June 25th, 2016. Our 10 year anniversary. What an incredible ride it has been.
I cannot begin to properly thank everyone who has gotten TAC to where it is today – members, supporters, readers, volunteers, bloggers, organizers, interviewers, donors, friends, family – everyone who has done anything and everything – to help us get to where we are. So I’ll keep it brief – thank you from the bottom of my heart.
One of the most common questions I get asked is “how did you start this thing?” In interviews, I generally explain how I was originally anti-political, I was never engaged or involved. I talk about how I found myself engaged in opposition to the Iraq war – the day it started, in fact. But eventually I became disillusioned by what the “antiwar movement” was. Over time, I learned that many people weren’t truly antiwar. Instead, they were opposed to just “Bush’s war,” or wanted to replace war programs with domestic ones.
I was reading quite a bit those days, and stumbled upon a guy named Harry Browne. It was from his radio show, articles and books that I started to develop the sense that virtually everything the government does – from war to domestic programs – they either do poorly, or shouldn’t do at all.
While I could probably tell personal stories for days, I think the best way to share a little of what shaped my own personal views is to share with you some of things I’ve read over the years – books and research papers that I’ve found influential, or just extremely interesting.
A “Tenther’s Reading List” is something that people have asked me to put together for years, and today seems like a good day to get the job done. (FYI: These are in no particular order)
Harry Browne: Why Government Doesn’t Work
Kurt Lash: Original Meaning of an Omission.The Tenth Amendment, Popular Sovereignty and “Expressly” Delegated Power (free pdf)
Bruce Frohnen: The Anti-Federalists: Selected Writings and Speeches
Murray Rothbard: Conceived in Liberty (free ebook)
George Orwell: 1984
Horace K. Houston Jr.: Another Nullification Crisis: Vermont’s 1850 Habeas Corpus Law (free online)
Kevin Gutzman: From Interposition to Nullification: Peripheries and Center in the Thought of James Madison (free online)
Tom Woods: Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century
Robert Natelson: The Enumerated Powers of States (free pdf)
Eric Groves: The Anti-War Quote book
Nicholson Baker: Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization
Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Harry Browne: Fail-Safe Investing
Ron Paul: The Revolution: A Manifesto
Murray Rothbard: What has Government done to our Money? (free ebook)
Kevin Gutzman: The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution
Louis Fisher: Presidential War Power
Hyun Hur: Radical Antislavery and Personal Liberty Laws In Antebellum Ohio, 1803-1857 (free pdf)
Hans-Herman Hoppe: What Must be Done (free ebook)
BONUS: A handful of films too…
Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
I hope you find these as interesting or influential as I have – thank you so much for being here!
- 10 States and Counting: 2nd Amendment Financial Privacy Act - April 7, 2024
- The Real Enforcement Mechanism for the Constitution - March 29, 2024
- War Powers: The True History of George Washington and the Indian Tribes - March 10, 2024