The following thread is from a conversation conducted via email: –Hobbes21 ——————— Hey, Whole, I’m wondering what y’all think about the proposed automobile manufacturers’ bailout. Is it federalism at work, or diet socialism? Are the Big Three the last, best vestiges of a strong middle class, or simply lumbering dinosaurs? What is the price to our [...]
Posts under ‘PURPLE: Federalist Thinking’
The Ballad of Detroit
In Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jerod Diamond makes an interesting observation about peninsulas: the landform, much like an island, isolates a people. Peninsulas act as a force multiplier, granting a space easier defense, so that a polity might survive invasion by a much more powerful culture. (Think: Hot Gates and Isthmus of Corinth.) Conversely, a spit can bring the closed-culture [...]
Constitutional Thinking Requires Constitutional Teaching
At the National Academy today, Kevin Fox presented his thoughts on his own constitutional thinking and teaching. In the Academy tradition, his inquiry started with, “What is it?”. His answers included… Reasoned Reflective Creative constructive imaginative Present on-going Whole ordered (not orderly) Scientific systematic experimental Balanced (between extremes) Inclusive (of the parts and the whole) [...]
A school based on Constitutional Citizenship
Those of you at the second week of James Madison and Constitutional Citizenship at Montpelier may have heard about my school and our work with Professor Harris. Our charter high school was created by a group of parents in 1998 with a mission to teach citizenship. From the beginning we tried to fulfill this mission [...]
Heroes
What is a hero? What is an American hero? These were questions raised at a recent workshop at James Madison’s Montpelier http://www.montpelier.org/ . On display in the lobby of one of the buildings, there is a bust of “Jemmy” more than a bit out of proportion to his actual (slight) dimensions. However, artists sometimes exaggerate in [...]
Federalist Moments
For me, federalism is fast becoming a way of viewing the world. For example, I had a “federalist moment” immediately upon leaving Montpelier–at church, no less! The closing song included the words “Sing a new church into being”; given the degree to which “words make worlds,” it could happen! If you’re interested in the rest [...]
Campaign 2008 in the Box
Sparking curiosity and provoking puzzled stares, Professor Harris proposed his model of Federalist and Antifederalist thinking provides a useful lens for understanding this year’s presidential candidates. Those of us who want to draw a straight line to match today’s political parties to the Federalist and Antifederalist perspectives were baffled. How in the world did Hillary [...]
The American People and an Incredible Machine
With gadget fans across the country talking about the new 3G iPhone, it’s hard to argue about the innovative spirit of the American people. It’s a fact. We love our machines whether they’re speeding down the highways or probing the surface of Mars. I wonder, however, if there’s more to this particular characteristic of the [...]
Music!
I’ve been exploring the boxes through music, and it’s been pretty darn sweet. Minus the Norm-like bar tab, the search has offered continuous insight into the layers. As last summer, I’ll think that I have it figured out, then realize that I’m deconstructing or simplifying. It interests me to juxtapose anti-fed v. fed with political [...]
A Federalist Education
Some many days ago, a good countryman you know by the name of Maximus asked a group assembled before him, “what would a Federalist school look like?” His question suffered a long period of silence as those in attendance considered what they knew of Federalism…. Founded on fundamental rights… A new future imagined through the [...]
