A Brief Return

More than four years have passed since the previous post. I am not gone. I have been active on Twitter, and will continue to be so. From time to time, I write opinion pieces, sometimes in English. Here are those not previously posted:

• Is Democracy Mob Rule?
• Federally Mandated Parental Leave? Look to Norway?
• Don’t Lower the Voting Age, Raise It
• My Campaign to Raise the Voting Age Got Me Shadowbanned on Twitter
• Probable Cause I Should Have No Privacy?
• Does Democracy Provide Liberty? (Part I of series)
• Is Democracy the Best We Can Do? (Part II of series)
• Democracy and Liberty Ahead (Part III of series)
• The Education of a Monarchist: Advantages of the Heritage of Caesar's Corona
• Advice to Joe Biden
• Is Liberal Democracy Liberal Enough?

Very recently, in this Coronation season, I debuted as an op-ed writer in the American press, more specifically in The Washington Times, with British monarchy is outside of government in a way not even the American judiciary is. That lengthy headline was not my idea. Just ahead of His Majesty King Charles III's debut Trooping the Colour, I also had this published: Save Us from More Politics!

Hjort Passing at 50

50 years ago today, J.B. Hjort passed away.

J.B. Hjort wrote Justismord (Miscarriage of Justice), where he analyzed – amongst others – the “trials” against Anne Boleyn, King Charles I of England, Queen Marie Antoinette of France, and Prime Minster Selmer of Norway.

J.B. Hjort also wrote Demokrati og statsmakt (Democracy and State Power), where he addressed – although being guilty of abuse of the word democracy – the need for checks due to the vices of democracy.

He often wrote in Farmand, and he was an active opponent of a government-“developed” language.

Across the Ocean for a New World Order

A century ago today, the Persona Non Grata of this weblog, the Democratizer-In-Chief, set sail aboard the USS George Washington to carve up Europe and make the world safe for Wilsonian mass democracy.

To Sea to Democratize

A year short of a century ago today, the Persona Non Grata of this weblog, the Democratizer-In-Chief, set sail aboard the USS George Washington to carve up Europe and make the world safe for Wilsonian mass democracy.

Book Just Released

The book Grunnlov og frihet: turtelduer eller erkefiender? (translated title: Constitution and Liberty: Lovebirds or Archenemies?), edited by yours truly, was released just this week.

The book features, amongst others, Cato Institute's Johan Norberg. The overall theme of the book is asking tough, critical questions about the Constitution (of the Kingdom of Norway), liberty and democracy.

We speak where others are silent. We challenge myths. We shake the Norwegian consensus.

Links (mostly in Norwegian) for the book:

• website: grlfrihet.no
• F***book: @GrlFrihet
• Twitter: @GrlFrihet

Popular Sovereignty – Rather Pure

203 years ago today, the Norwegian Constitutional Convention passed the constitutional provision on constitutional amendments.

This provision was to be subject to much political conflict later in the 19^th century. It was argued that a constitutional amendment implicitly needed Royal Assent, and it can certainly be argued that that was part of constitutional law at times.

However, a doctoral thesis from 2011 has unfortunately shown convincingly and with high probability that the intent of the framers was a pure popular sovereignty system when it comes to the constituting (amendments included) authority.

This painting, created by Oscar Wergeland on assignment from a medical doctor on the losing side in the constitutional conflict of the 1870s and 1880s, hangs till this day in Parliament Hall:

Crusade for Democracy

A century ago today, David Lloyd George gave an address to the American Club, praising American entry in the war and the crusade for democracy.

Henry Ford Passing

70 years ago today, Henry Ford passed away. In his autobiography, My Life and Work, he wrote:

Perhaps no word is more overworked nowadays than the word “democracy,” and those who shout loudest about it, I think, as a rule, want it least. I am always suspicious of men who speak glibly of democracy. I wonder if they want to set up some kind of depotism or if they want to have somebody do for them what they ought to do for themselves.

Book Soon to Be Released

The forthcoming book of which I am editor is just a few weeks from due release.

The book is titled Grunnlov og frihet: turtelduer eller erkefiender? (translated title: Constitution and Liberty: Lovebirds or Archenemies?).

I have an essay on LinkedIn reflecting on change and progress on the occasion of opening for pre-orders this week.

More links for the book:

• website (in Norwegian)
• F***book
• Twitter
• crowdfunding for marketing (in Norwegian)

Bertrand de Jouvenel Passing at 30

Three decades ago today, Bertrand de Jouvenel passed away.

Over at LewRockwell.com, Bionic Mosquito has a series of articles on the late Bertrand de Jouvenel:

• The Problem With Equality
• Democracy be Damned
• A Hideously Immoral Phenomenon
• Culture and Liberty
• Monarchy Without the King
• The New Nobility
• No Imaginary Evil

A Day in Judicial Infamy

Four score years ago today, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced his plan to pack the SCOTUS.

The Diet of the Estates of Sweden

One and a half century and a year ago today, the Diet of the Estates of Sweden held the last vote in support of the institution's abolition and replacement with a two-chamber parliament.

The World Safe for God Demos

Two years short of a century ago today, the Persona Non Grata of this weblog set sail aboard the USS George Washington to carve up Europe and make the world safe for Wilsonian mass democracy.

To Sea for God Demos

Three years short of a century ago today, the Persona Non Grata of this weblog set sail aboard the USS George Washington to carve up Europe and make the world safe for God Demos.

Sheep and Wolves

Embrace Democracy...

Who's in Charge?

Dinner...

Austrian Independence Treaty at 60

Six decades ago today, the Austrian Independence Treaty came into force. Post-WWII occupation was over. One of the provisions read:

Austria shall have a democratic government based on elections by secret ballot and shall guarantee to all citizens free, equal and universal suffrage as well as the right to be elected to public office without discrimination as to race, sex, language, religion or political opinion.

And yes, then there is this:

Austria further undertakes to maintain the law of 3rd April, 1919, concerning the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine.

Austrian Independence Treaty of 1955

60 years ago today, the Austrian Independence Treaty was signed. One of the provisions read:

Austria shall have a democratic government based on elections by secret ballot and shall guarantee to all citizens free, equal and universal suffrage as well as the right to be elected to public office without discrimination as to race, sex, language, religion or political opinion.

And yes, then there is this:

Austria further undertakes to maintain the law of 3rd April, 1919, concerning the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine.