Constitutional Government in an Age of "Gimme" and NIMBY: How I See It (An educational editorial)

 -by Sisyphus-

It is an old Chinese curse that says: May you live in interesting times. Interesting times we certainly have right now. The state of our nation is at a pivotal point in history, and so is the state of our Republican Party. To move away from over-sized, bureaucratic federal and state government toward the Constitutional mandates in totality, or to pick and choose whose ox to gore (preferably a Democrat ox). Interesting times, interesting debates indeed.

When you come right down to it, every federal program has a price tag that is not limited to merely the dollars spent. Every federal program costs us something of our freedom. Every government intervention takes away a little bit more of what are supposed to be our responsibilities, supposing that because someone asked for a program, all of us are incapable of handling our own affairs, our own families, our own freedom.

Government programs are a sham. I don't care if they seem "effective" or "desirable" or if the outcomes are "helpful". Our federal government was designed, as per our Constitution, to be limited. Our federal government was not designed to be in the business of providing or training people for work. Our federal government was not designed to provide for the poor. Our federal government was not designed to provide education. These are individual and local responsibilities. The federal government was not designed to do myriads of the things people seem to think they want it to do. It was designed to do only those things which are prescribed in the Constitution, for the reasons set forth in the Declaration of Independence. Traditionally, the Republican Party has stood for these principles. And yet, today, we see our Party trying to figure out how to minimize personal, individual (electoral?) pain in the downsizing of the federal government's role in our daily lives. what we are, in fact, seeing is a case of Not in My Back Yard. Even people who say they are Republicans want their programs and their freedom too. I wish to adjure you that you cannot have it both ways.

Every time you allow or ask a government entity to decide it can do something for you better than you can do it yourself, you spit in the face of someone who died to give or maintain your freedom. Every time you abdicate to government a responsibility that rightfully belongs to you and your family, you erode the soil of liberty upon which this nation blossomed.

Let us review for a moment what should be the powers and authorities of the federal government, as Constitutionally prescribed. Article One, Section 8 of the Constitution states the Congress has the responsibilities to:

1. ...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; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

2. To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

3. To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

4. To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; (the federal government is to protect the national border from unauthorized entry, illegal aliens, invasion, etc)

5. To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; (this does not authorize 'fractional reserve notes')

6. To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

7. To establish the Post Offices and post Roads; (This is the only 'infrastructure' the fed has and/or controls)

8. 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; (Copyrights and patents, not funding "research programs", or NASA)

9. To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

10. To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

11. To declare War ... and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

12. To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; (this does not grant authority to require 'selective service' registration or a 'draft')

13. To provide and maintain a Navy;

14. To make rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

15. To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

16. 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; (this does not grant authority to require 'selective service' registration or a 'draft')

17. To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District [not exceeding ten Miles square] as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful buildings; (this does not allow for 'government' bureaucracy to expand beyond the space permitted) And

18. To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Get my point? That's not heartless. That's the Constitution. 

And that's how I see it.