Yesterday’s third class session of Power Line University went through Federalist 11 through 23, drawing out in particular some of Hamilton’s reflections on taxation that remain relevant to some of our tax debates today (especially Lizzie Warren’s proposed wealth tax), and also Hamilton’s very spirited attack on European politics (and colonialism!) that none of today’s ridiculous “de-colonizers” ever reference because they don’t know about it, and wouldn’t like in any case once they see the principles behind Hamilton’s critique.
We also have a lively argument about whether or why Hamilton’s thoughts about how the new national government would not be interested in usurping or commandeering the power of the states, or in regulating in detail the lives of citizens, might have been mistaken, which has fresh relevance at the very moment the federal government was talking about taking away our gas stoves. Lucretia also let me sneak in some Scottish Enlightenment material from David Hume as background to the “extended republican” hypothesis.
You can watch the episode if you want to read the text along with us at this YouTube link.
So listen here, or exercise your truancy rights to wander over to Ricochet study hall.
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