[Mase]

So, you are now calling Alexander Hamilton a communist.

Reaching pretty hard now aren't we? Maybe I should post a picture of Captain Hyperbole here.

Madison and Hamilton fought one another on the proper role of government for most of their lives. You choose to embrace Hamilton when you're arguing for more government control of the economy and you side with Madison when your arguing for more states rights or for less control by central government. You like to have it both ways. My point was simply that you're an opportunist and not the idealist you would like us to believe.

As for the rest of your post....it's very simple. We have two different conclusions about a specific time in British history. I've chosen to accept the facts offered by conservative Bruce Bartlett and world renowned historian Paul Kennedy. You've chosen to believe the revisionist facts offered by a Korean who's in bed with the United Nations.

I see you're also trying again to revise Reagan's history and his belief in free trade. We've been through that mill too many times for me to want to do it again. Why do you persist in thinking that because he gave the protectionists a little bit of what they wanted so he could get what he wanted, that he was somehow in favor of government intervention in the economy? It doesn't make sense but that's never stopped you before. Suffice it to say that the only form of fair trade is free trade. Unless of course, you believe that government is responsible, capable and reliable when managing trade. Is that what you believe? Who knows what you really believe since you're even trying to turn Adam Smith into a protectionist. LOL

Hawkins is an isolationist in the mold of Pat Buchanan. Like PJB, he's moved so far to the right he's come out on the left. Regardless of what Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison thought about the freedom to trade, I'm sure they'd all want to run from you for advocating higher import tariffs after seeing that modern day government takes about half our income just in payroll taxes. Somehow I don't think that's what they had in mind.

As for the ad hominem nonsense you want to whine about....give it a rest will ya. You are a protectionist and an opportunist. You do a pretty good job of dishing out your own digs so stop feigning indignation and grow a little skin.

[CWOJackson]

I don't like pat buchanan any more then the next person with more then 6 brain cells, but don't you think your personal comments about him are a little crass at this time?

All it would have take was a quick glance at his columns for the past three weeks and you would have realized he was in mourning. But NOOOOOOO...you just pile on with the personal insults while he sits in a darkened office, drinking straight from a bottle, clutching an autographed photograph of Rachel Corrie to his breast, sobbing...

You insensitive jerk! Call yourself a Compassionate Conservative?

[Paul Ross]

So, you are now calling Alexander Hamilton a communist. Reaching pretty hard now aren't we? Maybe I should post a picture of Captain Hyperbole here.

Maybe you should, for yourself. You were the one attacking Hamilton as "socialist". You're the one with the lame ad hominem attacks. And you perpetuate them further in your response. In fact:

As for the ad hominem nonsense you want to whine about....give it a rest will ya. You are a protectionist and an opportunist.

I believe in the American System. You, I take are anti-American. As for being opportunist, you are the one who is cavalier and opportunist. Completely ignoring your being busted on Jefferson and Madison.

Regardless of what Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison thought about the freedom to trade,

Really, that is what you claim stand on, these two guys ...and you run away when you are busted on the War of 1812's impact on the daydreams of Jefferson and Madison...they came around to Hamilton. Self-sufficiency is vital. And you blather on on and on about how we can "get by" without it. Wrong. And let's see your further misrepresentations thereto:

I'm sure they'd all want to run from you for advocating higher import tariffs after seeing that modern day government takes about half our income just in payroll taxes. Somehow I don't think that's what they had in mind.

I oppose the income tax entirely. So your B.S., is simply pathetic. It is clear that they indeed would abhor the Income Taxes you and your apologists have afflicted on U.S. citizens. All so that you can have your Big Government. Socialist.

Suffice it to say that the only form of fair trade is free trade.

Reversed. The only free trade is fair trade. China disproves the capacity of a totally blind laissez faire approach in the face of a totalitarian regime such as theirs to do anything other than strengthen the enemy. As for your repeated concerns about the incompetence of government...it is not rocket science to simply counter a foreign government's own tilting of the playing field. You continuously neglect the empirical record of success of the U.S. in this regard.

As for being revisionist about Reagan, clearly it is you and your side, you have no clue what Reagan systemmatically did to ensure that we retained industrial supremacy. Your understanding is frankly shallow. Reagan's overarching strategy was truly monumental. It went far beyond tariffs (which he avoided so it didn't contradict his rhetoric)...or his free use of trade quotas (which did). It could not be described as "little". He didn't just engage in protections of electronics, software, automotive, aerospace and maritime technologies... for purely or even primarily economic reasons of course...all while preaching "free trade" to our allies. He knew he needed to restore American industrial supremacy to "transcend" the Soviets. He further knew that an integral necessity to his strategy of strangling the Soviet Union economically was if we could keep our technology from falling into their hands. Not just military technology, but crtical commercial technology as well.

Peter Schweitzer lays out a couple good illustrations (albeit they were just the tip of the iceberg) in his books, Victory, and Reagan's War and John Gaddis's Strategies of Containment: A Critical Appraisal of American National Security Policy during the Cold War

"When action is required to preserve our national security, we will act. We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow, and let there be no misunderstanding we are going to begin to act, beginning today."
- Ronald Reagan - First Inaugural Address