Constitution

[Zoom-boing]

My son has history project due next week. It's a timeline and write up covering six of the chapters in their history book. It basically covers pre-Revolutionary war to post Constitution.

In reading over the information, when I started reading the 'Seven Principles of the Constitution' when I read these principles, I did a double take. 1. 'Popular Sovereignty (who gives the government its power). Popular sovereignty is a government in which the people rule. Everyone I've spoken too thinks bailing out failing companies is wrong, wrong, wrong yet . . . the government does as it pleases, not what the people want. 2. Republicanism - the people exercise their power by voting of their political reps. Ok -- but how do you get reps who will represent the people instead of their own interests? I don't trust any of the politicians to hold my best interest in the forefront, do you? Obama vs. McCain. I mean, really? This was our choice? 3. Limited Government - ok, this was the one that really made me stop. The Constitution was specifically framed for the government to be limited and yet . . . . the government is anything but limited, and hasn't been for awhile, and is growing bigger and bigger as we speak. The principle of limited government is also closely related to the 'rule of law', where in the American government everyone, citizens and powerful leaders alike, must obey the law. Individuals or groups cannot twist or bypass the law to serve their own interests. How many of Obama's cabinet picks have broken the law and yet . . . . a blind eye is turned to it and they are given the job.

In reading over all of the information in the history book it made me sick to see where our government started and how far off course we've gone. I see government control in so many things where it just shouldn't be . . . when will it stop? Honestly, I don't think it will. It makes me sad to think that in another generation or so they won't have any idea that once upon a time people had the freedom to make choices instead of the government deciding for them.

 

[Agnapostate]

I think an inability to implement legitimate democracy is a deficiency of republicanism as a whole, which is why I instead advocate anarchism, keeping in mind Gaston Leval's observation that the Spanish anarchists "instituted not bourgeois formal democracy but genuine grass roots functional libertarian democracy, where each individual participated directly in the revolutionary reorganization of social life." That said, I've long recognized the unfeasibility of the implementation of anarchism in my lifetime, so I instead focus on broad progressivism and libertarianism.

Now, I also do believe that the founders had an interest in equality of opportunity, and did not realize that rapid industrialization would cement the power of the financial class and prevent easy transition by the masses. Their existence in an agrarian society characterized by relative equality of opportunity for white male landowners over 21 (heh), prevented any major speculation about this. That's why I favor nationalization of major industries and the extension of democracy into the economic realm through worker-owned enterprises and labor cooperatives, combined with the destruction of wealth and market concentration and the facilitation of legitimately competitive market enterprise through the radical re-organization of property rights so that genuine equality of opportunity is established. It's through that means that the role of government, an integral agent in the capitalist economy, can be drastically reduced in the market socialist economy and democracy can flourish.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

My son has history project due next week. It's a timeline and write up covering six of the chapters in their history book. It basically covers pre-Revolutionary war to post Constitution.

In reading over the information, when I started reading the 'Seven Principles of the Constitution' when I read these principles, I did a double take. 1. 'Popular Sovereignty (who gives the government its power). Popular sovereignty is a government in which the people rule. Everyone I've spoken too thinks bailing out failing companies is wrong, wrong, wrong yet . . . the government does as it pleases, not what the people want. 2. Republicanism - the people exercise their power by voting of their political reps. Ok -- but how do you get reps who will represent the people instead of their own interests? I don't trust any of the politicians to hold my best interest in the forefront, do you? Obama vs. McCain. I mean, really? This was our choice? 3. Limited Government - ok, this was the one that really made me stop. The Constitution was specifically framed for the government to be limited and yet . . . . the government is anything but limited, and hasn't been for awhile, and is growing bigger and bigger as we speak. The principle of limited government is also closely related to the 'rule of law', where in the American government everyone, citizens and powerful leaders alike, must obey the law. Individuals or groups cannot twist or bypass the law to serve their own interests. How many of Obama's cabinet picks have broken the law and yet . . . . a blind eye is turned to it and they are given the job.

