Few people were more influential on the founders and old revolutionaries than John Locke. And his Two Treatises help us understand how they saw the difference between legitimate government - and the other kind - tyranny.
The post Illegitimate Government: John Locke on Tyranny first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
The “real American revolution” was a radical change in the views of the people. This was reflected in the Declaration of Independence, which was intended as “an expression of the American mind.” And few people, if any, had a greater influence on that thought than Algernon Sidney.
The post Martyr for Liberty: Algernon Sidney and the American Revolution first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
Going from the largest government in history to a true “land of the free,” won’t happen fast. And it won’t be easy. But these four principles will help set a strong foundation for the Constitution and liberty.
The post 4 Essential Principles to Advance Liberty first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
We were warned. A faction-first mentality only guarantees tyranny. And it has certainly helped give us the largest government in history today. But it’s not just dangerous to liberty - it also destroys social harmony.
The post Faction is Death to Liberty first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
For the old revolutionaries, a government that could define its own limits, take property at will - an arbitrary power - was the very definition of a tyranny, reducing the people “to the most abject slavery.” In their view, liberty could only exist in a society that’s awake, aware, and actively engaged - in both supporting freedom, and resisting attempts to restrict it.
The post “Slavery is ever preceded by sleep” first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
Too many people today are loyal to individual politicians or parties. Even as a young man, Samuel Adams understood the danger of personality worship. And he warned against it.
The post Don’t Fall for the Cult of Personality first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
Going from the largest government in history - to a true “land of the free” isn’t going to be easy. And it definitely won’t happen overnight. But we’ve got the tools - thanks to the founders and old revolutionaries. The essential principles underlying our philosophy and strategy.
The post Getting from Here to Liberty first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
Washington, Jefferson, Madison - their warnings on a massive, permanent national debt have been totally ignored. And until they're heeded, things are only going to get much, much worse.
The post The National Debt is a National Curse first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
Instead, most people act as if the government is the boss.
Most people are wrong.
The post Government is not the Boss of Us first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
The Constitution is not in force in any meaningful way. But it didn’t get like this overnight - not even close. So when did things go “off the rails” of the constitutional system? You might be surprised to hear how early it happened - and things just keep getting further and further away from it every year.
The post When Things Went Off the Rails, Revisited first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.