There was a time in the 80’s, the 1780’s that is, where the founders of this great country desired states to retain most of their powers so that governing and representation was for the most part a local activity and remained with the people. The states agreed to cede a few of their powers to a central government, 17 of them specifically, that were important to the good order of the country. In case you’ve forgotten, here are the original 17.
- 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; 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 a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;
- To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;
- To provide for the 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 offenses 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 repel 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;
- To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles (16 km) 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, dockyards, and other needful buildings.
It is important to note that true evilness began with the passing of the 16th amendment in 1913. The 16th amendment allows the direct taxation of income of US citizens. With this ability, the government claimed the most important power which had been reserved to the states and now had the ability to fund the emerging progressive movement conveniently growing at that very time.
From that time forward the progressive movement has continued nearly unfettered. FDR’s New Deal, Johnson’s Great Society, and now we have Obama’s New France. During this nearly 100 years Americans have little by little handed over pieces of the freedom this country was founded on to the federal government. The country has already handed over a good share of their retirement pension and healthcare. Now the country is willing to hand over the rest of the nation’s health to the government. Now the government wants to create three new agencies to regulate the financial health of America and strip those abilities from the FED. Now the government wants to take over the banks. Now the government wants to take over Car companies. In NH the government is even bailing out Newspapers..because government intervention in the press is always a good idea. The government wants to influence the arts through the NEA and the list goes on and on and on.
There was a time in the 80’s, that is the 1980’s, when this nation got just a glimpse of what it might be like to turn back the clock to what the founding fathers of this country intended to create as a FEDERAL government. Ronald Reagan inspired this nation to take back personal responsibility, patriotic initiative, and reduce the size of government. It’s not as if his 8 years could rollback a tide of decades of progressive intervention in our lives however he made a small dent and it gave hope to those of us who believe in consummate freedom and the ability of the unfettered individual to accomplish the American Dream on their own.
However after America was set on the cusp of something great with approval at an all time high we got the “Read my lips” shaft. We got a “Contract with America” that buckled under some bleeding heart criticism with nary a wimper. I can tell you I became instantly apathetic to all politics at that time. Reform was done, Republicans and Dems were all the same. Spineless and weak and lacking the gonads to legislate this country according to the values it was founded on. I figured, “what’s the point?” What can I do? I don’t have any candidates who really will do anything.
However now I say, “ Enough already!” I can hardly take any more. I am becoming a very politically pissed off individual. Don’t worry I won’t be shooting off any weapons in some sort of Lutheran Jihad but I can assure you that I have shaken off my political apathy that has afflicted me since BUSH 1 gave up on Reagan’s values. Whereas I used to say I was Republican, I will tell you that I am no longer. I am conservative period. I see aspects I like in Libertarian and Conservative Party ideology. If the Republicans fold up the big tent and come back to their values, then we shall re-examine that, but currently, I think they are rudderless in the search for true values and leadership. Don’t tell me what party you’re from. Tell me you’ll represent the people who elected you and that you’ll fight to limit the government to what it was designed to do.
I think George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were correct in their dislike for political parties. They have ruined the political process for Americans. Accountability is shot and Americans are losing their country without a shot fired. Come on America! We need to stop being frogs in the boiling pot. Regardless if you are liberal, conservative or even one of those uncommitted, fence-sitting, conviction-less, moderate political mutts, we will all lose when we have no more ability to shape our own destiny. I have seen the enemy and it is I.
