DIA-Today: Democracy in America Today

We continue to explore the key documents of the revolutionary era by discussing the 1768 claim of the Massachusetts General Court that all government institutions are bound to follow fundamental law. 

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We lament the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss and look forward to baseball season.

Ben Franklin before the House of Commons (2:37) -  We review key arguments from Benjamin Franklin’s remarkable 1766 testimony before the House of Commons on the Stamp Act. Link: Franklin’s testimony.

The Massachusetts Circular Letter of 1768 (18:23) - We review the context and principles of the Massachusetts Circular Letter, responding to Parliament’s Townshend Acts. Link: Massachusetts Circular Letter.

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (44:55) - We make our picks for the men’s and women’s hockey gold medals.

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The history of the American Revolution: Walter McDougall, Freedom Just Around the Corner.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We begin our review of key documents of the American revolutionary era by discussing how notions of consent and lawful resistance from the Stamp Act Congress’s Declaration of Rights can inform our debate over resistance to ICE actions in Minnesota and beyond. 

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We discuss the full arrival of winter in Colorado and New Jersey. 

The Declaration of Rights (2:54) - We discuss the context of the Stamp Act Congress Declaration of Rights and the core principles of consent and lawful resistance. Link: The Declaration of Rights. 

No Taxation Without Representation (22:45) - We discuss how the founding era principle of “no taxation without representation” applies to present concerns about the responsiveness of government. Link: Demosclerosis by Jonathan Rauch.

Rebellion and Lawful Resistance (32:17) - We consider the rights and wrongs of resistance to authority in light of the activities in Minnesota, Paul’s injunction in Romans 13, and the principles of the Declaration of Rights.

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (49:54) - We review our picks for the College Football Championship game and the Patriots’ game against the Texans and make our projections for the Super Bowl. 

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We discuss the recent military operation in Venezuela in light of the principles of the Monroe Doctrine and American First foreign policy, as summarized in Dr. Angelo Codevilla’s final book.

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We discuss the beginning of the semiquincentennial year of the United States and our plans for a new podcast series leading up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

John Quincy Adams and the Monroe Doctrine (3:25) - We review the principles of the Monroe Doctrine using Dr. Codevilla’s book, America’s Rise and Fall Among Nation: Lessons in Statecraft from John Quincy Adams. Links: Dr. Codevilla’s book; Monroe Seventh Annual Message. 

The Monroe Doctrine, America First, and Venezuela (27:22) - We discuss how the principles of the Monroe Doctrine apply to President Trump’s extraction of Nicholas Maduro and his wife from Venezuela and the possible next steps for American foreign policy. 

Links: The Hill on the legality of the Venezuela incursion; Reid Smith at Foreign Affairs; J. Michael Waller on the “Donroe” Doctrine.

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (50:16) - We review Dave’s extraordinary picks for the first round of the College Football Playoff and make our projections for the national championship game, the Patriots-Texans game, and the AFC and NFC champions.

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 6: “Angelo Codevilla, Common Sense, and Missile Defense” by Brian T. Kennedy. 

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We discuss Christmas plans and the upcoming retirement of our former pastor, Steve Magee. 

Review: “Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” (4:10) - We review the lessons of the fifth chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic.

“Angelo Codevilla, Common Sense, and Missile Defense” (11:25) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s application of common sense in outlining a classic American foreign policy and the implications for conflicts from the Cold War to Ukraine and Venezuela today.

Links: George Washington’s “Farewell Address”; Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (50:40) - We review our picks for the Power 4 College Football Conference Championship games, where Dave went 4-0, and make our predictions for the first round of the College Football Playoffs. 

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 5: “Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” by David P. Goldman. 

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We discuss Dave’s Thanksgiving trip to New England and the beginning of the Christmas season.

Review: “The Compleat Political Thinker” (2:43) - We review the lessons of the fourth chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic.

“Angelo Codevilla’s Failure, and Ours” (5:08) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s decision to pursue a calling as a professor and public intellectual rather than opportunities that he had in the intelligence and scientific communities and the broader challenges of bringing about a reform of ruling class politics with a populist movement led by political outsiders. 

Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. 

