U.S. History

Great Britain learned an important lesson from World War I. 

Jack Kemp, former HUD secretary and failed vice presidential candidate, recently proved that academic leftists aren't the only ones intolerant of politically incorrect ideas. He interrupted a luncheon speech I was giving at an academic conference by squirreling around in his seat, ostentatiously rolling his shoulders and eyes, and loudly and repeatedly moaning, "Jeez!" and "Oh Gawd!"

Conor Cruise O'Brien lets the mask drop on of his deplorable new book.

The conduct of contemporary American foreign policy flies in the face of the Constitution and much of our history.

My idea of a great president is one who acts in accordance with his oath of office to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." Not since the presidency of Grover Cleveland has any president achieved greatness by this standard. Worse, the most admired have been those who failed most miserably. Evidently my standard differs from that employed by others who judge presidential greatness.

David Frum's new collection of essays and columns is like the curate's egg good in parts. 

As usual, my reviews have been too generous. Although Lind's earlier work, The Next American Nation, struck me as fundamentally med to me possessed of an interesting historical imagination.

In a truly free society, it wouldn't matter who the president was. We wouldn't have to vote or pay attention to debates. We could ignore campaign commercials. There would be no high stakes for ourselves, our families, or the country. Liberty and property would be so secure that we could curse him, love him, or forget about him.

This is a much more radical book than its title suggests. Criticism of quotas and affirmative action is hardly new. As the authors note, opinion polls show a vast majority of the public opposed to these programs;

The Gold Standard Act of 1890, which officially established the gold standard in America, was the culmination of a twenty-year battle between inflationists, who favored unlimited government purchase of silver (the "Free Silver" movement), and the advocates of sound money based on the gold standard. The inflationists were led by Senator John Sherman, author of the 1890 Sherman Silver Purchase Act (as well as the monopolistic Sherman Antitrust Act), brother of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman.