James Madison Archives | Richard M. Langworth

Justice Thomas on Antonin Scalia

20 November 2016 Comments 2 Comments

He spoke to us about Winston Churchill in San Francisco in 2009. Ever since, I have sought out the uncommon speeches of Justice Clarence Thomas. Invariably I find them moving, eloquent, and instructive on things I haven’t considered sufficiently.

Such was his November 2016 tribute to Antonin Scalia, given to the Federalist Society. He began with examples of the late Justice’s wit (beloved alike by Justice Thomas and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Respectively, they agreed with Scalia most of the time—and little of the time.):

In PGA Tour vs. Martin [Scalia] wrote: “I am sure that the framers of the U.S.…

Churchill on Socialism

14 July 2015 Comments 3 Comments

This quotation is now going around the web, broadly attributed to Churchill. Is it accurate? “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” —M.S. via email.

It is more or less correct, but it’s a truncated version of two separate comments, run together to make them more interesting (in the eye of the drafter).

“Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.” —Perth, Scotland, 28 May 1948, in Churchill, Europe Unite: Speeches 1947 & 1948 (London: Cassell, 1950), 347.…

Was Churchill a Closet Socialist?

30 August 2009 Comments 0 Comments

After I posted “Churchill on the Stimulus Package” last Spring, I was asked if Churchill, who said he opposed socialism, was in fact more of a socialist than he cared to admit. For example, he was one of the architects of the British Welfare State early in the 20th century.

To the many appreciations of Churchill’s career let us add that he was (which is not often recognized) a serious political theorist, who learned from experience and, as William Manchester wrote, “usually improved as he went along.” I asked President Larry Arnn of Hillsdale College to respond to this question:

Churchill was a political thinker.…