In last week’s column, I posed the question of whether Barack Obama was a socialist or not, given the current definition of the ideology. I think the evidence is clear that he is. Obama likes to boast that we, as a nation, have learned from our history. But, as he seeks to implement more socialism,Continue reading “Early Episodes of American Socialism”
Category Archives: Paternalism
The Truth About Wealth Re-Distribution
A recurring theme throughout this campaign season has been the distribution of the nation’s wealth, stirred by President Obama and the Occupy movement. A new phrase has entered the American political lexicon: the 99 percent versus 1 percent. Mitt Romney stirred up the political waters recently with remarks about wealth distribution and government dependency. “ThereContinue reading “The Truth About Wealth Re-Distribution”
The Re-Distribution of Wealth Debate in 1894: An Excerpt from The Last Jeffersonian
On December 19, 1893, William L. Wilson, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, rolled out a new tariff reform bill, which passed the House on February 1, 1894 by a significant margin, 204 to 140. Tariff duties were modestly cut by 15 percent. However, to make up for any projected loss of revenue,Continue reading “The Re-Distribution of Wealth Debate in 1894: An Excerpt from The Last Jeffersonian”
Drought 1887 versus Drought 2012: A Lesson from Grover Cleveland
Droughts periodically strike the United States and this year is no different, as a severe calamity has affected at least half the country, the worst, at least so far, since 1956. The House of Representatives recently passed a one-year relief bill, yet the Senate adjourned for August recess without acting on it. Senate Democrats haveContinue reading “Drought 1887 versus Drought 2012: A Lesson from Grover Cleveland”
The Dangers of a Cashless Society
Many conservatives and civil libertarians erroneously believed that the implementation of the ObamaCare bill would be the final nail in the coffin of a free society, which is why President Obama spent a full year trying so hard to implement it. But I respectfully disagree. Though it is part of the same big government scheme,Continue reading “The Dangers of a Cashless Society”
When Tyranny Comes to Main Street
“Which is better,” Boston clergyman Mather Byles is reputed to have asked, “to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away, or by three thousand tyrants not a mile away?” Many loyalists and fence sitters during the very early days of the American Revolution pondered that very point. It did not mean they wereContinue reading “When Tyranny Comes to Main Street”
The FDA’s War on Health Choice
In 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt signed the Pure Food and Drug Act into law, which eventually led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a new regulatory agency that would ensure that the American people would consume only the best food and pharmaceuticals. To conservatives who distrust government power, liberals are fondContinue reading “The FDA’s War on Health Choice”
Jeffersonian Solutions for America’s Problems
The United States faces an abundance of problems, a weak economy, an abundance of public expenditures, out of control entitlements, and an over-expansive foreign policy, to name a few. These issues are getting worse, not better, with no end in sight. In recent decades, politicians of nearly every conceivable stripe have offered solutions, all toContinue reading “Jeffersonian Solutions for America’s Problems”
History Repeating Itself: Grover Cleveland and Modern American society
During Grover Cleveland’s eight years in the presidential chair, he confronted national problems nearly identical to those America faces today. There are numerous issues with striking similarities, but the three major ones stand out above all others are – the economy, paternalism, and foreign affairs.
Paternalism’s Foe: Grover Cleveland
Politicians, pundits, and scholars have wrestled over a central question throughout American political and constitutional history: What role should the government have in the lives of ordinary citizens? For Jeffersonian Conservatives, such as Grover Cleveland, the government has no business involving itself in areas outside its limited, constitutional role, and should never take a positionContinue reading “Paternalism’s Foe: Grover Cleveland”
Ryan S. Walters 