Rebellion to Tyrants: The Principles behind the Just War for Independence
By Jesse Sumpter In celebrating Independence Day, it is important to take time and set forth the political and historical principles behind the American Revolution. We often hear about the issue of taxes in the American colonies but we frequently don’t understand why that was an issue. Some might think the taxes were too high. […]
“Make America Great Again” and Other Stupid Nationalist Songs
For a song that refers to itself as a “mighty melody,” it’s about what you’d expect: a florid piece of music, full of bombast and clanging cymbals. The Independent, a British newspaper, said that the production “has a strong North Korean vibe.” That may be overstating it, since the lyrics are more anodyne than jingoistic. But still, what are we supposed to do with a song like this? Will it join the great tradition of martial American songs that paint the aspirations of our nation as pre-blessed by an omnipotent and Americanized creator (cf. Battle Hymn of the Republic)? Or, as seems more likely, will it fade from our collective memory sooner than the swine flu hysteria?