In reading over all of the information in the history book it made me sick to see where our government started and how far off course we've gone. I see government control in so many things where it just shouldn't be . . . when will it stop? Honestly, I don't think it will. It makes me sad to think that in another generation or so they won't have any idea that once upon a time people had the freedom to make choices instead of the government deciding for them.

Don't bring this up amongst our Left leaning friends. They will tell you that even though it is clearly stated that the Federal Government was to be a limited Government and that AMENDMENTS were required to give it new powers, that the supposed General Welfare clause ( one that does NOT exist) gives the Government UNLIMITED power.

That new Amendments are not needed when one can just claim it is for the "general" Welfare. Again a clause that does not exist.

Lawyers, politicians hell every walk of life for the left will tell you this.

Just before the Constitution lists the REAL Limits of power given the Federal Government, the wrote a paragraph to explain WHY these powers were granted and they added a point that THESE powers were for the General Welfare of the Country and the people.

Now the left takes that OUT of context and claims, even though it is not one of the listed powers, that some how it is now a power of the Government.

The Federalist papers, other papers, comments from the Founders all indicate this simply is NOT true. The Constitution itself proves it is not true as it does not list " the General Welfare" as a separate power at all. It is simply a descriptor of WHY the real powers exist.

Jillian is one of the worst offenders, she keeps reminding us she went to LAW school and is a practicing Attorney and she is so badly informed on what the Constitution means as to beg the question? Was she ever given a class on the document?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

I think an inability to implement legitimate democracy is a deficiency of republicanism as a whole, which is why I instead advocate anarchism, keeping in mind Gaston Leval's observation that the Spanish anarchists "instituted not bourgeois formal democracy but genuine grass roots functional libertarian democracy, where each individual participated directly in the revolutionary reorganization of social life." That said, I've long recognized the unfeasibility of the implementation of anarchism in my lifetime, so I instead focus on broad progressivism and libertarianism.

Now, I also do believe that the founders had an interest in equality of opportunity, and did not realize that rapid industrialization would cement the power of the financial class and prevent easy transition by the masses. Their existence in an agrarian society characterized by relative equality of opportunity for white male landowners over 21 (heh), prevented any major speculation about this. That's why I favor nationalization of major industries and the extension of democracy into the economic realm through worker-owned enterprises and labor cooperatives, combined with the destruction of wealth and market concentration and the facilitation of legitimately competitive market enterprise through the radical re-organization of property rights so that genuine equality of opportunity is established. It's through that means that the role of government, an integral agent in the capitalist economy, can be drastically reduced in the market socialist economy and democracy can flourish.

You want no Government but before it goes you want it to make all those better off then you to be made no better then you financially. How Quaint. You want no Government but you want this none existent Government to seize all Industry and basically destroy it by giving it away to people that have no investment in it. How Quaint.

n other words you want anarchy so no one will have more than you and you do not have to work to achieve anything. Thanks for explaining that.

 

[NOBama]

My son has history project due next week. It's a timeline and write up covering six of the chapters in their history book. It basically covers pre-Revolutionary war to post Constitution.

In reading over the information, when I started reading the 'Seven Principles of the Constitution' when I read these principles, I did a double take. 1. 'Popular Sovereignty (who gives the government its power). Popular sovereignty is a government in which the people rule. Everyone I've spoken too thinks bailing out failing companies is wrong, wrong, wrong yet . . . the government does as it pleases, not what the people want. 2. Republicanism - the people exercise their power by voting of their political reps. Ok -- but how do you get reps who will represent the people instead of their own interests? I don't trust any of the politicians to hold my best interest in the forefront, do you? Obama vs. McCain. I mean, really? This was our choice? 3. Limited Government - ok, this was the one that really made me stop. The Constitution was specifically framed for the government to be limited and yet . . . . the government is anything but limited, and hasn't been for awhile, and is growing bigger and bigger as we speak. The principle of limited government is also closely related to the 'rule of law', where in the American government everyone, citizens and powerful leaders alike, must obey the law. Individuals or groups cannot twist or bypass the law to serve their own interests. How many of Obama's cabinet picks have broken the law and yet . . . . a blind eye is turned to it and they are given the job.

