Fifty Years – Reversing the Pattern of Surrender

This year is a time to celebrate! You may not know, but 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Phyllis Schlafly Report. It continually amazes us how relevant Phyllis Schlafly’s information and arguments are for what we face today and we’re excited to share with you her time-tested strategies so we can sharpen our skills in the fight for conservative principles. First on our list is a look at her very first report titled “Giveaway of our Panama Canal.” Just as her revolutionary book A Choice, Not an Echo exposed the secrets of the Republican kingmakers, this iconic PS Report from August 1967 exposed the secret treaties that promised to undermine American sovereignty and deliver us another humiliating foreign policy defeat on the world stage.


In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt bought the land to be used for the Panama Canal in exchange for a hefty monetary sum and an agreement to help the Panamanians gain their independence from Columbia. It was understood by everyone involved that America was receiving as payment the ten-mile-wide strip of land “in perpetuity.” However, Panamanian nationalists continued to claim sovereignty over the land. After years of protests and riots over the “Canal Zone” – many presidents, from Eisenhower to Ford, capitulated to foreign demands. The hotly debated Panama Canal Treaties were eventually signed under President Carter in 1977.

When Phyllis wrote her first PS Report, she didn’t know that Donald Trump would become the president of the United States in 2017. However, she did know that we need to embrace the principle of “America First” in our foreign policy. Even though the crisis at the Panama Canal is over, the message of the August 1967 Phyllis Schlafly Report is far from obsolete. We need to reject those around us who think that just one more concession will make everyone happy. Phyllis understood that taking a strong, defensive stance on the world stage was the best way to benefit Americans and promote peace around the world. As we look back across the long fifty years, it is very clear to see: Phyllis was right.