August Glen-James - Raw History (Page 3)

August Glen-James

The Politician: Thoughts by H. L. Mencken, 1940.

General Interest

The Politician: Thoughts by H. L. Mencken, 1940.

Mencken's analysis of the politician seems, in the main, to be timeless wisdom, as applicable today as it was when he wrote it. But, the reader can make that judgement. August Glen-James, editor “In politics,” he said, “man must learn to rise above principle.” Then he drove it in with

Government: Its Inner Nature. Thoughts by H. L. Mencken, 1919

Political Philosophy

Government: Its Inner Nature. Thoughts by H. L. Mencken, 1919

H. L. Mencken had a sharp wit . . . and a sharp pencil. His observations about government will ring a consonant note with most readers, regardless of personal politics. Enjoy! August Glen-James, editor The ideal government of all reflective men, from Aristotle onward, is one which lets the individual alone—one which

Freedom of Speech: Thoughts by C. Chauncey Burr, 1865

C Chauncey Burr

Freedom of Speech: Thoughts by C. Chauncey Burr, 1865

Freedom of speech has been in the news a lot lately as the nation, like a ship on the high seas, lists left and right in the heavy political storms of our day. Our nation has weathered heavy storms in the past with the nadir, arguably, being during the Civil

Truth: Thoughts By H. L. Mencken, 1922

General Interest

Truth: Thoughts By H. L. Mencken, 1922

In a work entitled, The Critical Process, H.L. Mencken addressed the concept of "truth." It may be a cynical take on the concept, but it gives one something to think about. August Glen-James, editor All that one may safely say of them is that no one, as yet, has

The Crowd: Thoughts By H. L. Mencken, 1918

General Interest

The Crowd: Thoughts By H. L. Mencken, 1918

Crowd dynamics have interested generations of thinkers. Various Ph.D. types have written articles on the subject; chapters in sociology and psychology books philosophize "deeply" about the topic, but H.L. Mencken stated the facts, as he saw them, in a way that only he could. Enjoy! August Glen-James, editor

The Average Civilized Man of Today: Thoughts By H.L. Mencken, 1924

The Average Civilized Man of Today: Thoughts By H.L. Mencken, 1924

That the average civilized man of today is inferior to the average civilized man of two or three generations ago is too plain to need arguing. He has less enterprise and courage; he is less resourceful and various; he is more like a rabbit and less like a lion. Harsh

Novanglus No. II: The Revolutionary Doctrines of John Adams, 1774

Novanglus No. II: The Revolutionary Doctrines of John Adams, 1774

Writing as "Massachusettensis" in the Massachusetts Gazette, Daniel Leonard argued that Parliament had a constitutional right to exercise authority over the American colonies. The denial of this "right" was the central theme of America's revolutionaries; consequently, writing as "Novanglus," John Adams countered "Massachusettensis's" arguments in a series of essays that

Capitalism: Thoughts by H. L. Mencken, 1935

General Interest

Capitalism: Thoughts by H. L. Mencken, 1935

H. L. Mencken (Sept. 12, 1880--Jan. 29, 1956) was an American journalist from Maryland. His work is characterized by sharp criticism and satirical observations about government, cultural institutions, and powerful people. He was witty, iconoclastic at times, and a master of the English language. His works are always an interesting

Was Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes a "Liberal"?: Thoughts by H. L. Mencken, 1930.

Political Philosophy

Was Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes a "Liberal"?: Thoughts by H. L. Mencken, 1930.

H. L. Mencken (Sept. 12, 1880--Jan. 29, 1956) was an American journalist from Maryland. His work is characterized by sharp criticism and satirical observations about government, cultural institutions, and powerful people. He was witty, iconoclastic at times, and a master of the English language. His works are always an interesting

The Weak or Wicked Men Among Ourselves: Anonymous, 1776

The Weak or Wicked Men Among Ourselves: Anonymous, 1776

Out of Philadelphia, 1776, came four anonymous letters. The utility of the letters is to enable one to better understand the position of the "patriots" of the American Revolution concerning the colonies vis-a-vis their relationship with the "Mother Country," so-called. In this letter, Anonymous unpacks the effect of what he

The British Court Coming to an Open Rupture with the Continent: Anonymous, 1776.

The British Court Coming to an Open Rupture with the Continent: Anonymous, 1776.

Out of Philadelphia, 1776, came four anonymous letters. The utility of the letters is to enable one to better understand the position of the "patriots" of the American Revolution concerning the colonies vis-a-vis their relationship with the "Mother Country," so-called. In this letter, Anonymous unpacks his "suspicion" concerning the conduct

Untaught Bravery v. Skill and Training: Thoughts by Vegetius, c. Late 4th Century C.E.

Classic Civilizations

Untaught Bravery v. Skill and Training: Thoughts by Vegetius, c. Late 4th Century C.E.

