Only the common Defense is specifically enumerated, not any form of common Offense nor any form of general Warfare.
First of all, the common defense is not even enumerated.
Second - the "general welfare"
explicitly applies to the 18 enumerated powers. That was made very clear on an abundance of occasions by our founders. The founders didn't feel the need to create a 13,000 page legal document by citing every little thing they were allowed within the 18 enumerated powers - so they gave them broad powers
within those 18 enumerated powers (never realizing that one day we would have domestic terrorists called "Dumbocrats" who would intentionally attempt to misinterpret the law in an attempt to create loopholes).
“Congress had
not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but were
restrained to those specifically enumerated; and that, as it was never meant they should provide for that welfare but by the exercise of the enumerated powers, so it could not have been meant they should raise money for purposes which the enumeration did not place under their action”
- Thomas Jefferson (
June 6, 1817)
“
[We] disavow, and declare to be most false and unfounded, the doctrine that the [Constitution], in authorizing its federal branch to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States, has given them thereby a power to do whatever they may think, or pretend, would promote the general welfare–
which construction would make that of itself a complete government, without limitation of powers… The plain sense and obvious meaning were that they might levy the taxes necessary to provide
for the general welfare by the various acts of power therein specified and delegated to them, and by noothers.
– Thomas Jefferson (
December 24, 1825)
Thanks for playing friend! But your false narrative has just been disproven. Game over.
