• "Well written, well researched, and the thesis put forth is well argued.... Woods has opened up an area of historical analysis that should invite further study."
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    Former Member of Congress

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    U.S. House of Representatives

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  • "A must-read."
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  • "An excellent reading source for anyone interested in financial markets, and much more so for anyone interested in learning about capitalism without all the misinterpretations being thrown about in the financial media."
    -Asia Times

  • "Provocative, well-written, and deserves to be read."
    -Catholic Historical Review

  • "An engaging and important contribution to scholarship on the history of American Catholicism."
    -Journal of the Historical Society

  • "Woods and [co-author Kevin] Gutzman appeal to both left and right in this constitutionalist jeremiad…. The authors' exegeses of the Constitution and court decisions, heavy on original intent arguments, are lucid and telling."
    -Publishers Weekly

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    -Peter Schiff

Thought Controllers Up in Arms About Mississippi Nullification Bill

In Mississippi, House Bill 490 would establish a commission to evaluate the constitutionality of federal actions and prevent the enforcement of unconstitutional ones. (They are calling this neutralization, not nullification, but it’s the same thing.)

Naturally, the Opinion Police are appalled at this; this idea does not appear on the 3×5 card of positions we peons are allowed to hold. So the Clarion Ledger has published at least two articles on the subject in the past week in which we are treated to breathless posturing about the civil rights movement, in order to make the idea of political decentralization toxic to the public. They also claim the bill is “unconstitutional” — and whenever an article against nullification makes this claim, you can be sure it will be followed up with: “According to Fred Lawyer of John Marshall Law School, the bill is unconstitutional because according to Article VI of the Constitution, federal law trumps state law.”

Here are the two articles:

Chism, Smith Embarrass Mississippi with Shameful Legislation,” by Sam R. Hall (It’s shameful and embarrassing not to obey your overlords. Federal law trumps state law, citizen!)

States’ Rights Pushed in Bill that Would ‘Assert the Sovereignty of the State,’” by Jerry Mitchell

All of their claims — including the idea that segregation discredits decentralization (does anything centralized states do ever discredit centralization?) — are refuted at NullificationFAQ.com.

Unlearn the Propaganda!

  • James

    Tom, your refutation delivers a wicked smackdown on the comments section of Hall’s article. I only hope the article’s author resorts to ad hominid flamewar rhetoric. I’m staying tuned for future entertainment. BTW, you function very well with little sleep as evidenced by your Mises Circle presentation on Saturday. Don’t let your colleagues take note of this; they’ll scheme to torture you somehow.

  • anon

    Tom,

    as a Mississippian and supporter of nullification I was woefully unaware of this bill. Thank you for standing up for Nullification and fighting the good battle whereever it takes you, especially in Mississippi!

  • http://www.facebook.com/david.desalvo.16 David DeSalvo

    NULLIFY

  • sarah k

    as a Mississippian I am proud of this concept. I do hate a new government commission has to be created. Isn’t that really the job of every law maker on every level?

  • kirk

    if a ‘law’ is unconstitutional, it is no law. rather, it is the edict of an overseer, a master.

    disobeying such an edict does not render an individual, or a state, a ‘criminal’. it is the ruling class that is the criminal and the enemy of the people in such a scenario.

    NULLIFY or OBEY: it is obvious what free people will do.

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