In reading over all of the information in the history book it made me sick to see where our government started and how far off course we've gone. I see government control in so many things where it just shouldn't be . . . when will it stop? Honestly, I don't think it will. It makes me sad to think that in another generation or so they won't have any idea that once upon a time people had the freedom to make choices instead of the government deciding for them.

Don't bring this up amongst our Left leaning friends. They will tell you that even though it is clearly stated that the Federal Government was to be a limited Government and that AMENDMENTS were required to give it new powers, that the supposed General Welfare clause ( one that does NOT exist) gives the Government UNLIMITED power.

That new Amendments are not needed when one can just claim it is for the "general" Welfare. Again a clause that does not exist.

Lawyers, politicians hell every walk of life for the left will tell you this.

Just before the Constitution lists the REAL Limits of power given the Federal Government, the wrote a paragraph to explain WHY these powers were granted and they added a point that THESE powers were for the General Welfare of the Country and the people.

Now the left takes that OUT of context and claims, even though it is not one of the listed powers, that some how it is now a power of the Government.

The Federalist papers, other papers, comments from the Founders all indicate this simply is NOT true. The Constitution itself proves it is not true as it does not list " the General Welfare" as a separate power at all. It is simply a descriptor of WHY the real powers exist.

Jillian is one of the worst offenders, she keeps reminding us she went to LAW school and is a practicing Attorney and she is so badly informed on what the Constitution means as to beg the question? Was she ever given a class on the document?

People were once thought that the world was square too, it took a long time to prove otherwise. The only differecne is that those people really believed the world was square, in the case of the libtards promoting the idea that the constitution was given the power to determine and control the general welfare of the people, it's a self serving interest and a case they have yet been able to prove.

 

[Agnapostate]

You want no Government but before it goes you want it to make all those better off then you to be made no better then you financially. How Quaint. You want no Government but you want this none existent Government to seize all Industry and basically destroy it by giving it away to people that have no investment in it. How Quaint.

n other words you want anarchy so no one will have more than you and you do not have to work to achieve anything. Thanks for explaining that.

Don't be absurd. Your primitive misconceptions simply can't address the fact that the democratic market socialism of the nature that I advocate (based around worker-owned enterprises and labor cooperatives, again), would have a far smaller place for government than capitalism currently does. Workers' ownership is precisely what facilitates legitimately competitive market exchange by those with an interest in success; the fact that all workers receive shares of firm profits is a strong motivation to work harder.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Jillian is a lawyer?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Jillian is a lawyer?

Careful she will get mad and neg rep you for not admitting she is a Lawyer.

But ya, hard to believe with some of the crap that comes out of her mouth, Hu?

 

[Zoom-boing]

Jillian is a lawyer?

Careful she will get mad and neg rep you for not admitting she is a Lawyer.

But ya, hard to believe with some of the crap that comes out of her mouth, Hu?

She won't neg rep me. For some reason I thought she was a teacher.

ETA: or worked in corporate, something suit-like.

 

[Agnapostate]

Nah, I don't think Jill is a lawyer or lives in New York, for that matter. I have no evidence of that; I just enjoy disputing her claims about her own identity...reciprocal justice, y'know.

 

[editec]

The US government is a hell of a long way from what it was in 1789.

Of course it's a very different world than it was in 1789, too.

I think that what you guys want from your government is no longer possible, to be honest.

If we still lived in the 18th century, it might make sense, of course, but we don't live in that world anymore.

Not that I'm thrilled with our government either, but I think some of you people are highly unrealistic about what powers the government really needs to have now to inusre that the United States of America remains a viable nation.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The US government is a hell of a long way from what it was in 1789.

Of course it's a very different world than it was in 1789, too.

I think that what you guys want from your government is no longer possible, to be honest.

