Supporters of Ron Paul have re-launched an old ad promoting the old idea of American isolationism. “We now are a nation known to start war,” Paul is quoted as saying. “We feel compelled because of our insecurity that we have to go over and attack these countries to maintain our empire.” The message here (and repeated elsewhere) is that Paul’s isolationism is aligned with the Founding Fathers and “what is truly American and truly constitutional.” Not only is this refrain a gross misrepresentation of American history but it offers dangerously …
President Obama may believe that America’s “reset” policy with Russia is the correct move to cover important foreign policy bases, but the policy is deeply flawed. It puts the United States at a disadvantage we can’t afford and forces us to lay aside fundamental American principles of human liberty. The “reset” concessions are simply not worth the exchange of empty promises from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is merely a talking head for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. As Heritage’s Ariel Cohen & Kim Holmes wrote recently in a memo on …
At a recent gathering of Heritage Foundation members, the former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich congratulated us for launching Heritage Libertad. The Speaker said he recognized how Heritage Libertad could be a critical tool to communicate conservative thought to Hispanics in our country. With the Left eager to make Hispanics a permanent underclass dependent on the federal government for everything, it is absolutely vital that we effectively convey why Libertad – Liberty – is so vital to ensure that we live in a society where freedom, opportunity and civil …
In his acceptance speech on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, Senator-Elect Marco Rubio of Florida said, “Americans believe with all their hearts…that the United States of America is simply the single greatest nation in all of human history, a place without equal in the history of all mankind.” The reality of American exceptionalism was a theme on the campaign trail, especially among conservatives. Americans agree that the United States is a great nation, but why is America exceptional and why does it matter? While other nations are bound by a common …
President Obama told a romanticized version of Earth Day’s founding in his video for Earth Day 2010, but there is more to the story than a grossly polluted river and a noble hero rising up to champion the defenseless Earth. It was April 22, 1970, that Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, declared a national day of support for the Earth. He claimed to have thought up the idea in 1969, after seeing a devastating oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the Vietnam “teach-ins,” he thought to …
In light of this week’s events, many Americans are frustrated and disheartened. But we should take heart. Today marks the 235th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s famous speech, when he proclaimed “Give me liberty, or give me death.” This sentiment represents a legacy much older and nobler than tyrannical healthcare legislation and should inspire our efforts to restore liberty. Some may know the story; I tell it in the first pages of my book, We Still Hold These Truths. It was 1775. Patrick Henry, a young backcountry lawyer, rose before a …
Of the many influences that shaped the American concept of liberty, the first and most formative was faith. More than anything else, religion formed the backbone of colonial culture and defined its moral horizon. This religious character was largely a product of the fact that many came to the New World in search of religious liberty—to freely practice and spread their faith. As a whole, America’s Founders were strongly religious. Thanksgiving proclamations, as official statements of the American president, underscore the Founders’ faith. Some were more traditional, such as John …
Liberals are disputing the Conservative view that President Obama is siding with Chávez and Castro in the Honduras crisis. They are mistaken. On June 28, the Congress and Supreme Court of Honduras ,with the assistance of the Honduran Armed Forces, physically removed President Manuel Zelaya from his residence and expelled him from the country. The new Honduran government states President Zelaya’s removal from office was the result of legal orders issued by its supreme court. In a matter of hours, a new government was sworn in. It promises, unlike Zelaya, …
Republicans cheered Presidential hopeful John McCain following his closing remarks at their convention last week in St. Paul, Minnesota, particularly when he said, “Let me just offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second crowd: Change is coming.” Throughout his speech he talked about how Washington had shown itself to be unreliable in delivering on promises that would keep America strong. So he challenged all Americans to fight with him in a new age of American leadership. This distinguished military veteran might find the …
