Matt Salomone: Textbook propaganda in Coley's definition: rhetoric that invokes an ideal in the service of undermining that ideal. "Separation of powers!" but demolishes checks and balances "Religious liberty!" but privileges one religion's illiberalism "Originalism!" but completely misses the framers' intent

roberts’ reasoning is fundamentally (lower-case “r”) anti-republican. i know we dunk on the framers here but roberts has issued a rebuke of the revolutionary assumption that concentrated, unaccountable power is a fundamental threat to liberty.

It's just hilariously disingenuous. Imagine looking at, say, ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY and concluding that the biggest threat to liberty isn't abuse of power, but powerful people refraining from sufficiently wielding their authority out of fear that they might one day be held accountable.

roberts essentially ignores the purpose of separation of powers, which was not to create entirely separate spheres of action but to prevent the emergence of unchecked authority. instead, he says, separation of powers *demands* unchecked authority.

Textbook propaganda in Coley's definition: rhetoric that invokes an ideal in the service of undermining that ideal. "Separation of powers!" but demolishes checks and balances "Religious liberty!" but privileges one religion's illiberalism "Originalism!" but completely misses the framers' intent

Ministers Of Propaganda w/Scott M. Coleysoundcloud.com Scott M. Coley is a lecturer in philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. His research interests include philosophy of religion, moral epistemology, and political philosophy.

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