Daniel Morris

Constitutional Intent Perverted

Jan 4, 2012 at 1:55 PM

By Daniel Morris

In 1823 John Taylor wrote a book titled “New Views of the Constitution of the United States.” A strange title for a book written so close to the ratification of the US Constitution, I had originally thought -- however, after reading the book the title is very appropriate and it should be mandatory reading for anyone with a desire to learn the true nature of our government. The secret journals of the Constitutional Convention were not published until 1821 and it was these journals that spurred John Taylor into writing this book:

Had the journal of the convention which framed the constitution of the United States, though obscure and incomplete, been published immediately after its ratification, it would have furnished lights towards a true construction, sufficiently clear to have prevented several trespasses upon its principles, and tendencies towards its subversion. Perhaps it may not be yet too late to lay before the publick the important evidence it furnishes.

It was the opinion of John Taylor that the same men who promoted and argued for a consolidated national government during the convention were the same men who, after the ratification, were attempting to interpret and “construct” meanings from the document that were never intended.

Clearing Up Some Misinformation, Part 2

Dec 15, 2011 at 3:51 PM

By Daniel Morris

In Part 1 of my commentary, called Clearing Up Some Misinformation, Part 1, I wrote about some of the incorrect characterization’s in President Obama’s speech about free markets and the policies of the 1920s as he addressed Osawatomie High School on December 6, 2011. I focused on some general terms, such as ‘markets’ and ‘economy’ and I also focused heavily on the government policies of the 1920s and how they were not laissez –faire. In part two, I will focus on the 1950s and 1960s and see how the President’s characterization stacks up to historical accuracy. The President said in his speech:

Now, it’s a simple theory [free market economics]. And we have to admit, it’s one that speaks to our rugged individualism and our healthy skepticism of too much government. That’s in America’s DNA. And that theory fits well on a bumper sticker. But here’s the problem: It doesn’t work. It has never worked. It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression. It’s not what led to the incredible postwar booms of the ‘50s and ‘60s. And it didn’t work when we tried it during the last decade. I mean, understand, it’s not as if we haven’t tried this theory.

The President says that the free market is not what led to the postwar booms of the 1950s and 1960s but implied that it was government working in concert with private industry that created prosperity. So what did lead to the postwar booms of the ‘50s and ‘60s?

Clearing Up Some Misinformation, Part 1

Dec 9, 2011 at 1:47 PM

By Daniel Morris

President Obama gave a speech at Osawatomie High School on December 6, 2011, where he declared freedom and free markets to be dead, unworkable ideas which have been tried and proven to fail. The President claims that free people making decisions about how to allocate their labor and resources (the free market) is a simple theory that appeals to our rugged individualism, but that it does not work and has never worked:

… there is a certain crowd in Washington who, for the last few decades, have said, let’s respond to this economic challenge with the same old tune. “The market will take care of everything,” they tell us. If we just cut more regulations and cut more taxes -- especially for the wealthy -- our economy will grow stronger. Sure, they say, there will be winners and losers. But if the winners do really well, then jobs and prosperity will eventually trickle down to everybody else. And, they argue, even if prosperity doesn’t trickle down, well, that’s the price of liberty.
Now, it’s a simple theory. And we have to admit, it’s one that speaks to our rugged individualism and our healthy skepticism of too much government. That’s in America’s DNA. And that theory fits well on a bumper sticker. But here’s the problem: It doesn’t work. It has never worked. It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression. It’s not what led to the incredible postwar booms of the ‘50s and ‘60s. And it didn’t work when we tried it during the last decade. I mean, understand, it’s not as if we haven’t tried this theory.

With all the misinformation contained in these two paragraphs, I am not sure where to begin.