Stories From The Hiber-nation

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat. Book Theme: "Friendly Day" from Kevin MacLeod

The same subject continued... continued. The original text from Congress.gov Book Theme: "Prelude in C Major" from Kevin MacLeod  Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat  Comments via the https://www.speakpipe.com/grizzlysgrowls  Comment Line: 218-234-CALL   218-234-2255  Contributions: https://www.patreon.com/grizzlysgrowls

Back in the saddle, with a few saddle sores.  And a bit of news. And then, The Same Subject Continued. The original text from Congress.gov Book Theme: "Prelude in C Major" from Kevin MacLeod  Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat  Comments via the https://www.speakpipe.com/grizzlysgrowls  Comment Line: 218-234-CALL   218-234-2255  Contributions: https://www.patreon.com/grizzlysgrowls

Everybody agreed the Articles of Confederacy weren't working.  Not everyone agreed how much needed to be changed. The original text from Congress.gov Book Theme: "Prelude in C Major" from Kevin MacLeod  Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat  Comments via the https://www.speakpipe.com/grizzlysgrowls  Comment Line: 218-234-CALL   218-234-2255  Contributions: https://www.patreon.com/grizzlysgrowls  

Hello, welcome back for Federalist # 14, "Objections to the Proposed Constitution From Extent of Territory Answered." You know, I do love reading these older works aloud for you. I like to think it adds a living energy to words to which you and I have paid far too little attention for far too long. I've mentioned that I don't read ahead very much, to keep the material fresh for me. I like suprises as much as you folks do. Much of the Federalist papers are rather calm, rather clerical, rather tame. The first part of this essay is much the same. But towards the end, there's quite a crescendo, lemme tell ya. This one purports to be written by James Madison, though the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society argues that most or all were written by Hamilton. That's possible. But it seems to me the more firey essays do seem to be attributed to Madison. So it's an intriguing question. And it's nice to find an intriguing question about something written 230 years ago. Hope I do it justice. Good day!   The original text

Hello, we meet again, this time for Federalist # 13, "Advantage of the Union in Respect to Economy in Government." Once again, the Federalist's primary argument for the Constitution is that it is the only way to preserve the Union, all the states working together. That argument is assumed throughout this essay. And once again, the Federalist gives us an answer to a question raised in our current era. Hamilton contends that there are functions that must be carried out by the national government, whether that nation be one state, one of three or more confederacies, or a nation comprised of all the thirteen states. With that in mind, a single government would be most economical, without duplicating necessary national functions three times, or thirteen times. Modern politicians often argue that the Federal government is too expensive and inefficient. I'd counter that people governing themselves is expensive and inefficient, and worth preserving. The alternative offered is not some better Federal government. It is

Hello again. Tonight is Federalist # 12, which is all about Revenue. Or in other words, tax collecting. Naturally this one is written by Alexander Hamilton, the banker. He founded the Bank of New York. Later on, President George Washington appointed him as the first Secretary of the Treasury, and in that capacity he also founded the first Bank of the United States. So he would be the one to write an essay to convince the people of New York that the Constitution would be a great idea, because the government would be better at collecting taxes. I admit I got a bit of a chuckle out of that. Can't picture a modern legislator promoting anything with the idea it'd let the Federal government collect more taxes. Anyway, I found it a bit amusing. Then again, I also get many of the dirty jokes in Shakespeare. The modern debates on reforming the tax code, basically started with the work of Alexander Hamilton. But he does make some valid points. No government can do much without revenue, no one can, really. If it's got t

Hello again. Tonight I'm recording Federalist #11. This is not the most exciting essay to the modern ear, being primarily about international trade, especially by sea. The ending does get a bit firey. I am not a trained historian, just a history fan, I suppose. In 1787 America didn't have much of a navy to speak of. And British naval power, or French for that matter, was much stronger. The only advantage we had was the very long way they had to travel to do much of anything to us, and the ongoing conflicts between Britain and France, which made conflict with us an inconvenient side issue in many ways. I find the coverage of American Naval potential interesting in the very different resources necessary for naval building in those days: tar, pitch, turpentine and the strong wood available from the southern states, oh, and some of the iron from the north, too. The essay also mentions hypothetically cutting off direct trade with Britain, and how it might put us in a strong position negotiating a trade treaty with

Hello again and welcome to Federalist #10. You may remember I mentioned I'd be recording this the same night as #9. I was startled to notice that #9, "The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection" was written by Hamilton, and was rather intellectual. But #10, "The Same Subject Continued" came from James Madison, who seems so staid in the pictures, but who's a bit of a firebrand in this essay. There's a lot to love about this one. Once again the author wrote a couple of centuries back, but seems to have watched TV last night. While I'm sure there was a temptation to high-flown rhetoric, Madison was cold-bloodedly pragmatic about the vulnerabilities of the Republic. He knew it wouldn't be perfect, but he knew it could be protected and made better. I also noted Madison's reference to "the most numerous party, or, in other words, the most powerful faction," which reminded me of John Stuart Mill's mention in On Liberty, Chapter One, of "the majority, or those who succeed in making themselves

Tonight I'm recording Federalist number 9. I'm sorry that I'm way behind the weekly recordings I originally planned. It was such a lovely plan, wasn't it? I'm going to try to record two tonight, so I can get caught back up. I feel like there ought to be three aspects of this essay for me to comment about, but I can only think of two. First I note that Hamilton describes generally the best and worst of the ancient Greek and Roman republics. These descriptions feel all too well fitted around our own necks. Listen for yourself, tell me I'm wrong, because I'd like to be. Secondly I note that Hamilton defends the new Constitution by pointing out new innovations in republican government that should prevent the worst excesses of past republics. He's quite right, they should. But these new ideas aren't magical incantations, inscriptions and annointings that will frighten off all possible future demons. These are practices and processes, habits and jobs. And these jobs must be done every day by those we've hired to do