of the rope. The Republicans implore Americans to pull for team red. On the other side, Democrats encourage bystanders to jump in and tug..
Read moreCommerce Clause Does Not Trump the Second Amendment
Over the last couple of weeks, I've read comments from several "legal experts" asserting that the Constitution's commerce clause allows for the regulation of firearms. Granted, the Supreme Court would likely agree with that assessment. The Court has basically stretched the commerce clause to the point that it allows the federal government to do anything..
Read moreThe Constitution means what it means!
Many Americans treat the Constitution like a moving target. Recently, I've faced opposition to various constitutional arguments falling into two broad categories. 1. Those who embrace the "living breathing" philosophy. These folks generally believe the constitution was meant to "flex" with the times. They will still hold fast, even tenaciously, to certain constitutional principles, but..
Read moreMonopoly: Good Board Game, Bad Politics
My wife manages a store for the country’s largest grocery chain. Kroger raked in over $90 billion in sales during fiscal year 2012. The company employees some 339,000 people and runs more than 3,000 stores, either directly or through its subsidiaries. Now imagine for a moment Kroger was granted a total monopoly on grocery sales..
Read moreFoundational Principles
It takes about 37 seconds of involvement in the political process to realize that most of the players don't root their actions in any principles. Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that pragmatism is their principle. By and large, politics is all about seizing, consolidating and holding on to power. That's why..
Read moreTrying Times
I'm an optimist by nature. Even so, sometimes I become discouraged and frustrated. Activism certainly has its ups and downs, and the downs can become downright disillusioning. I had one of those nights earlier this week. I spoke at an event, passionately presenting the blueprint for rolling back overreaching federal power through nullification at the..
Read moreWhy I Fight…
Sometimes I rail against people whose lives revolve around the next big ballgame or the next episode of American Idol. And sometimes I envy them. Every morning I wake up knowing I will find myself in some kind of fight. I never know where the attack will come from. Perhaps from a politician. Maybe from..
Read moreNanny Bloomberg’s Declaration of War
Daddy Bloomberg sometimes knows best. “I do think there are certain times we should infringe on your freedom,” NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during an appearance on Meet the Press. Here's a question: do you believe that any person has some inherent attribute that makes him superior to you, and therefore innately bestowed with the..
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