Skip to content

Books

Response to a Critic of A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society

I recently had a paper published in the International Journal of Management, Entrepreneurship, Social Science, and Humanities.  The article is a response to a review of my book, A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society, published in the fall 2021 issue of American Political Thought and written by Scott Douglas Gerber.  Gerber’s review was not a serious or honest attempt to review the book.  I demonstrate this in my response and help readers understand not only the content of the book but the nature of individual rights and freedom.

One issue I address that was raised by Gerber in his review is the effect of regulation on the U.S. economy.  Gerber embraces the idea in his review that the U.S. economy will collapse if the ability of Congress to regulate the economy through the Commerce Clause is eliminated.  I discuss why this is not true and refer the reader to other sources for a complete argument on the topic.  I also address issues, raised by Gerber, pertaining to the age at which one should be eligible to run for president of the United States, the tax system, and God and the Declaration of Independence.  See my response here.

The Daily Objective Podcast

I was interviewed today on The Daily Objective podcast, hosted by James Valliant, on my book A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society and topics related to the book.  Listen to the interview here.

Lessons from a Review of A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society

A response to a review of my book was recently published in Capitalism Magazine.  Here is the first paragraph of the response:

The economist Randall Holcombe reviewed my book A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society in the summer 2021 issue of The Independent Review. (Holcombe, 2021)  While there are some statements in the review that I agree with, there are many with which I disagree, including some misrepresentations of arguments in the book.  I have provided a brief response to his review in the winter 2021/22 issue of The Independent Review. (Simpson, 2021/22)  However, there is much more to be said in response to the review.  This response will help readers better understand the content of the book as well as the nature of rights and freedom and how to protect them.

For the rest of the response, go here.

The Invasion of Ukraine and the Second Amendment

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia provides a good example of just one of the many benefits of the Second Amendment.  Many citizens of Ukraine lined up to obtain guns to help defend their country from the invading Russian army.  The protection of the right to keep and bear arms helps to keep the citizenry of a country armed to fight and deter possible invaders and to fight its own government should the government turn against its citizens.  It also helps to improve the skills and readiness of the citizenry in the use of guns.

Critics say that citizens armed only with rifles are no match for government armies.  The armies are much better trained and have powerful weapons that can annihilate the citizens.  This is true.  But there are reasons why dictators who invade or seek to take over a country are often hesitant to use the massive weaponry they have available to them.  For example, dictators by their nature are parasites that live off others.  However, they cannot live as parasites if they kill large numbers of the people and destroy the assets—the factories, homes, and businesses—off of which they plan to live.  Cultural ties may also limit the type of weapons and the amount of force an army is willing to use.  As a result, citizens armed with rifles can make it much more difficult for an army to conquer a nation.  Even if the nation is defeated, citizens engaging in armed resistance can make it much more difficult to occupy the nation and may be able to wear down the occupying army.

For more on the benefits of an armed citizenry and how to strengthen the Second Amendment (as well as the discussion of related issues), see the discussion of the Second Amendment in my book A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society.

Response to a Review of A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society

  • Books

The Independent Review has published a response to a review of my book A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society.  Only a few of the comments in the review of the book are addressed in the response.  The response shows why greater restrictions on state governments are justified.  It also addresses the objection to abolishing the Twenty-Second Amendment on presidential term limits and provides clarification on the amendment that protects a woman’s right to obtain an abortion.  I will have more to say about the review in the future.

A Review of A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society

  • Books

A review of my book, A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society, was posted at The Independent Review.  While I agree with some of the comments about the book in the review, there are many comments with which I disagree (including some misrepresentations of arguments in the book).  A response to the review will be published soon.

Subscribe To Brian's Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from Dr. Simpson.

You have Successfully Subscribed!