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (37:57) - We discuss the good football and our bad picks for the Thanksgiving NFL games and make our predictions for the Power 4 college football conference championship games with a special interest in their implications for Dave’s adopted Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 4: “The Compleat Political Thinker” by Steve Heyward. 

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We celebrate reaching our 100th episode after 5 ½ years.

Review: “Angelo Codevilla’s America: A Possession for All Time” (3:54) - We review the lessons of the third chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic.

“The Compleat Political Thinker” (8:57) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s ability to comment intelligently on the full range of political topics and his gift for challenging conventional "wisdom." Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. 

Gradebook (28:05) - In honor of our 100th episode, we bring back the Gradebook, responding to President Trump’s apparent wish that the new Washington Commander’s football stadium be named in his honor. Link: ESPN on naming the new stadium. 

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (33:46) - We discuss our poor election day predictions and make our picks for the four Thanksgiving holiday NFL games. 

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 3: “Angelo Codevilla’s America: A Possession for All Time” by David Corbin.

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We discuss Dave’s family’s recent trip to Mexico and the benefits of exposing kids to foreign cultures. 

Review: “Angelo Codevilla, the Anti-Millenarian” (3:58) - We review the lessons of the second chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic.

“Angelo Codevilla’s America: A Possession for All Time” (8:59) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s love for his adopted home and how his study of regimes and Machiavelli contributed to his efforts to reinvigorate American republicanism.  Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books. 

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (48:32) - With election day nearly upon us, we make our predictions for the outcome of key races in New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia.

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We continue our series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla by discussing chapter 2: “Angelo Codevilla, The Anti-Millenarian” by Robert Reilly. 

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We discuss Patriots' recent success and trying to wait as long as possible to turn on the heat. 

Review: “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night” (3:04) - We review the lessons of the first chapter of Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic. Link: J. Michael Waller, “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night”.

“Angelo Codevilla, the Anti-Millenarian” (8:23) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla's rejection of millenarianism and the threat of the millennial impulse that runs through all of us. Link: Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books 

“Millenarian Mobs” (20:20) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s summer 2020 article analyzing the roots of millenarianism. Link: Angelo Codevilla, “Millenarian Mobs”

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (41:05) - We review the progress of our baseball playoffs picks (Dave continues his remarkable run) and then, with the NBA season starting next week, make our preseason predictions for Eastern Conference, Western Conference, and overall NBA champion. 

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo M. Codevilla at Encounter Books.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We begin a series on the book Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo Codevilla by discussing the opening chapter “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night” by J. Michael Waller.

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We discuss the memorial service for Dave’s father-in-law and the Boston-New York wild card series. 

“The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night” (3:46) - We discuss Dr. Codevilla’s efforts to ensure that American intelligence agencies serve the public rather than cultural fads or their own institutional good. Link: J. Michael Waller, “The Man Who Kept the CIA Up at Night”.

Reorienting the American Military (19:09) - We discuss Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s recent speech to America’s military leaders, its connection to Dr. Codevilla’s efforts, and the reaction by present and former “senior military officials.” Links: Secretary Hegseth’s speech, MSN article on reaction to Hegseth’s speech, NYT reporter on reaction to Hegseth’s speech, National Review editorial on Hegseth’s speech.  

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (42:02) - We do a quick recap of our poor predictions for the Ryder Cup, congratulate Dave on predicting the exact number of regular season wins for both the Red Sox and Yankees back in March, and make our World Series predictions. 

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Fighting Enemies Foreign and Domestic: The Legacy of Angelo Codevilla at Encounter Books.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.

We conclude our series based on our 2010 book, Keeping Our Republic: Principles for a Political Reformation, by discussing the state of our republic in the shadow of the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:53) - We discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk and his connections with the Tea Party and MAGA movements.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Tea Party and MAGA movements (5:12) - We discuss the trajectory of conservatism from the Tea Party to the MAGA era. 

Our Revolutionary Moment (20:03) - We discuss the depths of the present American political crisis using an essay from our late teacher Dr. Angelo Codevilla. Link: Angelo Codevilla, “Our Revolution’s Logic”.

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (41:56) - After reviewing our mediocre football picks from the last several weeks, we make our predictions for the upcoming Ryder Cup.

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

YouTube: @DIAToday

Intagram: @DemocracyinAmericaToday

Keeping Our Republic at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of their present or former employers.