States’ Rights

Just to quickly recap some of what we talked about last week, 2/20/2008:

We generally decided that even if the Supreme Court, or another governmental branch reinvigorates the debate over States’ Rights, it would somewhat be for naught. In this day and age, States simply do not fulfill the role they were intended to: to protect and preserve local culture and interests. States are large and unwieldy, often with many millions of citizens. There is no longer any distinct State culture, but rather a conglomerate of diversity.

If States’ Rights were surprisingly reevaluated by our increasingly unitary government, ‘States’ would have to refer to smaller units; say, counties, or tightly defined regions. Many States, most prominently California, easily have more citizens than America did when the Constitution was ratified.

However, state-wide compromises are better than national compromises, forged by three-hundred million citizens. Besides addressing local interests, strong States could serve as laboratories for democracy. One objection raised against strong States was the disparate laws likely to emerge from such a system. Although learning each State’s laws may appear a heavy onus for the citizen, the internet greatly facilities and disseminates information. We generally did not think disparate laws was a strong enough objection to warrant diminished States’ rights.

There was some disagreement, and perhaps confusion, over the role that the federal government should play in setting interest rates and controlling currency. This matter was left unsettled …

Romney’s speech on withdrawing

As I said to you last year, conservative principles are needed now more than ever. We face a new generation of challenges, challenges which threaten our prosperity, our security and our future. I am convinced that unless America changes course, we will become the France of the 21st century—still a great nation, but no longer the leader of the world, no longer the superpower. And to me, that is unthinkable. Simon Peres, in a visit to Boston, was asked what he thought about the war in Iraq. “First,” he said, “I must put something in context. America is unique in the history of the world. In the history of the world, whenever there has been conflict, the nation that wins takes land from the nation that loses. One nation in history, and this during the last century, laid down hundreds of thousands of lives and took no land. No land from Germany, no land from Japan, no land from Korea. America is unique in the sacrifice it has made for liberty, for itself and for freedom loving people around the world.” The best ally peace has ever known, and will ever know, is a strong America!

St. Olaf College Republicans Events

November 8, 8:00, Buntrock 143: Chris Tiedemann, a prominent political
consultant, speaking on wireless consumer protection

November 11th, Minneapolis: Jewisih Policy Conference with Michael Medved

November 15, 8:00, Buntrock 143: Mark Meyer, 1st Congressional District
Candidate, speaking on “Universal Health Care – American Style”

November 16, 7:00, Ytterboe 242: Movie Night

November 17, 4-6, St. Louis Park, Coleman Kick-Off

November 29, 8:00, Buntrock 143: Representative Laura Brod

December 6th, 8:00, Mellby Lounge: Christmas Party

Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Here’s a great video/audio source. I personally really enjoyed Harvey Mansfield’s “How to Understand Politics: What the Humanities Can Say to Science.”

http://www.isi.org/lectures/lectures.aspx

Also, some pictures of our soirée last year.

-Jillian

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