According to Hippolytus, Heraclitus once quipped that "War is the father of all and king of all, and some he shows as gods, others as men; some he makes slaves, others free." That's a lot to think about; however, Roman theorist, Vegetius had some suggestions in his work, The Epitome

The Socialism of Deschamps: Analysis by Igor Shafarevich

Political Philosophy

The Socialism of Deschamps: Analysis by Igor Shafarevich

Igor Shafarevich (1923-2017) was a gifted Russian mathematician and Soviet dissident. He associated with some notable "trouble makers" in the USSR, like novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. One of Shafarevich's students, Ilya Piatetski-Shapiro, revealed that the math savant "disliked the October" and had "negative feelings for Communism. Though he felt political heat,

On the Liberty of Thought and Discussion: John Stuart Mill

General Interest

On the Liberty of Thought and Discussion: John Stuart Mill

The title and body of this post speak for themselves. Enjoy! August Glen-James, editor But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those

"The Greatest Dangers of the American Republics Proceed from the Unlimited Power of the Majority" -- Thoughts by Alexis de Tocqueville

Political Philosophy

"The Greatest Dangers of the American Republics Proceed from the Unlimited Power of the Majority" -- Thoughts by Alexis de Tocqueville

In this selection, Tocqueville expresses his belief that democratic-republics are liable to perish from a misuse of power rather than by impotence. He also ventured the thought that the American republics are more centralized and more energetic than the monarchies of Europe. Of interest, too, he quotes a couple of

Novanglus No. I: The Revolutionary Doctrines of John Adams, 1774

Novanglus No. I: The Revolutionary Doctrines of John Adams, 1774

Writing as "Massachusettensis" in the Massachusetts Gazette, Daniel Leonard argued that Parliament had a constitutional right to exercise authority over the American colonies. The denial of this "right" was the central theme of America's revolutionaries; consequently, writing as "Novanglus," John Adams countered "Massachusettensis's" arguments in a series of essays that

"A Signal Advantage of Taxes on Articles of Consumption." Thoughts by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 21, Dec. 12, 1787.

"A Signal Advantage of Taxes on Articles of Consumption." Thoughts by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 21, Dec. 12, 1787.

After postulating that the Articles of Confederation committed a “fundamental error” in “principle” by attempting to regulate “the contributions of the States to the common treasury by QUOTAS,” Hamilton opined about the difficulty in determining a “common standard or barometer” by which the degrees of national wealth can be gauged.

The Constitution's Tendency to Consolidation: Thoughts by "Brutus," March 20, 1788

Anti Federalist

The Constitution's Tendency to Consolidation: Thoughts by "Brutus," March 20, 1788

Two salient criticisms of the Constitution animating the Anti-Federalist faction were the lack of a Bill of Rights and the Constitution's tendency to consolidation which, they claimed, would result in the abolition of the state governments. This selection highlights how, according to "Brutus," that "nothing could have been better conceived

The Spirit of Liberty Ought to be Jealous: Thoughts by John Adams, 9 & 16 February, 1767

The Spirit of Liberty Ought to be Jealous: Thoughts by John Adams, 9 & 16 February, 1767

The French and Indian War completely changed the relationship between Great Britain and its American colonies. The era prior to this conflict has been characterized by historians as one of "salutary neglect." Broadly speaking, salutary neglect means that the various revenue laws and acts (e.g., the Navigation Acts) were

The Nature of the Union: Patrick Henry answered by James Madison and analyzed by Jefferson Davis.

Anti Federalist

The Nature of the Union: Patrick Henry answered by James Madison and analyzed by Jefferson Davis.

What exactly is the nature of the government framed by the Constitution . . . a confederation of sovereign states or a consolidated nation of "we the people"? Many in the founding generation, like Patrick Henry, worried that the proposed constitution of 1787 was intended to and would result in a consolidated nation

The Difference Between Nullification and Secession: Thoughts by Jefferson Davis, 1881.

The Difference Between Nullification and Secession: Thoughts by Jefferson Davis, 1881.

Nullification and secession were hot-button issues in the 19th century . . . and seemingly still are today. As power in Washington, D.C. oscillates from one party to the other, the elements in the ousted faction often saber rattles about secession and nullification. With this in mind, it may be interesting to

What "parties" showed up at the Constitutional Convention? Analysis by participant, Luther Martin

What "parties" showed up at the Constitutional Convention? Analysis by participant, Luther Martin

Luther Martin (1748-1826) served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention from Maryland. He opposed the idea of creating a strong central government and constantly sided with the "small" states against the "large" states in their disputes over proportional representation versus equal representation. He supported having equal representation for all

"Dixie After the War" by Myrta Lockett Avary, Originally published in 1909.

"Dixie After the War" by Myrta Lockett Avary, Originally published in 1909.

The era of "Reconstruction" was transitional in U. S. History. Years of sectional bickering culminated in a horrific war, which took the lives of hundreds of thousands, maimed countless others, and destroyed billions in property holdings throughout the Southern states. Then, this fratricidal conflict crashed, headlong, into a bitter Reconstruction

The Nature of the Union under the Proposed Constitution: Thoughts by Samuel Tenney, 1788, Writing as "Alfredus."

The Nature of the Union under the Proposed Constitution: Thoughts by Samuel Tenney, 1788, Writing as "Alfredus."

It is always central to historical literacy to apprehend how the generations who lived through and/or forged major historical events understood the various issues of such momentous times. The history surrounding the ratification of the Constitution of the United States is of particular interest since, over time, parties have

Reserved and Delegated Constitutional Powers: Thoughts by James Wilson, 6 October 1787.

Reserved and Delegated Constitutional Powers: Thoughts by James Wilson, 6 October 1787.

When the 1787 Constitution was conveyed to the States for consideration, many arguments erupted between those who favored and those who opposed ratification of the document. One of the first arguments to garner attention was the absence of a bill of rights in the Constitution. James Wilson addressed this issue