For Independence Day, I take a deep dive into Declaration of Independence in terms of its unique place in history and the cause of freedom; the link between natural law and natural rights, faith and freedom; the Founding Fathers' emphasis on virtue and morality to sustain a free system of government; the criticality of the Declaration to understanding the Constitution, checks and balances, separation of powers, federalism and representative government; parallels between the charges laid out against King George III in the Declaration and today's federal Leviathan from the administrative state, to taxation without representation to sanctuary cities; the Founders' views on slavery, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and failing to live up to the values and principles of the Declaration; the imperative to defend liberty against tyranny.
Reference Materials Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence first draft slavery excerpt The Federalist Papers U.S. Constitution John Adams letter to Abigail Adams on celebrating Independence Day John Adams on rights and religion John Adams on slavery Calvin Coolidge 150th Anniversary of Independence Day Address Competitive Enterprise Institute's "Ten Thousand Commandments" (2018) Frederick Douglass on the Declaration and Constitution in opposition to slavery Frederick Douglass response to Dred Scott ruling Federal Government "Wastebook" (2017) Founding.com Benjamin Franklin on slavery Alexander Hamilton on rights and religion Alexander Hamilton on slavery Gary Lawson on the administrative state Abraham Lincoln on the Declaration and Constitution Abraham Lincoln on the Founders and slavery James Madison on slavery Nationwide injunctions Operation Drain the Swamp by Adam Andrzejewski Three Felonies a Day by Harvey Silverglate Alexis de Tocqueville on religion in America UN Arms Trade Treaty Vindicating the Founders George Washington on slavery The Rise and Fall of Constitutional Government in America by Thomas G. West and Douglas A. Jeffrey Woodrow Wilson's rejection of the Declaration prefaceThanks for Listening!
Check out other episodes, show notes and transcripts at benweingarten.com/bigideas.
Subscribe, rate and review: iTunes | Stitcher | Google | YouTube
Follow Ben: Web | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
Advertising & Sponsorship Inquiries: E-mail us.
___________
Backed Vibes (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rep. Mike Gallagher on the Challenge of Communist China
Rep Brad Wenstrup on the New Cold War with Communist China and Deep State Corruption
Hedge-Fund Manager Kyle Bass on Winning the Economic and Ideological Battle with Communist China
The Democrat-Deep State-Media Cover-Up that Protected the Russiagate Narrative -- Revisiting Awangate with Luke Rosiak
Robert Spencer on Islamic Supremacism, U.S. Middle East Policy, Defeating Jihad
U.S. Amb. to Germany Richard Grenell on Iran Sanctions Snapback, U.S. Energy Competition with Russia in the EU, Chancellor Merkel
Ex-NSC Official Allegedly Fired Over Memo Warning Trump of ‘Deep State’ Resistance: ‘There’s a Whiff of Tyranny in the Air’ from Politicization and Weaponization of the NatSec Apparatus
Did the 'Deep State' Deep Six Pentagon's Lovinger Over Discovery of Shady Defense Department Contracts to FBI Trump Informant Stefan Halper?
Former CIA Operative Charles Sam Faddis on Disastrous Politicization of the Intelligence Community, How China's 'Eating Our Lunch' in Intel and NatSec, The Grave (Ignored) Narco-Hezbollah-Failed State
How Leftism Supplanted Judaism and Subverted Israel and Zionism Under 'Tikkun Olam' -- Social Justice with a Perverse and Baseless Religious Veneer
Michael Ledeen on the Potential Collapse of Iran's Khomeinist Regime and America's Role, the False Sunni-Shia Jihadist Split, IC and Law Enforcement Sacking of Pro-Israel Political Opponents, Why Gen.
Dennis Prager on the Self-Righteously Suicidal West, the Disaster of Jewish Leftism, Intentions Versus Outcomes on the Left and Right, Western Values and Immigration, Social Media Censorship and Prage
Richard Epstein on Classical Liberalism, the Administrative State, Free Speech, Silicon Valley Regulation
Confucius Institutes: Centers for Chinese Cultural Exchange, or Trojan Horses for Propaganda and Penetration of U.S. Colleges?
Democrat Pollster Doug Schoen on Lessons from a Life in Politics, Being a Liberal in a Progressive Age, Learning from Clinton and Nixon, Threats from China and Russia
Penn Law's Amy Wax on Being Ousted from Her First-Year Class Over Comments on Race, Performance and Bourgeois Values, Attacks on Free Speech, Criticism of Affirmative Action and Diversity, Anti-Wester
Andrew C. McCarthy on Russiagate, Clinton-Trump Investigation Double Standards, Mueller's Mandate, DOJ-FBI-CIA Politicization (Part II)
Andrew C. McCarthy: Lessons from the Blind Sheikh Terror Trial, What Animates Jihadists, Why U.S. Middle East Policy Fails, Collapsing Iran's Regime (Part I)
Andrew Klavan on the Criticality of Conservative Competition in Culture, Regressive Progressivism, Political Correctness and Free Speech
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free