I also listened to Rush (I'm an online subscriber in Melbourne, Australia) and agree with layopinions' viewpoint. http://tinyurl.com/rush-fluke-comment

I agree with Neal from PA, that "Lincoln did what he had to in time of War". Furthermore, President Lincoln's actions were entirely constitutional and moral at every point. He kept the USA together as was his legal duty. He at no time that I am aware of ever transgressed. From having read many of Abraham Lincoln's speeches and studying his actions, I would say his understanding of the American Constitution in its full meaning was unsurpassed at the time. Best Wishes, PRODOS Melbourne, Australia

I don't believe the states have any right whatsoever to secede. However, even if they do have such a right, under what circumstances does it apply? We can agree that such a right, if it applied, shouldn't be arbitrary, yes? For instance if a state wanted to secede in order to establish a Communist government, that couldn't be considered a right under any circumstances. If a state wanted to secede in order to become part of Cuba, that wouldn't be acceptable. Here is another unacceptable scenario: Over a 12 year period there are several Presidential elections. On the first one Ron Paul is voted in, but New York doesn't like him and so secedes. At the next election Hilary Clinton is voted in but Ohio doesn't like her and so it...

Good evening from Melbourne, Australia. I disagree that secession can be considered a right - even implicitly - of either the states or of the people in general under the American Constitution. Certainly not in any way under the Tenth Amendment. The best pro-secession arguments I've come across would be those that look to the Declaration of Independence. There we find a right of revolution. But in fact that is not a right to secession. In any case, upon what basis did the Confederate States seek to secede? What was it that they objected to? Did they have a legitimate case? And most important of all in my view, what kind of government with what kinds of rights did they wish to establish? My answers to all the above lead me to the...

I agree with John Hawkins that Abraham Lincoln is one of the greatest American Presidents. But I was surprised to read from him (my emphasis): "In a bloody Civil War that could have legitimately meant the end of the union, it was better to BREAK THE RULES and win -- than go by the book and see the nation that the Constitution was meant to guide split into two hostile halves" As an Australian fan of Abraham Lincoln, I'm not aware of him ever breaking the rules. On the contrary, he applied the Constitution exactly as it was meant to be applied.

Brad (Reply #9): "... the people with the gold make the rules".

That's not correct.

Brian (@ Reply #3) says: "Excessive money is corrupting the political process"

But if I have lots of money and wish to use large quantities of my honestly-earned (or rightfully inherited) money to help promote the candidates of my choice - the individuals or political parties I really believe in - I don't see how there is any corruption in that.

I'm not bribing an official to bend the laws in my favor or to the disadvantage of my fellow citizen.

I can't force anyone to agree with the arguments I express in my adverts or movies or books or whatever. I'm not using coercion. I'm seeking to use my vast money by way of persuasion.

I may be mistaken in the arguments I present or even in some of the beliefs I hold,...

What I love most about Thomas Sowell's articles (and books) is the way he provides us with objective METHODS and TOOLS that can be applied to many issues - even beyond any particular topic he's exploring.

Dr Sowell doesn't just give us his personal opinions. He is also teaching us logical thinking skills that we can apply in order to not just "win" arguments, but to more thoroughly understand issues.

For instance, in this article, Dr Sowell takes a statistic such as the 20 percent of people who are in the lowest income bracket, and asks us to track these people over time.

Lo and behold, we discover that over time most of these people are improving their prosperity and moving up the scale!

1. They are not a...

Reading Thomas Sowell's regular columns is one of the highlights of my week.

Best Wishes,

PRODOS
Melbourne, Australia