Alexander Hamilton Was Always At War With Eastasia

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Paul Krugman
March 16, 2010, 5:13 pm
Alexander Hamilton Was Always At War With Eastasia

Oh, my. Dick Armey invokes the Federalist Papers on behalf of the tea party movement:

“Who the heck do these people think they are to try to sit in this town with their audacity and second-guess the greatest genius, most creative genius, in the history of the world?” Armey demanded.

A member of the audience passed a question to the moderator, who read it to Armey: How can the Federalist Papers be an inspiration for the tea party, when their principal author, Alexander Hamilton, “was widely regarded then and now as an advocate of a strong central government”?

Historian Armey was flummoxed by this new information. “Widely regarded by whom?” he challenged, suspiciously. “Today’s modern ill-informed political science professors? . . . I just doubt that was the case in fact about Hamilton.”

Actually, of course Hamilton was very much a strong-government type. More than that: he was the author of the Report on Manufactures, an early call for — drum roll — industrial policy, backed by public investment.

I’m sure the response to Armey’s comeuppance will be a denunciation of liberal snobbery. But remember, it was Armey who was trying to pull intellectual rank, proclaiming himself the true heir of the Founding Fathers … whose writings he hasn’t bothered to read.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/alexander-hamilton-was-always-at-war-with-eastasia/

[The_Commonist]

1. Oy!

Armey is such an ass.

"I just doubt that was the case in fact about Hamilton.”

That's the kind of twisted statement made by someone who has no idea what they are talking about...

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Don't know much about hiss-toe-ree...

It's not in my bye-awl-a-gee...

The truth is our greatest ally. See how the conservatroid - all puffed-up with hot air - rapidly deflates at the mere whiff of facts? We need more of this in-yer-face refutation of their fucking lies!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

3. What a Dick (nt)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. "small government advocate" Hamilton wanted something like a king

Hamilton is such a bad choice for folksy aw-shucks American small-government hero.

He wanted the President to have a list of titles as long as your arm and proposed a gaudy uniform so that people from monarchies would take us seriously.

The rest of the founders decided the president should dress and act like a citizen.

I like Hamilton. A brilliant man, no doubt. But the least Gary Cooperish of the major founders.

[Jennicut]

6. And this is easily learned in history class. Maybe the tea baggers skipped that part.

Even a govt. class in college would have helped them. Of course, these types want to rewrite history in the school textbooks but that is another story.

[rurallib]

5. maybe soon Armey will be wearing powdered wigs

and waist coats to convince folks he is truly in touch with the founders.