Hiber-Nation 20180104 - Federalist # 10 - The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection

Hello again and welcome to Federalist #10. You may remember I mentioned I'd be recording this the same night as #9.

I was startled to notice that #9, "The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection" was written by Hamilton, and was rather intellectual. But #10, "The Same Subject Continued" came from James Madison, who seems so staid in the pictures, but who's a bit of a firebrand in this essay.

There's a lot to love about this one. Once again the author wrote a couple of centuries back, but seems to have watched TV last night. While I'm sure there was a temptation to high-flown rhetoric, Madison was cold-bloodedly pragmatic about the vulnerabilities of the Republic. He knew it wouldn't be perfect, but he knew it could be protected and made better.

I also noted Madison's reference to "the most numerous party, or, in other words, the most powerful faction," which reminded me of John Stuart Mill's mention in On Liberty, Chapter One, of "the majority, or those who succeed in making themselves accepted as the majority," more than a century later. Madison shows a realistic view of government one might not expect from the Federalist, if one approaches it as some sort of religious work, rather than what it is, a political work intended to convey rationally how one might form a durable republic, and to convince the citizens that this new Constitution would accomplish that.

It has been pointed out elsewhere that the founders assumed the citizens, if provided with the facts, would make intelligent choices. I'd expect that to be necessary in the foundation of any Republic. If the citizens aren't equipped to choose correctly, then you either equip them, or you choose a different form of government. But I think this essay makes clear that the founders understood the people could also make incredibly bad choices. The hope was that there'd be enough people making enough choices that it'd all come out fairly well even so.

I hope so, too.

The original text from Congress.gov

Book Theme: "Prelude in C Major" from Kevin MacLeod

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Hiber-Nation 20180101 - Federalist # 9 - The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection

Tonight I'm recording Federalist number 9. I'm sorry that I'm way behind the weekly recordings I originally planned. It was such a lovely plan, wasn't it? I'm going to try to record two tonight, so I can get caught back up.

I feel like there ought to be three aspects of this essay for me to comment about, but I can only think of two. First I note that Hamilton describes generally the best and worst of the ancient Greek and Roman republics. These descriptions feel all too well fitted around our own necks. Listen for yourself, tell me I'm wrong, because I'd like to be.

Secondly I note that Hamilton defends the new Constitution by pointing out new innovations in republican government that should prevent the worst excesses of past republics. He's quite right, they should. But these new ideas aren't magical incantations, inscriptions and annointings that will frighten off all possible future demons. These are practices and processes, habits and jobs. And these jobs must be done every day by those we've hired to do them, or there are no protections, there are no checks and there is no balance.

And now I see that third thing I figured must be there ... because there are always three things, ask anyone who's written a speech or an essay.

Hamilton's republic demands that we are lead by our best and brightest, who we choose from among ourselves. If our best aren't all that good, and our brightest not always very bright, we elect enough of them that they will improve their results by working together. If we trust a few who are not worthy of trust, the rest will demand better behavior of them, and check their worst abuses. But if we fail, if we choose representatives who will not act in the public interest, or who will not act at all unless marching obediently behind the fools they follow, there is no magical incantation in the Constitution that can save us.

No magic but time. If we and our Republic survive, perhaps we will have a chance to choose better next time.

The original text from Congress.gov

Book Theme: "Prelude in C Major" from Kevin MacLeod

 Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat

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Episode 20171225 - The Symbol and the Saint by Eugene Field

"The Symbol and the Saint," from "Christmas Tales and Christmas Verse," by Eugene Field, published in 1912.

A very pretty story I found, and recorded on this date back in 2008, as Hiber-Nation 45.  Still makes a good audio Christmas card, not perfect, but heartfelt.

Best wishes for a joyous holiday season, whatever holiday you celebrate!  And here's to better times in the coming year.

Show Theme "Hot Swing" and other music from Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.com.

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Hiber-Nation 20171221 - Federalist # 8 - The Consequences of Hostilities Between the States

Some dangers we avoided early, but encountered later.

And what I didn't know, but didn't want to spoil the surprise.

The original text from Congress.gov

Book Theme: "Prelude in C Major" from Kevin MacLeod

 Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat

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Episode 20171215 - The FCC Killed The Internet!

OH MY GOD THE FCC JUST DESTROYED THE INTERNET AND MADE IT NOT NEUTRAL ANYMORE!!!  Well, no.

A brief quote at the end from "The Desiderata."

Show Theme "Hot Swing" and other music from Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.com.

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Hiber-Nation 20171214 - Federalist # 7 - The Same Subject Continued: Concerning Dangers from Dissensions Between the States

Reference to a shared YouTube clip from "The Newsroom" which is sadly on-point for this episode, and which you can see on my Podbusker.com blog.

The original text from Congress.gov

Book Theme: "Prelude in C Major" from Kevin MacLeod

 Show Theme: "Canon in D" from Owen Poteat

 Comments via the https://www.speakpipe.com/grizzlysgrowls

 Comment Line: 218-234-CALL   218-234-2255

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Why America isn't the greatest country in the world anymore.

This didn't quite bring me to tears, but I sure felt like it.  It's from an Aaron Sorkin series called "Newsroom."  It starts slow, and gets rough to listen to in the middle, but sadly hopeful at the end.  Or that's what I heard, anyway.



It ends on a sad note.  But, to quote from another Aaron Sorkin show, we need to write "the next ten words."