If we still lived in the 18th century, it might make sense, of course, but we don't live in that world anymore.

Not that I'm thrilled with our government either, but I think some of you people are highly unrealistic about what powers the government really needs to have now to inusre that the United States of America remains a viable nation.

And that attitude is EXACTLY why the Government gets away with ignoring the Constitution.

You see there is BUILT INTO the document, the means to change it. If the federal Government wants Social Security and medicare, make a damn amendment and let the people decide.

If the Federal Government wants to meddle in States rights versus Eductation, MAKE AN AMENDMENT and let the people decide.

As of right now the Constitution is ignored more then it is followed. And your attitude is, darn, well we need those powers. USE the Amendment process and GET them.

 

[midcan5]

All wingnuts who preach the wonderful never never land of over 200 years ago, should also go to doctors who treat illnesses as they did then, or travel as they did then, or eat as they did then, or even bath as they did then. After you've been there a while maybe then you'll appreciate times they do change.

But seriously the seven ideas still exist and for those who read and not just salivate over our imaginary past:

'Seven Basic Principles Of The Constitution'

Popular Sovereignty- the governments right to rule comes from the people
Limited Government- the government has only the powers that the Constitution gives to it
Separation of Power-the Constitution divides the government into three branches:
Congress-legislative branch makes laws
President-executive branch carries out the laws
Courts-judicial branch explains and interprets the laws
Checks and Balances- each branch of government has the power to check or limit the actions of the other two
Federalism-division of power between the federal government and the states.
Republicanism- citizens elect representatives to carry out their will
Individual rights-The Constitution protects individual rights such as freedom of speech, freedom religion etc

 

[Yurt]

lawyers, overall, are liberal. lawschools, overall, are liberal. the number of conservative lawyers is miniscule compared to the liberal lawyers. so....that jillian is a liberal and a lawyer is not surprising based solely on her extreme liberalism.

 

[Zoom-boing]

All wingnuts who preach the wonderful never never land of over 200 years ago, should also go to doctors who treat illnesses as they did then, or travel as they did then, or eat as they did then, or even bath as they did then. After you've been there a while maybe then you'll appreciate times they do change.

But seriously the seven ideas still exist and for those who read and not just salivate over our imaginary past:

'Seven Basic Principles Of The Constitution'

Popular Sovereignty- the governments right to rule comes from the people
Limited Government- the government has only the powers that the Constitution gives to it
Separation of Power-the Constitution divides the government into three branches:
Congress-legislative branch makes laws
President-executive branch carries out the laws
Courts-judicial branch explains and interprets the laws
Checks and Balances- each branch of government has the power to check or limit the actions of the other two
Federalism-division of power between the federal government and the states.
Republicanism- citizens elect representatives to carry out their will
Individual rights-The Constitution protects individual rights such as freedom of speech, freedom religion etc

Exactly how do you see that the government is limited today?

 

[NOBama]

Exactly how do you see that the government limited today?

How 'bout that first one: the governments right to rule comes from the people.

What a joke, that one could and probably should be recorded as the fourth biggest lie in the world.

The government ignores the people regularly, it ignored the people when we told them NO on the Bush bailout and BO, what a disaster; he now represents the biggest political power grab in history. Every time I hear BO say “this (or that) is what the people voted for”, I want to vomit.

By the time the ignoramuses who voted for him wake up, it'll be too late. Now that I think about it, it’s already too late. This train will run until the calendar strikes 12. The best we can hope for is to slow it down when the calendar strikes 10.

 

[Citizen]

My son has history project due next week. It's a timeline and write up covering six of the chapters in their history book. It basically covers pre-Revolutionary war to post Constitution.

