Heather Cox Richardson on Abraham Lincoln
I've included the most recent offering of HCR below because it makes powerful arguments for a provision placed by our "Founding Fathers" in the Constitution and argued in The Federalist Papers for the separation of church and state, using an early speech by Abraham Lincoln (“The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions,” delivered in 1838, 22 years before he became president). The former POTUS goes on to make a second point that I have long thought correct, that no foreign power will ever conquer our country and destroy our democracy, but that our defeat can “come only from within.” Some remarkable conclusions from a self-taught, back-woods, 28-year-old Midwest lawyer. I leave it to you to decide if his words have relevance today.
I've also included a detailed INFOGRAPHIC from the Soufan Group on the Red Sea Crisis, which you may find helpful in putting that subject in perspective. Because this is so timely, I plan to send this distro list today rather than later in the week, as planned.
Just as I was beginning to send this off the following came over the wire from CNN: "Three US troops killed in drone attack in Jordan, at least two dozen injured." Another example of the dangerous, escilating violence in the Middle East.