Independence Day

Happy Birthday to the United States of America! Here is a full copy of the Declaration of Independence, and also Jefferson's rough draft. Calvin Coolidge gave a fine speech on this "mighty event" in 1926. It is worth reading. No speechwriters here, just Silent Cal thinking on paper. It is not that hard to prove Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. wrong! Also, listen to Christopher Flannery talking about the Declaration at the Ashbrook Teachers Institute (last week); thirty-five high school teachers attended a week long seminar on the founding. It was a great seminar.

School Vouchers

Now that the Supreme Court has ruled the Cleveland voucher plan constitutional (thanks in large measure to the work of David Brennan) we can get on with it. John Miller is worth reading on the subject, as are George Will, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and John Fund. I enclose the entire decision in case you have the time to read it. I bring to your special attention Justice Clarence Thomas's concurring opinion (it begins about forty pages into it): it is a great essay on education that begins and ends (appropriately) with Frederick Douglass.

In addition, several of the Adjunct Fellows of the Ashbrook Center have written articles recently about the voucher case. Read these articles from Robert Alt and Andrew Busch as well as this joint effort from Adjunct John Eastman and Edwin Meese.

Middle East

Here is Bill Buckley's skeptical view of Bush's Middle East initiative. I think Buckley (dare I say it!) not nuanced enough in his understanding of what Bush is up to. What Bush wants is the start of a change, it need not be a "cultural revolution" and all that that ill chosen term implies. Can these people act more like moderate, semi-reasonable human beings, or not? If the Japanese and the Germans could do it, why not them?

But there is more praise for Bush's initiative than not. This Max Boot piece is thoughtful, yet I would not agree entirely with it: Bush's purpose and policy does not have to be placed in the Wilson mode; there is room for prudence here (as there was not with Wilson) because Bush has a clearer understanding of natural rights and their firm basis. See Mort Zuckerman's take on Bush's announcement.

I have been saying for a while that once we get everything settled in Qatar (much of it from Saudi Arabia) we will be essentially ready to go into Iraq. It seems that everything is ready.

Although this piece from Fortune Magazine is too negative on what some of the consequences of our defeating Saddam might be like, it is yet a thoughtful article that doesn't question that there will be a war of some kind that will in fact overthrow Saddam.

Health Care

John Moser, Ashbrook Adjunct and an Ashland University professor, reminds us that the good old days, weren't always better, especially when it comes to medicine.

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