Monthly Archive: February 2017
With President Trump’s appointment of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, the country again agonizes over the vast powers the high bench has arrogated to itself. But wasn’t it supposed to be “the least dangerous branch to the political rights of the Constitution,” as Alexander Hamilton promised in Federalist No. 78 way back on June 14, 1788? He continued, “The Executive not only dispenses the honors, but holds the sword of the community. The legislature not only commands the purse, but prescribes the rules by which the duties and rights of every citizen are to be regulated. The...
Some weeks ago we started to get our first annual renewals from those who were among the first to come along with us on our subscription-based website. Last year was a chance to experiment with different shows, formats, hosts, etc. We’ve decided to up our game this year by adding two more shows every month, and by releasing all of our 2016 content, what we are dubbing as “Season Zero,” out into Soundcloud/ITunes/Google Play for the public to consume without needing to log into our site. We feel that all of that content will be sufficient to pique the interest...
For good or ill—or rather for good AND ill–Southern statesmen and political thinkers could not afford the comfortable illusions of Mr. Jefferson’s Declaration. Calhoun admired Jefferson, but, exasperated by the assertion of natural equality, he lamented the inclusion of that one little phrase, “all men are created equal.” Before too long, Calhoun’s disciples—and his opponents—took up his insight and developed the argument. James Henry Hammond, when reproached on the floor of the Senate, for defending the evil institution of slavery they had eliminated in the North, fired back, “the name but not the thing.” George Fitzhugh went to the extreme of...
By John Seiler Will Donald Trump work out a “deal” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that finally brings peace to the longsuffering Ukrainian people? First, a little history. No country has suffered more in the past 100 years than Ukraine. Not even Cambodia and Rwanda, the sites of huge massacres, which at least were of limited duration. Living under the czars was no bowl of warm borshcht to begin with, although Ukraine was so fertile it was the “breadbasket of Europe.” Then World War I hit, with much of the worst fighting on the Eastern...
Looking Back to Glory A Brief Presentation to the Abbeville Institute Hopswee Plantation, 21 January 2017 When Don Livingston told me that participants in this seminar were supposed to celebrate some aspect of the Southern tradition, my mind—a lint-trap for useless facts that occlude my consciousness like floaters on the surface of the eye—churned up from its turgid depths a song popular the year I was born, though it was written much earlier. It’s a way way down where the cane grows tall Down where they say “you all” Walk on in with that southern drawl ‘Cause that’s what I...
The other day I came across a book that was being advertized on Amazon, and it was called Christ’s Ventriloquists. The blurb said it was “a work of investigative history” and the author described himself as an “investigative historian.” Now, at the risk of giving the reader apoplexy, I want to quote from this blurb. The book, burbles the blurb, “documents and describes Christianity’s creation event, which occurred in Antioch 20 years after Jesus had been crucified in Jerusalem for sedition against Roman rule. At this event, Paul broke away from the Jewish sect that Jesus had begun, and he...
In this special edition of the Fleming Foundation podcast, Dr. Srdja Trifkovic and Stephen Heiner discuss the so-called “Muslim Ban” of President Donald Trump, the domestic and worldwide response, and what the next 6-12 months might portend. Show Sponsor: Members Who Support Our Work Original Air Date: February 7, 2017 Show Run Time: 26 minutes Show Guest(s): Dr. Srdja Trifkovic Show Host(s): Stephen Heiner The Fleming Foundation · FF Podcast, Episode 4: “Muslim Ban” The Fleming Foundation Podcast℗ is a Production of the Fleming Foundation. Copyright 2017. All Rights are Reserved.
In recent weeks, there have been so many tempests in teapots, there is no room for tea. (Hint to readers who are no good at metaphors: tea = actual news.) All Trump has to do is make an off-the-cuff but substantially true observation, and everyone goes wild—not just the official press of the Democratic Party, which is virtually all the major media outlets—but the Republican leadership. Case in point: When the preposterous O’Reilly objected to Donald Trump’s polite words about Vladimir Putin, saying “But he’s a killer,” the President replied, “There are a lot of killers. You think our country’s...
Trump’s first two weeks have been, if not especially interesting, predictably exciting. A pattern has already begun to emerge: Trump attempts to carry out one of the promises on which he successfully campaigned for the White House, and his measures are met with criticism, abuse, and public rioting. It will be some time before we can know whether this pattern is merely a temporary panic attack or one that holds for the duration of his term in office. By now my readers probably do not need to be told that the Bill of Rights does not protect people who...
In this first podcast of 2017, Dr. Fleming explores the notion of “ethics” within the constructs of the Odyssey and within the character of Odysseus himself. Can a liar and someone unfaithful to his wife be seen to be ethical? What are ethics in the ancient world? And how do they relate to Christianity? Original Air Date: February 4, 2017 Show Run Time: 52 minutes Show Guest(s): Dr. Thomas Fleming Show Host(s): Stephen Heiner Christianity and Classical Culture℗ is a Production of the Fleming Foundation. Copyright 2017. All rights are reserved and any duplication without explicit written permission is forbidden.
