Book Chat with City Journal's Brian Anderson
Adam Freedman ·
November 18, 2012 at 8:54pm
The other day I sat down for a 10-minute video interview with Brian Anderson, Editor of City Journal (if you don't read CJ already, please check it out, it's a must-read). We talked about constitutional law and, naturally, my new book. I recommend the video, of course, but also wanted to draw your attention to the You Tube channel of the Manhattan Institute, which publishes City Journal, where you can find other interviews, speeches, and the fabulous videos of our own Andrew Klavan.
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Comments:
Nov '12
Re: Book Chat with City Journal's Brian Anderson
Adam,
I've just finished reading The Naked Constitution, and I'm about half-way through the most current podcast in the series of the same name. I wholeheartedly recommend the book to all Ricochetti who have not yet read it.
May I ask if you've read Michael Meyerson's recent book Endowed by Our Creator? There is considerable discussion of the Establishment Clause, but he rejects the argument made inter alia by Akhil Amer and Justice Clarence Thomas that the clause is a federalism provision requiring Congress to leave establishment to individual states.
Re: Book Chat with City Journal's Brian Anderson
Thanks Captain! I haven't read Meterson's, but now I'll add it to the list. I find the federalism interpretation so persuasive, I'm eager to hear the other side.
Nov '12
Re: Book Chat with City Journal's Brian Anderson
I find your argument to be compelling, particularly given the precise wording used in the Constitution. However, I think Meyerson's argument is also well constructed but much more lengthy. I simply don't yet know enough history to be able to assess its robustness.
May '10
Re: Book Chat with City Journal's Brian Anderson
The best thing about CJ is that most of their articles are immediately available as audio "podcasts".
Jul '12
Re: Book Chat with City Journal's Brian Anderson
I haven't seen your new book yet but I'll get it this week. In the interview, you mentioned a possible Constitutional Convention...are you familiar with Mark Alexander of PatriotPost.com.?
He recently wrote :
" ...an alternative worth contemplating seriously would be to pursue a Constitutional Confederacy -- an alliance of those states that are not under the mob rule of urban Leftists, whose delegations could assemble to re-ratify our Constitution and the Rule of Law it enshrines.
(There is)...plenty enough muscle to populate a Constitutional Convention for the purpose of re-adopting our authentic Constitution in its original form, amended as prescribed, and thus rejecting the so-called "living constitution" now obscured beyond recognition by the "despotic branch" of which Thomas Jefferson so presciently warned. Those states re-ratifying would then reject extra-constitutional regulations and taxes in favor of Tenth Amendment federalism as prescribed when each state first ratified our Constitution."
Is this generally what you have in mind?
Re: Book Chat with City Journal's Brian Anderson
Babci
16 hours ago
Not exactly. I'm proposing a convention pursuant to Article V of the Constitution. The purpose would be to report out proposed amendments that would need to be ratified by 3/4 of the states.