In reading over the information, when I started reading the 'Seven Principles of the Constitution' when I read these principles, I did a double take. 1. 'Popular Sovereignty (who gives the government its power). Popular sovereignty is a government in which the people rule. Everyone I've spoken too thinks bailing out failing companies is wrong, wrong, wrong yet . . . the government does as it pleases, not what the people want. 2. Republicanism - the people exercise their power by voting of their political reps. Ok -- but how do you get reps who will represent the people instead of their own interests? I don't trust any of the politicians to hold my best interest in the forefront, do you? Obama vs. McCain. I mean, really? This was our choice? 3. Limited Government - ok, this was the one that really made me stop. The Constitution was specifically framed for the government to be limited and yet . . . . the government is anything but limited, and hasn't been for awhile, and is growing bigger and bigger as we speak. The principle of limited government is also closely related to the 'rule of law', where in the American government everyone, citizens and powerful leaders alike, must obey the law. Individuals or groups cannot twist or bypass the law to serve their own interests. How many of Obama's cabinet picks have broken the law and yet . . . . a blind eye is turned to it and they are given the job.

In reading over all of the information in the history book it made me sick to see where our government started and how far off course we've gone. I see government control in so many things where it just shouldn't be . . . when will it stop? Honestly, I don't think it will. It makes me sad to think that in another generation or so they won't have any idea that once upon a time people had the freedom to make choices instead of the government deciding for them.

Loss of freedom includes the loss of representation and the violation of oath of office, by our elected officials. Any elected official that violates their oath of office should automatically be removed from office.

All politicians holding federal office have, as a part of their oath of office, swore to uphold the constitution, but they violate that oath with impunity.

The limited powers granted the legislature include the following:

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post roads;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; to provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and rebel invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Not to mention the tenth amendment which states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people".

Most, if not all of the laws, that congress has passed using the "commerce clause" as their excuse, should be repealed, now.

 

[Zoom-boing]

My son has history project due next week. It's a timeline and write up covering six of the chapters in their history book. It basically covers pre-Revolutionary war to post Constitution.

In reading over the information, when I started reading the 'Seven Principles of the Constitution' when I read these principles, I did a double take. 1. 'Popular Sovereignty (who gives the government its power). Popular sovereignty is a government in which the people rule. Everyone I've spoken too thinks bailing out failing companies is wrong, wrong, wrong yet . . . the government does as it pleases, not what the people want. 2. Republicanism - the people exercise their power by voting of their political reps. Ok -- but how do you get reps who will represent the people instead of their own interests? I don't trust any of the politicians to hold my best interest in the forefront, do you? Obama vs. McCain. I mean, really? This was our choice? 3. Limited Government - ok, this was the one that really made me stop. The Constitution was specifically framed for the government to be limited and yet . . . . the government is anything but limited, and hasn't been for awhile, and is growing bigger and bigger as we speak. The principle of limited government is also closely related to the 'rule of law', where in the American government everyone, citizens and powerful leaders alike, must obey the law. Individuals or groups cannot twist or bypass the law to serve their own interests. How many of Obama's cabinet picks have broken the law and yet . . . . a blind eye is turned to it and they are given the job.

In reading over all of the information in the history book it made me sick to see where our government started and how far off course we've gone. I see government control in so many things where it just shouldn't be . . . when will it stop? Honestly, I don't think it will. It makes me sad to think that in another generation or so they won't have any idea that once upon a time people had the freedom to make choices instead of the government deciding for them.

Loss of freedom includes the loss of representation and the violation of oath of office, by our elected officials. Any elected official that violates their oath of office should automatically be removed from office.

All politicians holding federal office have, as a part of their oath of office, swore to uphold the constitution, but they violate that oath with impunity.

The limited powers granted the legislature include the following:

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post roads;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; to provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and rebel invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Not to mention the tenth amendment which states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people".

Most, if not all of the laws, that congress has passed using the "commerce clause" as their excuse, should be repealed, now.

 

[MaggieMae]

My son has history project due next week. It's a timeline and write up covering six of the chapters in their history book. It basically covers pre-Revolutionary war to post Constitution.

In reading over the information, when I started reading the 'Seven Principles of the Constitution' when I read these principles, I did a double take. 1. 'Popular Sovereignty (who gives the government its power). Popular sovereignty is a government in which the people rule. Everyone I've spoken too thinks bailing out failing companies is wrong, wrong, wrong yet . . . the government does as it pleases, not what the people want. 2. Republicanism - the people exercise their power by voting of their political reps. Ok -- but how do you get reps who will represent the people instead of their own interests? I don't trust any of the politicians to hold my best interest in the forefront, do you? Obama vs. McCain. I mean, really? This was our choice? 3. Limited Government - ok, this was the one that really made me stop. The Constitution was specifically framed for the government to be limited and yet . . . . the government is anything but limited, and hasn't been for awhile, and is growing bigger and bigger as we speak. The principle of limited government is also closely related to the 'rule of law', where in the American government everyone, citizens and powerful leaders alike, must obey the law. Individuals or groups cannot twist or bypass the law to serve their own interests. How many of Obama's cabinet picks have broken the law and yet . . . . a blind eye is turned to it and they are given the job.

In reading over all of the information in the history book it made me sick to see where our government started and how far off course we've gone. I see government control in so many things where it just shouldn't be . . . when will it stop? Honestly, I don't think it will. It makes me sad to think that in another generation or so they won't have any idea that once upon a time people had the freedom to make choices instead of the government deciding for them.

Don't bring this up amongst our Left leaning friends. They will tell you that even though it is clearly stated that the Federal Government was to be a limited Government and that AMENDMENTS were required to give it new powers, that the supposed General Welfare clause ( one that does NOT exist) gives the Government UNLIMITED power.

That new Amendments are not needed when one can just claim it is for the "general" Welfare. Again a clause that does not exist.

Lawyers, politicians hell every walk of life for the left will tell you this.

Just before the Constitution lists the REAL Limits of power given the Federal Government, the wrote a paragraph to explain WHY these powers were granted and they added a point that THESE powers were for the General Welfare of the Country and the people.

Now the left takes that OUT of context and claims, even though it is not one of the listed powers, that some how it is now a power of the Government.

The Federalist papers, other papers, comments from the Founders all indicate this simply is NOT true. The Constitution itself proves it is not true as it does not list " the General Welfare" as a separate power at all. It is simply a descriptor of WHY the real powers exist.

Jillian is one of the worst offenders, she keeps reminding us she went to LAW school and is a practicing Attorney and she is so badly informed on what the Constitution means as to beg the question? Was she ever given a class on the document?

However you want to spin it, the Constitution was never intended to be an all-inclusive forever document. It was a series of guidelines, which is precisely why it IS a "living" document. The framers (and even the contributors to the Federalist Papers) knew that as the new nation grew both by population, territory, invention, innovation and thus modernization, only the basic tenets of the Constitution would remain. The reason we have a Supreme Court is to sort out some of the intentional ambiguities therein.

There have been many, many "laws" passed that you will not see specifically identified pursuant to the language contained in the Constitution.

 

[MaggieMae]

The US government is a hell of a long way from what it was in 1789.

Of course it's a very different world than it was in 1789, too.

I think that what you guys want from your government is no longer possible, to be honest.

If we still lived in the 18th century, it might make sense, of course, but we don't live in that world anymore.

Not that I'm thrilled with our government either, but I think some of you people are highly unrealistic about what powers the government really needs to have now to inusre that the United States of America remains a viable nation.

And that attitude is EXACTLY why the Government gets away with ignoring the Constitution.

You see there is BUILT INTO the document, the means to change it. If the federal Government wants Social Security and medicare, make a damn amendment and let the people decide.

If the Federal Government wants to meddle in States rights versus Eductation, MAKE AN AMENDMENT and let the people decide.

As of right now the Constitution is ignored more then it is followed. And your attitude is, darn, well we need those powers. USE the Amendment process and GET them.

But Social Security, Medicare and Education were never specifically written into the Constitution in the first place. Neither was government wiretapping, per se, nor abortion rights, per se. And where would construction of the interstate highway system be found in the Constitution? According to your logic, by following the strict tenets of the Constitution, we would still be driving over dirt roads.